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Hey Title,

Both are now at Hamilton. They transferred out with a large part of the team so that is not good. We also do not appear in the running for Chip Rank. His head coach is Randle. Another coach out of D-II.

/9/2008 - Wisconsin Sports Network

By Mark Miller
Wishoops.net Editor

Call it the "Shakeup in the City."

Four members of last year's varsity basketball team at Milwaukee Bay View have enrolled at neighborhood rival Milwaukee Hamilton.

And those four players - all highly regarded prospects from the class of 2011 - are currently under investigation by Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) on behalf of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA).

Sophomores Darnell Harris, Charlie Lee, Elgin Cook and Haki Stampely enrolled at Hamilton on the first day of classes last Tuesday. Each played on the varsity basketball squad for coach Lou Chapman at Bay View last season.

However, the eligibility for those four players for 2008-09 remains under review by MPS.

If MPS finds any "undue influence" regarding the transfer of Harris, Lee, Cook and Stampely, all could be ruled ineligible for the upcoming season. If the investigation, which is scheduled to get underway next week, does not reveal "undue influence," all four players likely will suit up for Hamilton this season.

Harris is a 6-foot-6 forward currently ranked No. 5 among state prospects in the class of 2011 by Wishoops.net. He averaged 9.2 points per game as a freshman as Bay View finished 8-13.

Lee is a heady 5-7 point guard who is ranked No. 8 in his class. Cook is an athletic and rangy 6-3 forward who is ranked No. 18, while Stampely is a 6-0 guard who is ranked No. 20.

Another class of 2011 prospect, guard Samar Powell, also opted to leave Bay View after playing on the Redcats' varsity squad last season. But unlike his ex-teammates who enrolled at Hamilton, Powell instead enrolled at Milwaukee Pulaski.

The loss of Harris, Lee, Cook, Stampely and Powell, coupled with the previous loss of potential all-state senior guard Johnnie Lacy to Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, leaves the Bay View program in a tough spot as six returning players expected to help the Redcats contend for a Milwaukee City Conference championship are now elsewhere.

Hamilton, meanwhile, may have an influx of talented newcomers, but the Wildcats are currently without a varsity coach.

Former coach Jim Bruton resigned over the summer and a new coach has not yet been hired and the position hasn't even been posted yet.

Some believe former Milwaukee Vincent coach Tom Diener, who led the Vincent to five WIAA Division 1 state titles in 15 seasons, will take over the Wildcats' program since he is now a teacher at the southside school of nearly 2,400 students.

This is the second investigation this calendar year MPS has conducted on behalf of the WIAA regarding boys' basketball programs in the City Conference.

Last month, after five months of internal investigation, MPS determined Milwaukee Rufus King had violated WIAA rules in regards to the recruitment of potential student-athletes to the school.

As a result, the Generals have been banned from participating in the WIAA playoffs this season and will remain on probation for two additional years.