The top basketball recruits who were left scrambling after Ye shut down Donda Academy last week are beginning to find new homes.
Rob Dillingham, a Kentucky Wildcats commit and the No. 8 recruit in the 2023 ESPN 100, will join Overtime Elite, the league announced Thursday on Twitter.
Dillingham will not accept a salary from Overtime Elite, which will preserve his collegiate eligibility. He is not alone. A.J. Johnson, the No. 25 recruit in the 2023 class, has landed with SoCal Academy, head coach Julius Von Hanzlik told ESPN. His teammate Jacob Bannarbie, a 6-foot-8 center, will join him at SoCal Academy, a source told ESPN.
Javonte (J.J.) Taylor, the No. 45 prospect for 2023, recently announced that he will play with five-star recruit Mikey Williams at San Ysidro High School in San Diego. Chuck Bailey Jr., a 2023 four-star recruit, will attend Hamtramck High School in Hamtramck, Michigan, his father, Chuck Bailey Sr., told ESPN.
The student body at Donda Academy learned last week that Ye, the polarizing rapper and entrepreneur, had decided to shut down the school for the remainder of the school year.
“Our leadership team will be working diligently to assist all families during this transition, ensuring that every scholar has what they need to succeed in their next community in a prompt and gracious manner,” Jason Angell, the school’s principal, wrote in a letter obtained by ESPN. “We intend to begin afresh in September of 2023.”
Officials with The Hoophall Classic, John Wall Holiday Invitational and other events announced last week that Donda Academy would no longer participate in their tournaments.
Ye’s latest controversial chapter has included antisemitic tweets and comments, which has led to dissolving partnerships and business interests.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello contributed to this report.