4-Star PF E.J. Montgomery Decommits from Auburn After FBI Investigation

E.J. Montgomery, one of the top power forwards in the 2018 college basketball recruiting class, decommitted from Auburn on Wednesday following an FBI investigation that led to the arrest of Tigers assistant Chuck Person as part of an alleged "widespread college basketball scheme."

The prospect's father, E.J. Montgomery Sr., confirmed his son's decision to Evan Daniels of Scout, but didn't reference the corruption scandal.

"We are going to open E.J.'s recruitment back up," the elder Montgomery said. "He hasn't really gone through the process of being recruited and he wants to experience that."

He added: "We are just going to open it up and see who comes and kind of go from there."

Montgomery is a 4-star recruit who's rated as the No. 25 overall prospect in the 2018 class, according to 247Sports. He's also listed as the seventh-best power forward in the group.

In January 2016, the 6'10'', 200-pound rising star named some of the schools which had shown interest during an interview with Corey Evans of HoopSeen.

"Right now, I have three offers from Auburn, UCLA, and Miami," Montgomery said. "North Carolina is also starting to show interest in me."

While he ultimately chose the Tigers, it will be interesting to see whether the Bruins, Hurricanes and Tar Heels restart their efforts to land him following his decision to decommit.

247Sports noted Baylor, Florida State and NC State were among the other programs to make a scholarship offer to the forward.

Although Montgomery's father didn't directly mention the corruption scandal as reasoning to reconsider the options, the situation is likely to have a trickle-down effect on the recruiting process throughout college basketball, especially for the schools involved in the FBI probe.

The Wheeler High School (Marietta, Georgia) standout should generate ample interest as a top-25 recruit with the ability to play either forward spot thanks to his frame, athleticism and ability to stretch the floor with mid-range and perimeter shooting.