The Texas Longhorns were able to reel in the No. 6 basketball recruiting class in the country, according to 247sports, and Mohamed Bamba - the No. 2 recruit in the country - was the crown jewel of the class.
However, Bamba’s older half-brother, Ibrahim Johnson, claimed in a 22-minute video on Facebook that both he and Bamba accepted impermissible benefits from Greer Love, a Michigan-based investor. If these claims are true, Bamba could be ruled ineligible for this season.
“He’s not going to play this year in the NCAA because I already reported him to the NCAA and I’m already going to meet with the NCAA,” Johnson said. “He’s not going to play this year. I’m not going to lie to you. I exposed that kid.”
Johnson alleges that Love, the vice president of Huron Capital, gave Bamba a television, shoes, vacations, $200 a week and paid for him to get new teeth, among other gifts. Johnson also says that Love gave him in excess of $2,000, and that Love's goal was to become part of Bamba's inner circle. He added in the comments section of the video that Bamba "didn't get money from Texas. I want to make that clear so that there isn't any NCAA sanctions on them."
Andrew Slater of 247sports reports that Johnson's claims are untrue and are merely his latest attempt to "expose" Love, who had refused to comply with Johnson's demands for benefits.
While this was the first time the general public may have been made aware of the unique relationship between the estranged brothers and long-time Bamba confidant Love, it was merely the latest example of a mounting battle between the estranged brothers. Ibrahim Johnson, who is currently facing court dates for felony misdemeanor charges in multiple states, was long rumored to be a figure looking to exploit his five-star half-brother's recruitment in the grassroots, college, and professional community.
After a series of efforts made by his family to keep Ibrahim Johnson on a clear path during Bamba's recruitment, in January of this year, Johnson was completely removed from the recruiting process, after it became apparent to the family that he was steadfast in his search for personal gain and unwilling to abide by Bamba's wishes of a clean, NCAA-compliant recruitment.
Since then, Johnson has racked up a series of charges, including three in March: hit-and-run in Florida, forgery, falsification, petty theft, and possession of drugs in Ohio, and possession of drugs in South Carolina. Last week Johnson allegedly, in an act of desperation, made several physical and verbal threats to "expose" Mohamed Bamba's longtime mentor Greer Love, despite the fact that every compliance department of each school that Bamba visited and ultimately the NCAA Eligibility Center had cleared the duo, due to the long-standing and documented pre-existing relationship. The threats to accuse Bamba and Love of committing NCAA violations came after the duo refused to comply with Johnson's recent demands for various impermissible benefits.
Texas issued the following statement in response to Johnson's claims in the video.
“As is usual practice by the NCAA, Mo’s amateur status was previously reviewed and final certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center,” the statement said. “The NCAA has not informed us of any pending issues or eligibility concerns at this time regarding Mo. If there are further questions, we certainly will cooperate with the NCAA to the fullest.”
The 7-foot, 216-pounder signed with the Longhorns on May 18th, and is expected to play just one season for Texas before entering the 2018 NBA Draft.
Bamba is an athletic, dynamic shot-blocker thanks to his long arms, defensive awareness and timing. He is projected to be a top-five pick in next year's draft.
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