weaver out

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SoCalHoops High School News

Weaver Leaves: Compton Centennial Is
Suddenly Smaller. . . --(Dec. 1, 1999)

. . . but not smaller by that much. Fastbreak Recruiting, is reporting that Compton Centennial coach Rod Palmer has announced that Omar Weaver (6'-7" Sr. SG/SF), who was ranked by many as the top small forward/shooting guard on the West Coast this year, has pulled out of school, and returned back to Washington, D.C. where his legal guardian, Willie Saunders resides. Saunders was also Weaver's coach at Coolidge High School in D.C. Questions had been raised throughout the summer concerning Weaver's continued eligibility, with many saying that he had already played four years in Washington and had thus exhausted his remaining high school eligibility. The issue, at least from the point of view of others in the Southern Section, is now moot.

Fastbreak is also reporting that Saunders has reportedly also objected to the letter of intent that Weaver signed with the University of Missouri, claiming that since he didn't sign it as the legal guardian, the letter is now void. If he is in fact the legal guardian, Saunders is indeed correct that an LOI must be signed by either the parent or the guardian of the athlete involved. As a result, Fastbreak is reporting that Saunders has told them that Weaver's recruiting will once again open up, with the current favorites including Georgetown, Maryland and Florida.

Centennial will still be among the strongest of the teams in Division III, with some excellent players, including Ellis Myles (6'-7" Sr. PF) and Anthony Coleman (6'-9" Sr. PF) and Dee Kaur (6'-8" Sr. F).

It had also previously been reported here and elsewhere that Centennial was in Division IV-AA, but with the latest CIF Southern Section Division enrollment placings, based on a current enrollment of 897, Compton Centennial now finds itself placed in the combined Division III (III-A and III-AA were combined due to an insufficient number of teams in each subdivision of III to field a competitive playoff tournament). So Crespi, Beaumont, Marshall and the rest of D-IV-AA can stop worrying about Centennial. At least for a while.