Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo said “the NCAA needs to regroup” after learning that a player can play two or three seasons in the NBA G League and be eligible to play in college.
Izzo told reporters after practice Tuesday that he recently learned that London Johnson, a 21-year-old point guard who spent the past three seasons in the G League, has committed to Louisville. According to On3, Johnson is expected to have two years of eligibility beginning in the 2026-2027 season.
“I don’t know anything about it. I can’t believe this happened to us (Monday),” Izzo said. “And if it’s been done before and I didn’t know about it, shame on me. But my compliance officer didn’t know. There are people in this league who didn’t know. The NCAA needs to regroup.”
“This just shows you how ridiculous people in power make decisions. I’m not really excited about the NCAA or who makes these decisions without talking to us; (they) just let it go because they’re afraid they’ll be taken to court.”
“To me it’s ridiculous. To me it’s shameful.”
Tom Izzo’s thoughts on signing a player in Louisville with several years of G League experience.
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Johnson’s commitment comes about a month after the NCAA declared former G League player Thierry Darlan eligible. Darlan, the first player to gain NCAA eligibility after playing professionally in the G League, is committed to Santa Clara. The 21-year-old from the Central African Republic spent two seasons in the G League and attended college for two seasons.
The NCAA does not comment on specific eligibility cases, but the organization has relaxed its once-stringent amateurism requirements since the 2021 Supreme Court ruling allowed college athletes to monetize the rights to their name, image and likeness. Several European players with professional experience have become NCAA eligible in recent years, which could have set a precedent for ex-G League pros to play college ball.
Izzo expressed sympathy for players who decide to turn pro only to discover they are not ready for competition at the highest level. However, he pointed out how promoting the interests of ex-professionals could harm the careers of high school players and underclassmen in college, who could commit to a program that then decides to recruit older and more experienced players over them.
“To me it’s ridiculous, it’s embarrassing,” Izzo said. “I love my job, (but) I don’t respect my profession. And I don’t respect … whoever made these decisions because they’re afraid a lawyer is going to sue them. Sooner or later you’re going to have to fight the battle. I’ll never agree to that. I think we’re really hurting the high school seniors and giving (professional players) a chance.”
“What is the age limit now?” Izzo added. “Is it 30? If you have three beards and two mustaches, are you not allowed to play? What will it be?”
The 70-year-old Spartan coach addressed the NCAA transfer portal earlier this spring as Michigan State advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Men’s Tournament. At the time, Izzo shared his thoughts on opening the player portal window while his team was still in the tournament.
“I’m going to worry today about the guys that I got into this program who did a great job this year, and that’s it,” Izzo said in March. “If that costs me later, so be it. But Tom Izzo isn’t cheating on the people who have been loyal to him because of the chaos that’s going on out there. These guys who gave me everything they could give me are going to get a chance, and I’m not going to ruin it by spending more time on other things.”
Izzo told reporters Tuesday that they hit a “sore spot” when they asked about Johnson. The traditional-minded coach went on to describe his frustrations with the often-changing landscape of NCAA eligibility criteria.
“We have no rules, and now we’ve taken ‘no rules’ and added more ‘no rules,’” Izzo said. “I would feel bad if a kid came out early (from high school or college). Maybe we shouldn’t come out early,” Izzo said. “Maybe we need to help children make better decisions.
“I’m not going to be angry at the players; I’m going to be angry at the adults in the room. So stop blaming the players. Blame the adults who are making the decisions that allow some of these ridiculous things to happen and the unintended consequences that hurt kids who are trying to do it the right way.”
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