Impact basketball transfers now eligible after serving sit-out period

St. John Bosco, JSerra, Eastvale Roosevelt, Sierra Canyon and others will add more talent to the floor

The reinforcements have arrived.

The CIF Southern Section and City Section’s sit-out periods are over. High school basketball players that transferred are now eligible to play after serving the sit-out period, which requires players to sit out half the season.

Some of SoCal’s best program are getting even better. The following notable players are now eligible to play, many of them making debuts during holiday tournaments starting on Dec. 26 and 27 — the most notable being the Classic at Damien.

Classic at Damien will showcase top high school basketball players, teams

St. John Bosco will add 7-foot sophomore from China, Howie Wu, a transfer from Northridge Heritage Christian and fellow sophomore guard Aaron Balisteri (from Servite).

JSerra adds a 6-foot-4, 240-pound forward in Simote Katoanga from El Camino High in San Diego, who coach Keith Wilkinson says is a “tough player with soft hands and skill.”

Eastvale Roosevelt will get bigger and more physical inside with Tochi Anigbogu from Corona Centennial getting eligible. Anibogu is 6-foot-8 presence that will help protect the rim for the Mustangs.

Mater Dei junior Brandon Benjamin (from Anaheim Canyon) will become eligible. Benjamin was the Crestview League Player of the Year last year and averaged 23 points per game.

Sierra Canyon will get two transfers available, both from the Mission League in Ethan Johnson (Chaminade) and Stephen Kankole (Crespi). Michael Baba from Alemany — another Mission League foe — who transferred in the middle of the fall semester has not been cleared to play.

Damien’s Jedidiah Wilfred will make his debut at The Classic after transferring from Etiwanda. Wilfred is a 6-foot-7 wing.

Alemany will get the service of three transfers in senior guard Logan Dorsey (from Crespi), 6-foot-8 junior Bourgeois Tshilobo and sophomore 6-foot-9 center Samuel Mbingazo.

Campbell Hall will get a huge boost from James Bass, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Florida. Bass is expected to add major rim protection and versatility to the Vikings.

West Ranch will also get a big man in Tracy Bryden, a 6-foot-10 center from Faith Baptist. Bryden is a senior.

Look out for Arcadia, a team in 3AA, that now has three transfer eligible highlighted by Mansour Senneh (from Oak Hills), Mateo Ingersoll (Monrovia) and Jaydon Price (St. Bernard).

MORE IMPACT TRANSFERS

(Name, position, year: old school —> new school)

Shane Frazier, F, Jr.: Windward —> Brentwood

Josh Ness, G, Jr.: Birmingham Charter —> Calabasas

Drew Fisher, F, Sr.: Sierra Canyon —> Crespi

Noah Cotton, G, Sr.: Newbury Park —> Thousand Oaks

Wesley Waddle, F, Jr.: Sierra Canyon —> Viewpoint


Published
Tarek Fattal, SBLive Sports
TAREK FATTAL

Tarek Fattal has been covering high school sports since 2015 in Southern California and primarily in Los Angeles, covering notable athletes such as Bronny James, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Alyssa Thompson. He was with the LA Daily News for eight years, which included being the beat reporter for the UCLA men's basketball team. Tarek can be seen on TV regularly on CBS/KCAL as a sports analyst with Jim Hill.