By Jamie Plunkett
Frogs Today staff writer
Damion Baugh is appealing a suspension from the NCAA for signing with an unauthorized agent last spring, as first reported by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. TCU confirmed the report to Frogs Today on Wednesday morning.
Baugh, a senior, declared for the NBA Draft in mid-April before deciding to return to school on May 29. He averaged 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during TCU’s 2021-22 campaign that ended in an NCAA Tournament loss to Arizona. Baugh spent a significant portion of the season as TCU’s primary ball handler as Mike Miles dealt with injuries.
Originally from Nashville, Baugh enrolled at Memphis out of high school to play for coach Penny Hardaway. The decision was easy for Baugh, as it was close to home and therefore close to his daughter. At the time Memphis offered, though, Baugh was close to committing to TCU. Had Hardaway and the Tigers not entered the picture late in the process, Baugh could have been at TCU much sooner.
All that aside, when Baugh finished last season, he had a choice: come back and get his degree, or test the professional waters and provide for his family. As a way to support his daughter, Baugh had been sending his Name, Image, and Likeness earnings to his family back in Tennessee.
As a way to further support his daughter, Baugh made the decision to declare for the NBA Draft. As part of that process, he signed with an agent.
In the past, signing with an agent meant that a player was waiving the rest of their college eligibility. Now, though, that has changed to a degree. There’s now an approved list of agents who athletes can sign with and still maintain their eligibility should they decide to go back to school.
The issue Baugh currently faces is that the agent he signed with was not on the approved list.
Thus, the NCAA has suspended Baugh for an undisclosed amount of time.
According to Baugh’s mother, Samantha Baugh, the TCU guard did not participate in any NBA workouts, travel or accept any benefits while he was signed with the agent. As she told Rothstein, “It was a difficult time and it was just a time where a kid was just trying to help his family.”
Frogs Today will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as we receive them.
Jamie Plunkett, jamie@frogstoday.com
