Frank Haith Tied to Miami NCAA Allegations

Current Missouri head coach Frank Haith, who was hired this year to replace Arkansas' Mike Anderson, is being investigated by the NCAA over allegations that recently surfaced in a report by Yahoo! Sports.

Nevin Shapiro, who is incarcerated for his role in a $930 Million Ponzi Scheme, told investigators that he supplied $10,000 to secure the commitment of then-high school phenom DeQuan Jones.

In 2008, Jones was considered one of the best wings in his class. He was ranked highly by many scouting services and held multiple scholarship offers from programs nationwide.

He was mostly known for his explosive scoring and ability to finish strong around the rim.

Jones took an unofficial to Miami in 2007 and committed the next day after, according to Yahoo! Rivals.

Shapiro alleged that the transaction was orchestrated by former assistant Jake Morton and went on to say that Haith was aware of the payment.

When notified of the allegations, Frank Haith released a statement saying, "I can confirm that the NCAA has asked to speak with me regarding he time I spent at the University of Miami. I am more than happy to cooperate with the national office on this issue and look forward to a quick resolution."

He continued by saying, "The NCAA has instructed me not to comment further at this time in order to protect the integrity of their review, so I can appreciate your understanding in this matter. The reports questioning my personal interactions with Mr. Shapiro are not an accurate portrayal of my character and per the above I am unable to comment further."

Haith, in his seven seasons at Miami, was never contacted by the NCAA over allegations of breaking NCAA rules. He's always had a reputation for running a clean program.

The University also issued a statement regarding reports on Haith saying, "We are aware of today's Yahoo! Sports story and the University of Missouri acknowledges that the NCAA has requested to speak with Coach Haith regarding his time at the University of Miami.

"As a member of the NCAA and the Big 12 conference, the University of Missouri will cooperate fully throughout this process. per the NCAA's request and guiding bylaws, we are unable to comment further in order to protect the integrity of their review."

Goodluck Okonoboh Still Wide Open

Versatility and defense is just a few reasons frontier force Goodluck Okonoboh (Tilton School, MA) has been able to see his scholarship list continuously grow.

Okonoboh, the first cousin of UConn's Alex Oriahki, claims offers from Gonzaga, Minnesota, Missouri, NC Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Providence, Syracuse and Towson.

That list will only continue to grow as he continues to pick up interest after performing very well during the summer circuit.

"Not yet," he said when asked about if he's made a timeline for his decision. But he did say that he is starting to take some unofficial visits.

"[I'm visiting] Syracuse this weekend," he said. "Then a couple of others."

Florida, Gonzaga, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, Penn, Providence, Syracuse, Texas, UConn.

"Probably, Michigan, Missouri, Pitt, Providence, Syracuse and UConn," he said of the schools recruiting him the hardest. But did add, "everyone is coming pretty hard."

With it being so early in the process, Okonoboh has decided to keep his options open and hear from schools. He has yet to trim his list or name any favorites for that matter.

Darrick Wood trims list to 7

Darrick Wood, (Nia Prep, DC) a 6-3 shooting guard has not made a final decision yet but does have a much smaller list to work from. Yesterday, Wood said that he was down to seven schools. Oklahoma State, Penn State, St. John's, Seton Hall, USC, USF and Virginia Tech are the schools of consideration right now.

Shane Larkin commits to Miami

After being granted a medical release from DePaul, for point guard Shane Larkin it was only a matter of time before gave Miami (FL) the heads up.

After visiting, it didn't take long for Larkin to say yes to the scholarship offer and transfer into the program. Although, since he's already taken summer classes at the University of DePaul he would atomically be deemed ineligible and have to sit out one year due to transfer rules.

However, according to reports, Miami and newly acquired coach Jim Larranaga may look to appeal that distinction in hopes to have him eligible this season. Larkin and current point guard Durand Scott could turn out to be a dominant duo in the backcourt, if eligible right away.

Wally Ellenson Commits to Minnesota

The Minnesota Gophers received their first commitment in the class of 2012 when they landed Wally Ellenson (Rice Lake, WI) earlier today.

Ellenson, a 6-4 wing, held offers from five high-major offers with many mid-majors offering as well.

He had previously taken an unofficial to Minnesota before but after returning from the previous visit he decided to end his recruitment.

"Tubby Smith is a great coach, with a great program and it's close to home" Ellenson said.

"It's close to home, so all my family and friends can come to my games."

Ellenson had planned on taking an unofficial to West Virginia on the 3rd of September and even had a visit planned with the Jayhawks.

Colorado, Nebraska and Oregon State were the latest programs to try to get in the mix with the talented wing.

Danuel House trims list to 10 

Things for Danuel House (Hightower, TX) are becoming a little clearer these days. The five-star small forward recently narrowed down his list to 10 schools.

Arizona, Baylor, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Houston, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas are the teams still in the mix.

He hasn't scheduled any visits as of yet but according to a source, his first in-home visit will be with the University of Missouri.

Perry Ellis Cuts List to Four; Schedules Visits

Perry Ellis (Wichita Heights, KS) has trimmed his list once again.

Back in December of 2010, Ellis cut his list to six with Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Memphis, Oklahoma and Wichita State in the mix.

Later on in his recruitment, Ellis decided to add Duke to the mix after former Sooners coach Jeff Capel joined the Duke Blue Devils coaching staff.

There were even reports that stated the recruitment of Ellis could come down to an arms race between Duke, Kansas and Kentucky.

Despite the reports, Ellis cut his list to four with Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky and Wichita State still in the mix.

Surprisingly, even after being present at most of his games and make a tough recruiting pitch, the 6-8 combo-forward opted to cut Duke from the list. Oklahoma and Memphis is also absent from the shorten list and the race for the talented big is really starting to heat up.

Kansas and Kansas State coaches both flocked to every single game Ellis played this summer. If it wasn't the head coach, an assistant was always there for both schools. Kentucky's John Calipari wasn't absent this summer either. He visited Ellis often and made his presence felt.

Ellis, has scheduled two in-home visits with both Kansas and Kansas State on September 9th. Wichita State and Kentucky visits haven't been scheduled yet but they could happen in the near future.

Katin Reinhardt Commits to UNLV

UNLV's head coach Dave Rice has been getting it done on the recruiting trail. Not only did Rice pick up talented four-man Christian Wood (Findlay Prep, NV) in the class of 2013, but also picked up another big-time athlete today.

Katin Reinhardt (Mater Dei, CA) said in May that he was no longer committed to USC and reopened his recruitment.

It was soon after the summer ended when he made his decision for the second time and committed to UNLV.

Reinhardt is considered one of the top shooters in his class, whether it's from three or mid-range. He's a very athletic off-guard and has the potential to be an all-conference player.

Reinhardt will join point guard DaQuan Cook (Digital Harbor, MD) in the class of 2012.