Basketball players who transferred were eligible for their new school’s season opener if they made a valid change of residence.
Players who did not make the residence change become eligible after sitting out the first month of the season. The “sit-out period” applies to other sports, too.
The sit-out period for basketball players who transferred expires next Monday. When it does, the Orange County team that might improve the most might be Servite.
Servite plays a nonleague game at Sonora the following day. That game will be the season debut for the Friars’ Kamron Fleming and Otis Reale.
Fleming is a 6-foot-5 forward who transferred from Lemoore High, which is in the central valley. Reale is a 5-9 guard from Rome, Italy. Reale, known as an outstanding shooter, was on the Italian 16-and-under national team.
Reale’s family did not accompany his move from Rome, so a change of residence as defined by CIF did not occur for him. Fleming moved from his mother’s home in Lemoore to his father’s home in Buena Park, and that does not qualify as a change of residence.
Servite’s first league game is at Mater Dei on Jan. 5.
Jump stops around Orange County boys basketball:
• Capistrano Valley Christian, which made its county top 10 debut this week, should also improve with the expiration of the sit-out period. Garin Green, a junior point guard, transferred to CVC from Santa Margarita. Orangewood Academy also will be improved when the sit-out period ends.
• Tournament championship games Wednesday: Orange Holiday Classic at Hope University, 8:30 p.m.; Tustin Classic at Tustin High, 7:30 p.m.; Estancia Coast Classic at Estancia High, 7:30 p.m.; and Century Elks Holiday Classic at Century High, 7 p.m.
• A “Player of the Game” was selected for all 13 games at last week’s Orange County North/South Challenge at El Toro. All of the honorees were from winning teams. They were: Buddy Alton, Westminster; Charlie Stassel, Newport Harbor; Dawson Baker, Capistrano Valley; Brad Belshe, Cypress; Blake Burzell, Laguna Beach; Blake Birmingham, San Clemente; Antony Coloma, Woodbridge; Jacob Hartford, Mission Viejo; Amazon Nwoye, Capistrano Valley Christian; Camren Panganiban, Trabuco Hills; Noah Aguilar, El Toro; Nate Matthews, Edison; and Eyassu Worku, Los Alamitos.
• North teams won seven of the North/South Challenge’s 13 games.
• Foothill is missing one of its better players from last year’s CIF-SS championship team. Matt Avila, a senior forward who was All-Crestview League last season, tore an ACL in the Jim Harris Memorial Tournament of Champions final three weeks ago.
• The CIF-SS playoffs again will have an Open Division. A committee selects Open Division teams. The bracket can be a 16-team bracket or it could have fewer teams. The Open Division’s first “watch list” of candidates will be released Jan. 11.
• The CIF-SS did not release polls last week or this week. County teams that were No. 1 in their divisions in the Dec. 14 poll were Foothill (Division 1A) and Orange Lutheran (Division 4AA).
• This National Federation rule change is being felt in county basketball. It is a foul when a defensive player places two hands on the offensive player with the ball; places an extended arm bar on the player with the ball; places and keeps a hand on the player with the ball; and when contacting the player with the ball more than once with the same hand or alternating hands. The CIF State and Southern Section follow National Federation rules.
• The Nike Extravaganza is Feb. 5-6 at Mater Dei. Among the teams in it are Chino Hills, which is No. 1 in some national rankings and is led by UCLA signee Lonzo Ball and his two younger and UCLA-committed brothers. Also in the tournament is Foothills Christian of El Cajon, which features 6-9 UCLA signee T.J. Leaf, Centennial of Corona, Westchester of Los Angeles and Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas. County teams in it are JSerra, Santa Margarita, Los Alamitos, Orange Lutheran, Servite, Sonora and host school Mater Dei.
• Westchester coach Ed Azzam became the all-time wins leader in Los Angeles City Section basketball on Saturday when the Comets beat Narbonne of Harbor City. His 804th win broke the record held by Willie West of Crenshaw.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
