Mohamed Bamba remains eligible to compete this season after the NCAA cleared the high-profile Texas recruit Tuesday of any wrongdoing following his brother's allegations that he accepted improper benefits from a private equity investor.
In a June rant on Facebook Live, Ibrahim Johnson, Bamba's older brother and a former Division II athlete, accused Greer Love, a private equity investor and mentor, of supplying his brother with illegal gifts, including a $200 weekly stipend, providing funds for a trip and paying his credit card bills.
"After evaluating all available information, the NCAA determined the assistance Greer Love provides to Mohamed Bamba does not violate rules," the NCAA tweeted. "Bamba remains certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center."
The NCAA also said Bamba's relationship with Love satisfied the Division I rule on pre-existing relationships.
Bamba, the No. 3 overall prospect in the ESPN 100, is a major addition to Texas coach Shaka Smart's roster, which lost center Jarrett Allen to the NBA this summer. The 6-foot-11 Bamba is an aggressive big man who joins the Longhorns as one of the top recruits in school history.
His brother's claims had threatened what might be his lone season at the collegiate level.
"In this case, the relationship between the SA [student-athlete] and Mr. Love developed when the SA was in 4th grade through an after school mentoring program," the NCAA announced, per a release from Texas. "Although the mentoring program had both an academic and athletics purpose, their relationship was not established based on the SA's ability or reputation as an athlete. Further, the pattern of communication between the SA and Mr. Love has been continuous and the benefits provided to the SA have been consistent since the establishment of their relationship."
