USC Basketball Recruiting: J’Raan Brooks de-commits from Trojans

USC Basketball lost the commitment of four-star power forward J’Raan Brooks on Friday due to uncertainty surrounding the program and the FBI’s bribery probe.

The fallout from USC Basketball’s involvement in the FBI probe into bribery and fraud in college basketball has officially begun.

On Friday, four-star power forward J’Raan Brooks announced his de-commitment from the Trojans’ 2018 recruiting class.

“Due to unforseen circumstances stemming from the recent news that has come to light in regards to the Trojan basketball program – I have decided to reopen my commitment to examine other available options,” Brooks wrote on Twitter.

Brooks added that USC remains one of his possible college options, but “the uncertainty of their situation has led me to believe I should reassess my own.”

“I have nothing but the utmost respect for Coach Enfield, the rest of the staff, the school, and fans of the program,” Brooks wrote. “However, I need to make sure what I do is best for my future, and ensure I am making an informed decision, while seeing how this entire process transpires.”

Over the summer, Brooks’ commitment to the Trojans helped put USC at the top of the basketball recruiting rankings for 2018. His de-commitment is the first sign of cracks beginning to show after associate head coach Tony Bland was charged with taking bribes and arranging for money to be given to the families of a Trojan player and recruit.

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Though the NCAA has convened a committee to look into the FBI probe, there is no telling how long it will take for the allegations to be addressed or the severity of punishment USC could receive if the NCAA determines that Bland was guilty.

Ranked No. 79 nationally in the 247Sports composite, Brooks is an elite basketball recruit who will be heavily pursued by other programs now that his signature is once again up for grabs. When he picked USC, the Seattle-product was also considering Virginia, Stanford, Oklahoma and Cal.

USC has lost Brooks’ commitment, but they still retain two commitments for 2018 from highly-ranked prospects. For now, four-star small foward Taeshon Cherry and four-star shooting guard Kevin Porter Jr. remain Trojan commits.

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The Trojans were picked to finish No. 2 in the Pac-12 this year in the annual media poll. The new season will tip off in November, but uncertainty is likely to remain.