Shareef O'Neal decommitted from the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, and Brandon Williams' father told the Star that his family will discuss tonight whether to do the same.
If Williams also decommits, the Wildcats would have no recruits left in the class of 2018.
O'Neal, the son of legendary former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal, tweeted Saturday afternoon that he is "opening up my recruitment" due to the current events with the UofA Bball team." UA coach Sean Miller reportedly discussed bribing freshman Deandre Ayton in a wiretap captured by the FBI, and is not going to coach the Wildcats tonight at Oregon.
At this time I'm am opening up my recruitment due to the current events with the UofA Bball team.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.
— Shareef OβNeal (@SSJreef) February 24, 2018
O'Neal teased "big news" earlier Saturday. On Friday, he tweeted β and then deleted β a post saying "Lol don't want to be involved with that," and attached four zipped-lip emojis and a peace sign.
Williams retweeted the since-deleted tweet from O'Neal.
Meanwhile, Chris Wright, Williams' father, said the family was waiting for Williams' mother to return home from work tonight to discuss the matter. Wright has previously made it clear that his son would attend UA as long as Miller was still coaching the Wildcats.
"We've gotta sit down and see what to do," Wright said. "Last night he had a playoff game and he's still focused on the playoffs but without Sean Miller, that's another thing."
"Itβs just one of those moments. We gotta talk tonight. We have to talk tonight as a family. We've had small talk with whatβs going on with the wiretap."
Wright said that during Williams' recruitment there was no talk of payments, such as the one Miller allegedly discussed with an agent about Deandre Ayton, according to ESPN.
"Nothing like that," Wright said. "All during the recruiting process, we didn't hear nothing going on. Nothing."
Both O'Neal and Williams signed nonbinding scholarship papers with the Wildcats in November because of the uncertainty in the program.Β
Williams' Twitter profile still refers to him as "University of Arizona Guard Soon," though he has removed a profile picture that showed him in a UA uniform.
The space for Williams' Twitter profile picture was instead black as of Saturday afternoon.
