myles

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Ellis Myles To Transfer?
You Can Count On It--(June 15, 1999)

Ever since we heard about a month ago that Compton High Coach Rod Palmer might be leaving Compton HS for Compton Centennial HS, we've been hearing rumors of transfers. First it was Leroy Dawson (6'-0" Sr. PG) (who is either eligible or he's not, depending on whether this coming year is his fourth or his fifth) who told us that he transferred back to his home school, Los Angeles High. Then we heard about a couple of other players, all of them unconfirmed, who said they were leaving. Add to this that the usual transfers in, including the possible transfer of Anthony Davis (6'-3" So. SG) from LA Locke never materialized (Davis told us when we were up at the EBO tournament in Fresno that he's staying for at least one more year at Locke), and you have what is basically a meltdown at Compton HS.

Today's column by Frank Burlison in the Orange County Register, amplified a bit on this, and made public what has been rumored for quite a while. Frank writes that there could be more shakeups at Compton HS, including the transfer of national recruiting prospect Ellis Myles (6'-7" Jr. PF) to Long Beach Poly. We spoke with Ellis on Sunday night and while he didn't discuss the transfer situation with us, he did say that he's getting a ton of attention from lots of different high majors, including Georgia, Georgia Tech, Arizona State, and we've heard from others (not from Ellis) that he also likes USC, New Mexico, and Oregon State, and even possibly Miami (Florida).

Here's what Frank had to say in his column today:

"Coach Ron Palmer's Poly squad could challenge Artesia of Lakewood, Dominguez of Compton and Mater Dei as the best team in California next season if 6-6 Ellis Myles transfers to Poly and gains his eligibility.

"Myles, who sat in the Ocean View stands behind the Poly bench Sunday, was a standout as a junior last season at Compton High. But his coach there, Rod Palmer (no relation), is moving to Centennial in Compton and is expected to become that school's athletic director."

This is actually the first we've heard that Ellis might need to regain eligibility, because he was one of the few players on the Compton HS team this past season who wasn't on academic suspension. If you'll recall, a total of seven players were declared academically ineligible at Compton, including Leroy Dawson and Tito Maddox (6'-4" Sr. PG), who ended up finishing out the year as a continuation high school student at Compton after further disciplinary problems. Tito has signed a LOI with Fresno State.

If Ellis does come to Long Beach Poly, it will only mean good things for him, as he'll have the chance to work with a great coach and get his academics in order. And the team will look pretty impressive too: Stokes, Joe Travis (6'-7" Jr. PF), Jonathan Harper (6'-4" So. SG/SF), Markee White (6'-4" So. SG), Jim Kresel (6'-8" Jr. C), Adrian Martin (5'-9" So. G), Lionel Penman (6'-3" Jr. G/F), and several others coming up this year. Frank might be right, and if Ellis does come over to Poly, they might just be able to challenge Artesia, Dominguez and Mater Dei as one of the top teams in the state.