Source: USC Does Not Want to Release Seantrel Henderson from Letter of Intent

USC was slapped with penalties from the NCAA Infractions Committee three weeks ago. The penalties were deemed the harshest since SMU got the infamous “death penalty.” USC was stripped of 30 scholarships over three years, postseason appearances the next two seasons, and they’re on probation the next four years. Because of the penalties, juniors and seniors are allowed to transfer without having to sit out a year. That doesn’t do a whole lot of good for the incoming freshmen like Seantrel Henderson whose careers with the Trojans will begin under a dark cloud.

Henderson has been listed as one of the top two recruits for the 2010 class by various services. After a prolonged recruitment period, he announced he would attend USC on Signing Day, but he never signed his Letter of Intent. Henderson wanted to be sure that USC would not be penalized harshly by the NCAA before deciding to spend his next four years in southern California. Apparently whatever the USC people told him sounded good, because Henderson ultimately signed with the Trojans in late March. But ever since the punishments were handed down, Seantrel has been upset.

Henderson didn’t show up for his orientation, prompting USC’s coaches to fly out to Minneapolis last week, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The meeting must not have been too productive because sources tell me members of the USC staff flew out to the Twin Cities on Monday to meet with Seantrel a second time. It’s clear that Henderson is heavily reconsidering his commitment to USC partly because of the sanctions, and also because he feels the school’s coaches lied to him about the NCAA penalties.

Making matters more difficult is that sources say the USC coaches planned to tell Henderson that they wouldn’t release him from his Letter of Intent. That could prove to be an issue for both sides; a person close to the situation summed things up perfectly: if Seantrel were really interested in playing for USC then he would already be in LA instead of spending his summer playing basketball around the Twin Cities.