Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
There was once a time when the notion of someone who played in an NBA game returning to college was a patently absurd idea. However, Amari Bailey has made it pretty clear he’s planning to try to become the first player to go that route, and one school has emerged as a contender to land him.
Over the past few years, the NCAA has seen its grip on college sports loosen to the point where it’s become hard not to wonder if it has any reason to exist anymore.
The governing body has become increasingly irrelevant since the Supreme Court forced it to abandon its long-standing adherence to amateurism while ushering in the NIL Era in 2021, and a string of legal challenges concerning its ability to rule over student-athletes has led to players and schools pushing the limits to see what they can get away with.
College basketball has recently emerged as one of the fiercest battlegrounds due to a growing trend involving names who have played professionally before landing on a college roster. The NCAA admittedly didn’t do itself any favors by catering to international players who spent time in leagues overseas, as a number of guys who’ve been drafted by NBA teams and spent time in the G League have attempted to mount a college comeback.
However, none of those situations have been as egregious as a former UCLA player who appeared in multiple games for the Hornets before trying to mount a comeback after his time in the NBA failed to pan out as he had hoped.
Former Hornets guard Amari Bailey has his eyes on Grand Canyon University as he attempts to become the first person to head back to college after playing in the NBA
Amari Bailey was touted as one of the best high school prospects in the country before he headed to UCLA as a freshman in 2022.
The 6’3″ guard from Chicago ended up averaging 11.2 points per game during what ended up being a one-and-done stint with the Bruins, and he declared for the NBA Draft and was selected by the Hornets with the 41st pick in the second round in 2023.
He made his NBA debut with Charlotte later that year, but he only averaged 2.3 points in the 10 games he appeared in before he was shipped back down to the G League. He finished the season with the Greensboro Swarm before ending up on the Long Island Nets in 2024, and he most recently played for the Iowa Wolves.
Bailey was not on a roster when the current one kicked off, and last week, we learned he had turned his attention back to the college level. The NCAA has firmly stated it “will not grant eligibility to any players who have signed an NBA contract,” but his lawyer appears eager and willing to take the case to court while positioning his client as “a college-aged kid who wants to go to college.”
The 21-year-old’s comeback attempt got the seal of approval from UCLA coach Mick Cronin, although it does not appear UCLA has any serious interest in welcoming him back into the fold.
However, according to ESPN, he has at least one suitor in the form of Grand Canyon University, which has invited him to campus to watch the 15-7 Antelopes host New Mexico next Wednesday. The outlet also reports that other programs have expressed interest, but the Phoenix-based school is the only one that has officially set up a visit.
Unlike Charles Bediako, the former G Leaguer who is currently in the midst of a legal battle with the NCAA after returning to Alabama in January, Bailey does not intend to play this season but is hoping to suit up for the 2026-27 campaign.