PROVIDENCE, N.C. — Clemson guard Jaeden Zackery is paying very close attention to what is going on with the battle between the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the NCAA.

On March 11, 16 national coaches associations wrote to the NCAA Division I Board of Governors in support of the NJCAA’s effort to change decades-long eligibility requirements for junior college athletes.

Last December, the NCAA granted another year of eligibility for those who attended non-NCAA institutions and whose eligibility is supposed to finish in the 2024-2025 academic year.

However, earlier this month, it was announced by the NCAA that student-athletes who competed in the NJCAA in the 2020-’21 academic year are not eligible to participate next season.

This ruling directly affects Zackery, whose eligibility runs out after the NCAA Tournament. Zackery plans to appeal the decision and see if he can be granted a waiver.  

“I have been talking to people,” he told The Clemson Insider prior to Wednesday’s practice from the Amica Mutual Pavilion in advance of Thursday’s NCAA Tournament game against McNeese State. “I know the school has been looking into it and seeing if I have another year.

“I am not really sure how it is supposed to go, but I have definitely been lookin at it.”

While the NCAA and the NJCAA fight things out, Zackery is going to see after the season if the NCAA will allow him to submit a waiver, so he can get that year of playing JUCO basketball back.

If the NCAA does grant Zackery a waiver, he already knows what he wants to do.

“I will definitely pursue it and see if I have the opportunity to do it and then whether I do or not will decide what I want to do next year,” he said.

When asked if that means he will come back and play for Clemson next season, Zackery did not hold back.

“I will be back at Clemson,” he said. “I will test out the waters in pro or something, but if I am not feeling that then I will definitely be back at Clemson.”

Zackery played the previous three season at Boston College before coming to Clemson last spring as a graduate transfer. Comes into Thursday’s NCAA Tournament game, the Clemson guard is averaging 11.3 points, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

Last week, he was named to the ACC’s All-Defensive Team.