Former UCLA star Amari Bailey will petition the NCAA in hopes of playing again. According to ESPN, he has hired a lawyer to petition for one more season of eligibility. In the past, he has appeared in 10 NBA games for the Charlotte Hornets. The 21-year-old player has spent one season with the Bruins before going for the 2023 NBA Draft.
Here is what Bailey told ESPN.
“Right now, I’d be a senior in college. I’m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do; that’s their journey. But I went to play professionally and learned a lot, went through a lot. So like, why not me?”
In the 2023 Draft, he was selected by the Hornets in the second round. On a two-way contract, he played 10 games as a rookie for them. Playing for them, he averaged 2.3 points on 33.3% shooting from the field. In September 2024, he signed with the Brooklyn Nets and joined the Long Island Nets of the NBA’s G League. He also spent time with the Iowa Wolves.
NCAA senior vice president of external affairs Tim Buckley is firm on the rules and regulations. According to him, “The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any players who have signed an NBA contract. Congress can strengthen NCAA rules so professional athletes cannot sue their way back to competing against college students.”
His case against the NCAA will be the latest test of eligibility in the NCAA. Apart from him, many players are seeking to return to the collegiate level. Charles Bediako from Alabama was allowed to return to the Crimson Tide after spending three years with different G League teams.
Bediako played for Alabama before going for the 2023 NBA Draft. He was undrafted. Since then, he has appeared for many G League teams.
