Boys Hoops: LaMelo Ball Leaves Chino Hills (10/2/17)

UCLA-commit LaMelo Ball of Chino Hills. Photo/Mark Bausman.

The gym at Chino Hills High was always sold out to see the best show on the hardwood during basketball season.

It will be difficult to do that this season now that LaMelo Ball is apparently leaving the school, according to a report by Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times, who said Ball’s father, LaVar Ball, has removed his son from the school.

LaMelo Ball of Chino Hills. Photo/Manny Alvarez.

LaVar has stated that he will have LaMelo home schooled and will train him for two years before he heads to UCLA, which is where LaMelo still intends to play college basketball.

LaMelo, with the help of his brothers LiAngelo and Lonzon, helped lead Chino Hills to an undefeated season and a national championship in the 2015-16 season.

Chino Hills is going through its third coach in three years. Following the national c hampionship, Steve Baik resigned from Chino Hills to become the new coach at Fairfax of Los Angeles. He was replaced by Stephan Gilling, who only lasted a season as head coach despite coaching the Huskies to a 30-3 record and a trip to the semifinals of the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs and the CIF So Cal Regional Open Division semifinals. Chino Hills was ranked No. 1 in the Inland Empire and No. 3 in So Cal by So Cal Sidelines and No. 3 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and No. 17 in the country by MaxPreps last season.

Chino Hills returns UCLA-commit center Onyeka Okongwu as well as Ofure Ujadughele, Daijon Davis, Will Pluma and Andre Ball. Okongwu was also an All-So Cal selection by So Cal Sidelines last season.

Despite the accoldes, it was not good enough to keep Gilling as he was let go in favor of Dennis Latimore. LaVar Ball was never on the same page with Latimore which may have resulted in Ball departure.

LaMelo averaged 26.2 points per game last season with a season high of 92 points against Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga. Ball made the So Cal team last season alongside his brother LiAngelo and was All-State by Cal-Hi Sports and an All-American by Max Preps.

Just spoke to LaVar Ball on why he’s pulling his youngest son out of HS and home schooling him. pic.twitter.com/nvUprIJnew

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) October 2, 2017

(NOTE: Report news and notes to So Cal Sidelines editor-in-chief Carlos Arias via email (carlos.arias@socalsidelines.com), text (949-606-3602) or Twitter (@SoCalSidelines))

Follow us on Twitter @SoCalSidelines.

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