Dominguez transfers have been frequent

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In a story today, we looked at Compton Dominguez High’s boys basketball success, and how it has come amid questions connected to the school’s adherence to Southern Section rules forbidding recruiting and requiring proper residential accounting.

“We should be enforcing the rules — if we’re not going to, then let’s abolish the rules,” said Cerritos Gahr High Coach Bob Becker, a San Gabriel Valley League rival of Dominguez’s. “The school is responsible for documenting addresses and following up with inspections. We do. But if they’re not going to, then why should we? Ninety-five percent of us do enforce the rules, so until we all follow them, we’re at a disadvantage.”

Compton Unified School District provided The Times a letter defending its scrutiny of transfer athletes.

Contacted Tuesday, a Southern Section spokesman said the section ‘is concerned and weighing its options,’ about launching an official inquiry into Dominguez’s liberal use of transfers on the basketball court.

In an informal review of how many transfers the Dons have fielded since 1996, colleague Eric Sondheimer found at least 17 players, and that doesn’t include San Bernardino County’s Tyson Chandler, who moved to the Nike-sponsored Compton school from the eastern Inland Empire and became a two-time Times player of the year and top NBA draft pick.

Here’s the informal list of transfer players, and where they came from:

Norvel Pelle, Lakewood; Jordan Hamilton, Dorsey; Dominick LaCoste, Long Beach Poly; Austin Autry, Bishop Montgomery: Aaron Moore, Riverside Poly; Quinton Watkins, St. John Bosco; Patrick Christopher, Mayfair; Bryan Harvey, Carson; Marcus Malone, Carson; A.J. Tolbert, St. John Bosco; D.J. Wright, Rolling Hills Prep; LaMar Roberson, Baton Rouge, La.; Marcus Moore, Redondo Union; Steve Moore, Santa Monica; Larry Johnson, Irvine; Rickie Sanders, Long Beach Millikan; Frank Cressey, Morningside.

--Lance Pugmire