Business is booming for high school transfers

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That's nearly 40 points of instant offense to bolster Wayne, the 2015 Division I state champion and unquestionably the area's top big-school boys basketball program. A D-I football state finalist in 2014-15, Wayne is an established go-to public school for area transfers in both sports . And that's the dilemma: teams lose their best-groomed options while another school reaps the benefits.

Whatever heat transfers such as Quisenberry and James feel in leaving their original schools is offset by playing on the area’s best D-I programs and making championship runs.

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“It’s OK,” Quisenberry said. “Some people are going to be mad about me transferring from Tecumseh but that comes with everything. There’s consequences for every decision. It was good for me and my parents. We prayed about it. I think it’s going to work out in the end.”

Transferring among high school athletes is as popular as playing AAU ball together. That’s protocol for many basketball transfers, who form lasting friendships in the summer circuit with players who are opponents during the school year.

Coaches cite those relationships and the ease in communicating on social media for the abundance of high school transfers. Just like in the NBA, players talk — and plot — in real time, and they’re not always addressing LeBron’s new lapel pin.

According to the Ohio Department of Education, there are 652 Ohio school districts. Wayne is among the 117 that do not offer open enrollment in which a student from anywhere can attend tuition free. To attend Wayne, transfers must reside in the school district or pay tuition if not.

Business is booming for high school transfers. ESPN has compiled annual lists of college football and basketball transfers for 10 years. Last year there were more than 700 NCAA D-I college basketball transfers, more than two for every program.

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Transferring for high school athletes is so prevalent, the first page of a Google search produces story headlines such as “Another Epidemic? High school hoops transfers now at alarming level,” by New Jersey On-Line and the jilted-coach favorite “I hate it” by the Indianapolis Star.

“I have trouble with the fact you develop a kid for that long and they just up and go,” Xenia coach Kent Anderson said, “but I don’t know what you do about it. I hope they get out of it what they want.”

For many that's playing at a championship level. Wayne was 25-1 last season , capturing its first Associated Press state poll title but falling short of a bid to defend its D-I championship. The Warriors have won 21 or more games every season since 2012-13.

Among Wayne’s starters last season were 2016 grads Rodrick Caldwell (Bowling Green State University) and Chazz George (Findlay), both of whom transferred from Stivers.

Wayne coach Travis Trice also has the area’s best record of placing Warriors at the next level: Xeyrius Williams and Trey Landers (Dayton), Ahmad Wagner (Iowa) and son D’Mitrik Trice (Wisconsin) join Caldwell and George on current rosters. Another older son, Travis II, excelled at Michigan State and plays professionally at Australia.

“The program sells itself,” Coach Trice said. “The kids talk. We’ve been winning and winning forces people to take a look at what they want to be a part of. Winning always attracts kids.”

Like older sister Bianca Quisenberry, a senior starter at Cincinnati, Darius appeared destined to become a 2,000-point career scorer at Tecumseh. The 6-foot guard led the Arrows in scoring as a freshman and sophomore, tallying 942 points. He won’t bump that total until sitting out half of the regular season (11 games) in accordance with Ohio High School Athletic Association transfer rules.

Transfers were becoming so common, the OHSAA scaled back from a one-year sit-out rule to half a season.

Ironically, it’s not scoring that enticed Quisenberry to leave the New Carlisle school.

“Being a 2,000-point scorer at Tecumseh, that’s not improving my game,” he said. “Growing into a point guard and going into college and going D-I, it’s not about me scoring as much as it is in my growing in my game and running the game more.”

Culbertson wished his former player the best.

“It’s a hot topic and a lot of kids are going that way,” said Culbertson, in his 17th season coaching the Central Buckeye Conference member. “There’s no hard feelings with me and I hope there’s no hard feelings with them. Darius is just trying to better himself and he felt it was a better opportunity for him. Basketball is everything to them. They feel that’s the best opportunity and I wish them the best.”

James didn’t sit out because his family secured residence in Huber Heights and James made the move last spring. He was an immediate hit as a receiver and returner for Wayne this past football season. A 5-10 senior guard, he’s averaging 8.0 points after two wins.

Anderson also heard rumors of James leaving Xenia last spring. The coach bristles at other chatter.

“The part that bothers me the most is supposedly we didn’t do enough for our kids,” Anderson said. “I sent film out to 52 schools on that young man last year. There was a lot of D-II interest. Here’s the disappointing part: We’re 37-12 over the last two (seasons) and that’s not good enough. If you’re good enough, (college coaches are) going to find you. (Transfers) think they have to go to Wayne to get that.

“We have (Xenia graduate) Trent Cole who’s playing football for the Colts right now. Don’t think you can’t get to the NFL or anyplace else out of Xenia High School.”