Basketball Prospect Arrested for Accusations Dating Back to Visit to Missouri

A basketball prospect has been accused of forcible rape alleged to occur during a recruiting visit to the University of Missouri in September of 2024.

A basketball hoop is pictured at the University of North Florida's UNF Arena on February 28, 2022. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union] Basketball Hoop Stock Jax | © Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Keiner Asprilla, a basketball prospect in the class of 2026, was arrested Tuesday in New Jersey as a "fugitive from justice" due to an incident dating back to a recruiting visit he took to the University of Missouri, according to NJ Advance Media.

Asprilla has been accused of forcible rape, allegedly occurring on Sept. 20 in Columbia. The Columbia Police Department responded to a report of sexual assault on Oct. 8.

“The safety of our campus community is of great importance,” University of Missouri spokesperson Christopher Ave said to NJ Advance Media. “We are deeply concerned about these serious allegations. This alleged off-campus incident did not involve any of our students, and it was reported to the Columbia Police Department. We do not have sufficient information to comment further.”

According to the report, posted on Jan. 24, Asprilla is expected to be extradited to Missouri in "the coming days."

Missouri offered Asprilla on Sept. 8 of 2024, according to a post on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account.

A native of Colombia, Asprilla also holds offers from Kansas State, Auburn, UCF, LSU, Villanova, Kansas and Florida State. The four-star prospect is regarded as a consensus top-50 prospect, a top-five center and a top-three player in the state of New Jersey in the class.

According to the report, Asprilla is not currently with St. Peter's Prep, the high school he's attended since fall of 2024. The school's athletic director told NJ Advance Media that Asprilla is currently dealing with a personal matter.