Providence hoop transfer ruled ineligible

Melik Anderson, a 6-foot-7 sophomore boys’ basketball player who transferred to Providence High after playing as a freshman last season at Alemany, has been ruled ineligible by the CIF Southern Section, Pioneers Athletic Director Andrew Bencze said Wednesday.

Bencze said Anderson’s transfer paperwork was submitted to the Southern Section on Oct. 10 and the decision on his eligibility was finalized Oct. 30.

Anderson was looked on as a welcomed addition to a Providence squad that already included All-State and All-American sophomore standout Marcus LoVett Jr.

“We accepted Melik as a student at Providence, not a basketball player,” Bencze said. “We knew that this was likely to happen, so when we accepted him we didn’t say ‘Oh, he’s coming here to play basketball.’ He’s a student here and we want him here for three years, whether he plays basketball or not.

“Obviously he’s a good basketball player and he actually wants to play for the team and have the whole experience of playing at our school.”

Last season at Alemany, Anderson averaged 2.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and a block a game. In the 2011-12 season, Alemany (33-4) won a Mission League, a CIF Southern Section Division III-A and a Division III state championship. In the state title game, Alemany defeated Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco, 71-67.

With LoVett leading the way, the Pioneers (26-6) enjoyed a historic run a year ago, winning the program’s first Liberty League crown in 12 years. In the playoffs, Providence advanced past the quarterfinals for the first time in school history. Unfortunately for Providence, its first-ever appearance in a CIF championship game ended with a 65-62 overtime loss to league foe Holy Martyrs.

Providence also advanced to state competition for the first time, losing to Mission Prep, 68-62, in the opening round of the Southern California Regionals of the CIF State Division Championships.

LoVett averaged 31.7 points a game, which was best in the nation among freshmen according to MaxPreps.com.