Christian Pino will be playing his senior season on the prep hardwood in his traditional maroon uniform next year. However, unlike the past two seasons, Pino's jersey won't read Seaholm across the chest. In the most recent of a rash of county transfers, Pino, one of the area's top point guards the last two years, has left Birmingham Seaholm and has enrolled at Romulus. According to Pino, he will be eligible to play in his new Maroon-colored Eagles digs at the start of the next season since his father recently moved his residence to within the Romulus school district.
This is the talented floor general's second transfer of his high school playing career. When he was a freshman, he played on the varsity at Bloomfield Hills Andover. Coming over to Seaholm as a sophomore in 2009, he helped spearhead a Maples squad that brought home an OAA conference title. Despite Seaholm as a team having a down campaign this season, Pino himself had a productive year in the stat sheet. Through 16 games (he missed two with injury and two via his transfer to Romulus), Pino averaged 16.5 points and five assists per game.
While Seaholm might have been one of the best hoop squads in the county in 2009 and 2010, winning back-to-back OAA crowns, Romulus is at a completely different level. The Eagles have been a perennial state juggernaut the last five years, appearing in four final fours since 2006. Currently, Romulus is the No.1 ranked team in Michigan.
Joining Pino as a recent transfer to Romulus is Leo Edwards, a rangy and potentially explosive 6-8 sophomore forward from Detroit Cass Tech. Next winter, Pino's point guard talents will blend nicely with the assorted offensive arsenal of his future backcourt mate Ray Lee, the Eagles main perimeter threat and a top college recruit in the Class of 2012.
Twitter.com/Burneystweets
It is a shame that players such as Pino receive publicity for "deserting" their high school team on the eve of the State Tournament in order to transfer to a new school with the intent of showcasing their perceived exagerated basketball skills. Does anyone really believe that Pino's father actually moved his residence to Romulus from either Birmingham or Bloomfield Hills, the location of Pino's last 2 schools? It is just about time for the MHSAA to show some courage by starting to strip player eligibility when these "athletically" motivated transfers occur, that do nothing more than cheapen High School basketball in the State of Michigan
ReplyDeleteI strongly echo the previous comment. I would guess that his dad did not move him from one of the best school districts in the State to Romulus for academic reasons.
ReplyDelete