Two top prospects transfer to Clay
Two of the nation's top high school basketball prospects have transferred to Clay-Chalkville High School.
DeMarcus Cousins and Christian Watford, who are both juniors and ranked in the top 50 prospects in the Class of 2009 by several scouting services, are enrolled at Clay-Chalkville, Cougars Athletics Director Brent Smith confirmed Monday.
Josh Pritchett, who played at Ramsay High last season, has also enrolled at Clay, said his father, Danny Pritchett.
Smith said he wasn't sure of Pritchett's status at Clay and the school was in the process of verifying the residency requirements of DeMarcus Cousins and Watford.
When contacted Monday afternoon, DeMarcus Cousins said he "could not comment without his parents' permission."
Danny Pritchett, who coaches the Birmingham Storm, an AAU team that both his son and DeMarcus Cousins play for, said he "just happened to buy some property that's in the Clay area," prompting his family's move. As for DeMarcus Cousins, he said he did not know what prompted his decision.
"I don't know what their agendas were," Pritchett said of DeMarcus Cousins and Watford. "I can't answer for nobody else. Now if there's an advantage to my son playing with these guys, I don't see anything wrong with it. But there was nothing planned on my behalf."
Alabama High School Athletic Association rules require a transfer student's parents to make a "bona fide move" before their son or daughter is eligible to play sports, said Steve Savarese, AHSAA executive director. Savarese said students may transfer from one school to another without moving if the destination school allows it - a rare occurrence - but the student would be ineligible to participate in athletics for one year.
Savarese said he could not comment on the situation at Clay-Chalkville. Clay-Chalkville's new boys basketball coach, Robi Coker, could not be reached for comment. Coker, a former Crossville High standout, was an assistant coordinator of basketball operations last season at Ole Miss.
DeMarcus Cousins, a 6-foot-9, 234-pound junior power forward, played at Erwin last season. He is ranked as the nation's No.2 center in the Class of 2009 by several scouting services. Scout.com ranks him as the No.4 overall prospect in the class.
DeMarcus Cousins was suspended from Erwin last season for an altercation after a Jefferson County basketball tournament game. He was sent to the system's alternative school and was removed from the team for the rest of the season.
Erwin Principal Van Phillips said that DeMarcus Cousins' mother withdrew her son from the school last week for Clay. Phillips said he was surprised by DeMarcus Cousins' departure, but that the player left on good terms and did not "burn any bridges."
Watford, a 6-foot-7 junior small forward, played at Hewitt-Trussville last season. He is ranked the No.48 overall prospect by Rivals.com and the No.6 small forward in the country by ESPN.com.
Pritchett averaged 6.5 points per game for Ramsay a year ago as a sophomore. His father said he had no knowledge of Watford transferring to Clay.
"It just so happened a couple of big-time kids wound up at the same school," Pritchett said.
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