EXCLUSIVE

Here’s a reason to 8-clap … Shareef O’Neal is “leaning toward signing with UCLA” after pulling his commitment to the University of Arizona … sources tell TMZ Sports. 

O’Neal — the high school superstar son of Shaquille O’Neal — decommitted from Arizona over the weekend after reports surfaced that Arizona coach Sean Miller was caught on an FBI wiretap discussing making a $100,000 payment to a huge recruit. 

Shareef is one of the best high school players in the country — and the move made top programs around the country salivate at the mouth hoping to score a top prospect who has absolutely NO REASON to be involved in a pay-for-play scandal (his family’s got way too much money for that). 

Multiple sources connected to O’Neal tell us he’s been considering a couple different schools — mostly Pac-12 programs — but right now, UCLA is in the lead. 

Of course, he can always change his mind …