Narcisse Ngoy will play college basketball next season after getting drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2026 NBA Draft.
In a unique draft-and-stash situation, the 57th overall pick announced on social media Thursday that he intends to honor his commitment to Auburn next season. The full statement:
I am thankful for the LA Clippers’ confidence in me. I fully intend to honor my commitment to Auburn University, and I am looking forward to wearing the Auburn Tigers jersey for the 2026-27 season.
Per ESPN, the Clippers don’t intend to dissuade Ngoy from Auburn.
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Ngoy is a 7-foot center from France who played professionally in France, earning MVP honors in the second-tier French Elite 2 league. The 21-year-old committed to Auburn in March and never declared for the NBA Draft. However, he was automatically eligible under NBA rules because he will turn 22 years old before next season.
Because automatically eligible players don’t lose their college eligibility unless they sign with the team, Ngoy is free to play in college next season. That differs from college players who declare for the draft early and forego their remaining college eligibility, such as Henri Veesaar. The newest Atlanta Hawks big man had first-round buzz, but fell to the 52nd overall pick and cannot go back to college where a $5 million-plus NIL offer reportedly awaited him.
Jack Kayil, a German-born prospect picked 39th overall by the New York Knicks, also can’t play college basketball because is only 20 years old and voluntarily entered the draft.
Narcisse Ngoy will play college basketball next season, despite having an NBA team in control of his rights.
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NBA teams have drafted and stashed before, but usually in situations where the player played professionally elsewhere. There’s also the case of James Nnaji, the former European pro who declared for the 2023 NBA Draft and got selected, continued playing for Barcelona, then controversially enrolled and played in games for Baylor last season. He is currently in the transfer portal and the Knicks still own his draft rights.
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Like Nnaji, Ngoy further blurs the line between college and professional basketball, a trend made possible by the judicial body blows the NCAA has taken in the past decade.
