Well, this certainly fits into the category of “things we never thought we would post” category.
http://gty.im/903185442
According to reports, former 5-star recruit LaMelo Ball was in Ann Arbor on Saturday to take in Michigan’s game vs. Western Michigan.
Ball, of course, is the brother of Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball and the son of the, well let’s just say, very interesting, LaVar Ball.
From 247 Sports:
Senior guard LaMelo Ball showed up at Michigan Saturday for the Wolverines’ 70-62 victory over Western Michigan, according to Jake Weingarten with Stockrisers.
Citing a source, Weingarten tweeted that Ball was in attendance before adding, “Welp here come the eligibility questions.”
Indeed, Ball’s eligibility could be one of the biggest questions facing the 2019 class. A former five-star prospect when he played for Chino Hills in California, Ball left the school and turned pro after his older brother LiAngelo left UCLA to do the same after he was suspended for shoplifting on the team’s trip to China.
But despite playing professionally with Prienai in Lithuania and then with the Los Angeles Ballers in the Junior Basketball Association, LaMelo resurfaced on recruiting radars earlier this fall when he signed on to play at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The Ball family has maintained that LaMelo himself hasn’t accepted any money, meaning he would still be eligible to play in college. And Ball told media gathered at his SPIRE arrival press conference that he wanted to play college basketball “at a top school,” with LaMelo mentioning North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State by name.
Michigan wasn’t mentioned, though the currently undefeated Wolverines would certainly fit the definition of a top school.
Of course, there’s sure to be plenty of publicity about LaMelo’s search for eligibility; some other prep schools have canceled games with SPIRE, noting that they don’t think he should be eligible to play at that level. That included national powerhouse La Lumiere.
To read the rest of the article at 247 Sports, please click here.
UPDATED:
According to Brendan Quinn of The Athletic, Ball was at the Michigan/Western Michigan basketball game as a guest of another recruit.
Inquired into LaMelo Ball being at Crisler Center for yesterday’s Michigan game. I was told that he was there as a guest of another recruit.
So, no, it does not appear Michigan is going #BigBaller https://t.co/1wfz3mal5I
— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) December 16, 2018
