After spending the last two seasons helping bring San Antonio’s St. Anthony Catholic into the national spotlight, Nigerian native Charles Bassey is reportedly leaving the Lone Star State for Louisville, Kentucky. According to a report by the San Antonio Express-News, immigration records have already been transferred over to DeSales High School. Bassey, a 6-10 center, is ranked as high as No. 1 in the Class of 2019 by some recruiting outlets.
More from the San Antonio Express-News:
Nigerian Bassey, who led St. Anthony to the cusp of a state championship as a freshman and helped the school secure invitations to national showcase events as a sophomore, will no longer try to fit his 6-foot-10 frame into one of its classroom desks.
The same goes for fellow international prospects Ousmane Ndim, Jordan Persad and Obi Prosper, who joined the Yellow Jackets last season and helped them transition from traditional private-school program to traveling basketball power.
University of the Incarnate Word spokeswoman Debra Del Toro, whose school manages St. Anthony, said all four students withdrew Tuesday and their immigration records were transferred to DeSales High School in Louisville, Kentucky.
That left the Yellow Jackets without their most talented and marketable players — Bassey is ranked as the No. 1 college prospect in the 2019 graduating class by Rivals.com — as well as a clear vision for the 2017-18 season.
New St. Anthony athletic director Tony Marciano, who has not finalized the hiring of a coach or scheduled a game for the team, said there will be no out-of-state trips for the Yellow Jackets a year after they made five of them.
They also no longer will compete in the Texas Christian Athletic League’s 4A division for college preparatory programs, which allows schools to recruit and provide financial assistance for athletes.
“That stuff is gone,” Marciano said. “I think we’ve got to build a program … and build it from the bottom up.”
