LaMelo Ball hopes to play for major college program

In an unexpected twist, five-star point guard LaMelo Ball said Friday that he hopes to play college basketball at a top school - mentioning North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and Michigan State by name, according to WKYC's Ben Axelrod.

The 17-year-old Ball re-enrolled in high school this fall at Ohio's Spire Institute following two professional stints - one in Lithuania, and the other in father LaVar Ball's upstart Junior Basketball Association.

That's where LaMelo will likely face NCAA eligibility issues, though, as Axelrod notes, the Balls say he didn't accept any money. However, he did hire an agent in 2017, which renders players ineligible. While the NCAA has announced changes to that rule, they have not yet come into effect.

LaVar has been critical of the NCAA, which is one of the reasons he launched the JBA. However, the fledgling pro circuit has been plagued by poor attendance and accusations that players weren't paid.

Ball's middle son, LiAngelo, followed in the footsteps of older brother Lonzo and enrolled at UCLA. A shoplifting scandal resulted in LiAngelo's suspension and eventual departure from the school.