In the midst of the swarm of controversy surrounding the University of Arizona’s basketball program, Shaquille O’Neal’s son, Shareef, who previously committed to the school has now announced that he will not be moving forward and has opened his recruitment back up.
"At this time I'm am opening up my recruitment due to the current events with the UofA Bball team," he revealed in a recent tweet. "I would like to thank all the coaches for recruiting me. At the time my family and I think it's in my best interest to look at other options to assure my play in the NCAA next year."
His decision arrives on the heels of news of a recorded phone call that allegedly revealed Arizona men’s basketball coach Sean Miller’s conspiracy to pay star recruit DeAndre Ayton $100,000 in hopes of adding him to the Wildcats’ roster. The conversation took place over a wiretapped lined as Miller spoke with Christian Dawkins, a runner with the ASM Sports Agency and a key player in the FBI’s overall investigation into unlawful practices in college basketball.
So far, 10 individuals have been arrested in connection to the case, including Dawkins and Miller. According to ESPN the 18-year old O’Neal never signed a letter of intent with the school despite committing back in April of last year. This means that he has the free reign to detach himself from the institution without having to first obtain permission. Prior to making a decision, O’Neal was being look at by schools like Kentucky and his father’s alma mater Louisiana State.