Boys’ basketball: Marvin Bagley III has appeal hearing on Tuesday

Marvin Bagley III, a 6-foot-10 sophomore who transferred to Chatsworth Sierra Canyon from Arizona and was declared ineligible by the Southern Section, has an appeal hearing scheduled for Tuesday.presented,”

The same law firm that won a high-profile appeal in 2010 for former Santa Ana Mater Dei linebacker Todd Hunt when he transferred from Connecticut is also working with Bagley in an attempt to overturn the ruling by the Southern Section that his move was athletically motivated.

“Marvin is a bright young man who moved here with his family and wants to go to a good school where his brothers also attend. It is cruel that the CIF would penalize him because he happens to also be an outstanding basketball player,” said Panish Shea & Boyle LLP partner Kevin Boyle in a statement. “If he were just a mediocre player, there would be no issue.”

The problem for Bagley is that there are comments from his father that have appeared in publications mentioning, “We’re trying to play for a national championship” as the reason he left Hillcrest Prep in Arizona. Under CIF rules, you can’t transfer for athletic reasons.

“We just want to make sure he is being treated fairly at the appeal and are hopeful the CIF will do the right thing after all the evidence is presented,” added Panish Shea & Boyle attorney Robert Glassman.

Bagley is considered one of the top players from the class of 2018. If he doesn’t win his appeal, he’d be ineligible until Jan. 4, 2017.

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