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Friday, January 9, 2026

Former Donda Academy Basketball Players Join New Teams

  • Several top high school tournaments have dropped Ye’s team from their schedules.
  • The school abruptly closed, then reopened in the span of a few hours last week.
SLAM

Several of the nation’s top high school basketball players have found new teams in the wake of Ye’s Donda Academy controversy.

The players were sent scrambling after the school founded by the artist formerly known as Kanye West abruptly announced it would close effective immediately last week. The school announced it was staying open just hours later.

ESPN Class of 2023 No. 8 recruit and Kentucky commit Rob Dillingham will join Overtime Elite — but will not accept a salary in order to preserve his NCAA eligibility.

No. 25 recruit A.J. Johnson and 6-foot-8 teammate Jacob Bannarbie will both reportedly play at SoCal Academy.

Javonte “J.J.” Taylor — the nation’s No. 45 recruit — will go to San Ysidro High in San Diego, where five-star prospect Mikey Williams is already playing. Chuck Bailey Jr. will attend Hamtramck in Michigan.

ESPN did not report if any 2024 recruits would take off for other schools.

Donda Academy Basketball Team Dropped by Top Tournaments

Several highly recruited players for college basketball are on Donda’s roster.
October 27, 2022

Last week, several of the nation’s high-profile high school basketball tournaments dropped Donda from their schedules amidst Ye’s ongoing strife — and Morehouse College announced this week that it is canceling a tournament Donda was scheduled to play in.

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