Tarver, O’Bannon Review Options : Basketball: Tarkanian says UNLV likely is out of running for Southern California’s two most prized recruits.

Coach Jerry Tarkanian of Nevada Las Vegas said Monday that he has all but given up hope of keeping prize basketball recruits Shon Tarver and Ed O’Bannon in the wake of NCAA sanctions that bar the Rebels from postseason competition next season.

Tarver, a 6-foot-5 guard from Oxnard Santa Clara High School, made an official visit to Arizona State over the weekend.

“He is examing his options,” said John Tarver, Shon’s father. “Personally, I would like for him to have a decision by the end of the week.”

Tarver and O’Bannon, a 6-8 forward from Lakewood Artesia High School, are considered Southern California’s two best recruits.

USC Coach George Raveling said that the O’Bannons promised to tell him if Ed decided not to attend UNLV.

So far, Raveling said, they have not called. O’Bannon had considered Arizona State, Syracuse, USC and UCLA before selecting UNLV last May.

O’Bannon could not be reached for comment.

Last week in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Tarkanian speculated that Tarver would attend UCLA.

“That’s just my guess,” he was quoted as saying. “He absolutely will not go to Syracuse.”

Tarkanian said Monday that he was simply passing along the biggest coaches’ rumor of the summer, that Tarver and O’Bannon will enroll at UCLA.

John Tarver said he did not know whether his son and O’Bannon were planning to attend UCLA.

“I don’t think Shon has talked to Ed since Ed got back (from a trip to Uruguay),” he said. “Shon will make the decision that’s best for him.”

At the suggestion of Tarkanian, neither Tarver nor O’Bannon signed a letter of intent to attend UNLV last spring. Each, however, announced that he would enroll although the school was being investigated for recruiting violations stemming from a 1987 incident with a New York prep player.

But the sanctions announced last week stem from a 1977 case that most thought would not result in such severe punishment. The school also may be sanctioned for the more recent allegations.

“It’s a tough thing,” Tarkanian said. “(Tarver and O’Bannon) were all set to come here. The sad thing from my standpoint is that in 18 years I’ve been at the university, this is the first time we’ve got the two best kids out of Southern California. And to lose them like this really hurts us.”

Neither player can sign a letter of intent now that the one-month period for such transactions has passed. Whatever decision they make will not be binding until they actually enroll at a school. Tarver and O’Bannon could announce where they are going this week and change their minds before the fall semester begins.