Burlison on Basketball

Frank Burlison | High School Basketball | College Basketball

Sophomore forward headed to Mater Dei

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RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – Nick Davidson, a 6-foot-8 sophomore and a projected starter for the Santa Margarita High basketball team this season, has checked out of school and is expected to enroll at Mater Dei, Eagles Coach Jeff Reinert said Tuesday.

“His dad (Kirk Davidson, at the time, an assistant at SM) came to practice yesterday (Monday) at 4 o’clock and told me he was taking Nick out of school and going to enroll him at Mater Dei,” Reinert said.

I couldn’t reach Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight by telephone Tuesday afternoon for comment.

Davidson, a Top 30 Cream of the Crop all-star selection at the Sept. 22-23 Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp, was a reserve for the Eagles as a freshman when they were in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs for the third consecutive season.

He’s the second projected starter for the Eagles to transfer to Mater Dei since late last spring when now-junior Ryan Evans changed Trinity League locations.

Mater Dei’s 2018-19 roster will be largely impacted by former Santa Margarita players or athletes who live near the school.

Senior forward Clay Donohue attended Santa Margarita as a freshman, while junior guard Aidan Prukop and sophomore forward Wilhelm Breidenbach are from the immediate area surrounding Santa Margarita.

A Mater Dei freshman guard, Isaac Peralta (who lives in Laguna Niguel), played with the Santa Margarita squad for a few weeks in June before enrolling at the Santa Ana school

According to California Interscholastic Federal rules, unless Davidson and his entire family make a “valid change of residence”, the sophomore won’t be eligible to play for the Mater Dei varsity team until Dec. 23 of this season by way of the state’s one-time “30-day sit-out period” following a transfer.

Davidson’s brother, Zack Davidson, is considered one of the better eighth-grade players in Orange County.

Whenever Nick Davidson is ruled eligible for the Monarchs, it will make the Mater Dei roster all that much more deeper and gifted.

Evans, Prokop, Breidenbach and two other sophomores – guard Devin Askew and forward Harrison Hornery – are projected as starters this season for McKnight.

Santa Margarita returns senior starters in forwards Jake Kyman (committed to UCLA) and Max Agbonkpolo (who plans to sign with USC next month) and center Shenghze Li.

With the Trinity League’s schedule shrinking from 10 to five games this season, the Monarchs’ and Eagles’ only regular-season meeting is scheduled for Jan. 16 at Santa Margarita.

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