He’s back.

In the wake of the ongoing surge of professional basketball players attempting to return to college basketball using existing loopholes in the system, college teams have been hard at work investigating all opportunities to improve their teams, and Penn State men’s basketball has set the new standard in the industry.

A local court has granted Penn State men’s basketball legend Lamar Stevens eligibility, and he will return to Penn State for the 2026-27 season, the team announced Wednesday.

“We’re very excited to welcome Lamar back to the Penn State family as we look towards a brighter future,” Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft said in a statement. “We look forward to Lamar’s contributions both on and off the court, in his community, and in mentoring the next generation of Penn State stars.”

“Lamar Stevens is a tremendous talent, and I cannot wait to get him in the locker room to get him integrated into our system,” said head coach Mike Rhoades. “His experience will be crucial in helping mentor our younger players while helping Penn State return to prominence.”

Stevens’ credentials are immense. In his previous four years at Penn State, he averaged 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists across 135 games, all of which he started. He’s Penn State’s all-time leading scorer, a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, and the 2018 NIT MVP. His senior season saw him lead Penn State to one of its best seasons in recent history, only for a dream run to end with a whimper as the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020.

Stevens would go on to play 220 games in the NBA across five seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and Memphis Grizzlies. After getting good minutes for the lowly Grizzlies late in 2024-25, he went overseas, where he spent the last season playing for Paris Basketball of the LNB Élite in France.

While playing overseas, Stevens quietly appealed for an extra year of collegiate eligibility in conjunction with his alma mater, but his request was declined. He then sued the NCAA and sought a temporary restraining order to allow him to rejoin the team.

He appealed to the Centre County Magisterial District Court in the last few weeks, citing the loss of the 2020 NCAA Tournament as an injustice to him and many other players. He claimed that if players who competed in the 2020-21 season were automatically granted an extra year, athletes whose seasons were cut short by the initial shutdown in March 2020 should be as well. The court ruled in favor of Stevens early Wednesday, granting him one additional year of eligibility in 2026-27.

“When my agent presented me with the option of taking this pathway and returning home to Happy Valley, it was a no-brainer,” Stevens said.

While the move of once-professional players returning to college basketball isn’t unprecedented, Stevens’ case is. Charles Bediako, who briefly played for Alabama earlier this season, had played several years in the G-League. James Nnaji was once selected No. 31 overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2023 NBA Draft, but he stayed overseas and never played in the NBA. Stevens, having prolonged experience in the NBA, would be a new first.

Of course, while Rhoades and Penn State will operate as if Stevens will be eligible to compete in the upcoming season, the NCAA is almost certain to push back and attempt to stop this. They previously fought and successfully had Bediako removed from Alabama’s roster and are looking to stop players with NBA experience from returning to college, like former UCLA star Amari Bailey.

“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract),” NCAA president Charlie Baker said back in December.

Onward State has reached out to Baker for comment on Stevens’ return.

Editor’s note: This story is part of Onward State’s April Fools’ Day series. It is satirical, meant for entertainment, and not to be taken literally. Any quotes were made up for the purpose of this post.