Just Preps : Area News : CENTRAL CITY

Thirteen games into the boys’ basketball season, Deon Evans has resigned as coach at Verbum Dei. School officials say Evans stepped down for “personal reasons,” but the defending state Division IV champions are struggling at 5-10. He was replaced by Kendric Knox, the junior varsity coach and also the school’s baseball coach. . . . Former Verbum Dei basketball coach Mike Kearney, who resigned shortly after the state tournament last season, is teaching at Salesian but is not coaching. . . . Randy Rodriguez has been hired as football coach at Roosevelt, replacing David Endow, who stepped down after 14 years. . . . Basketball standouts James Lee and Dajuan Wilson left Lakewood Artesia last week and returned to schools in their respective attendance areas. Lee, a 6-foot-6 forward, is attending Fremont; and Wilson, a 6-3 guard, is attending Locke. Both are seeking to have their eligibility restored. . . . The Southern California Interscholastic Football Coaches are holding a conference along with their clinic on Jan. 19-20 at the Sequoia Athletic Club at Buena Park. Cost is $30 for the two days and the award’s luncheon. Call Louis Farrar at Covina High for details. . . . The second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Basketball Challenge will be Monday at Pauley Pavilion beginning at 12:30 p.m. Six games will be played.