The Gophers are officially down one recruit for next season.

Alvin Ellis was released from his letter of intent to Minnesota on Wednesday, allowing the Chicago-native to re-open his recruitment.

Here's what he tweeted early Wednesday afternoon:

Minnesota now has just one recruit lined up for 2013-14 – former Ellis teammate Alex Foster. The Gophers have four scholarships available, but were planning to save at least one for the loaded 2014 recruiting class. However, with a new coach coming in, having more scholarships – 5 – at their disposal for the next two seasons might not be a bad thing.

Additionally, Ellis wouldn't have filled the Gophers biggest needs: post players and a true point guard.