Malik Ramsey Is A Star In California

California Area Boys basketball player, Malik Ramsey, attempts to shoot a basketball during a regular season game last season.

Source: TRIB LIVE HSSN

Malik Ramsey, made some big time noise last season in his first year on the California area Boys basketball team. Last season, Ramsey was ranked sixth in the WPIAL (in the regular season) in points per game with 25.2. In the 17-18 WPIAL Boys basketball regular season, California Area scored an average of 57.3 points per game. Malik did not attend California that season. In the 18-19 WPIAL Boys basketball regular season, California Area scored an average of 63.2 points per game with Malik Ramsey starting in the lineup. As you can see, Ramsey has helped California score 5.9 more points per game than they did the year before. Ramsey played his first two seasons of high school basketball at Laurel Highlands. Laurel Highlands plays Boys basketball in PIAA 5A. In Ramsey's freshman year, Laurel Highlands was ranked second in their section and made it to the playoffs. They defeated Highlands in the first round and lost to Mars in the second round of the WPIAL playoffs. In Ramsey's sophomore year, Laurel highlands was ranked third in their section and made it to the playoffs again. Except, this time they could not win one game in the WPIAL playoffs as they lost to West Allegheny in the first round. Ramsey was a good basketball player in his freshman and sophomore year at Laurel Highlands; it was just that the media was not talking about him that much. Laurel Highlands star Boys basketball player was Bryce Laskey during Ramsey's time at the school. In Ramsey's sophomore year, Laskey was ranked second in the entire WPIAL (during the regular season) in points per game with 33.3. Laskey currently plays NCAA Division 1 Men's basketball at Saint Francis University. This past season Ramsey got the media attention that he deserved. He was a big reason why California Area made the playoffs this past season and it was disappointing that Ramsey could not play in the team's WPIAL playoff game against Sto-Rox. California Area lost that WPIAL playoff game by a score of 72-57. You see, the reason why Ramsey could not play in the playoff game against Sto-Rox was due to the PIAA's transfer rules. According to the PIAA, "Any students who transfer after playing a sport in their 10th grade year shall not be eligible to participate in the ensuing PIAA tournament in that sport. The student, if otherwise eligible, may participate in that sport only during the regular season." That's why Ramsey could not play in the playoffs this past season and he was fully aware of it going into the regular season last year. Ramsey was not upset or making a big deal out of it; but, he must have been thinking in the back of his mind that “If we would have played in that playoff game then his team would have moved on and make it to the second round.” But, perhaps if Ramsey did play, California might have lost as well. You just don't know. What's nice for Ramsey is that he will be allowed to play in the postseason next year due to the fact that he already served his 1 year suspension of not being allowed to play in the playoffs. Ramsey will be a senior next season is projected to be one of the best players in the WPIAL. He knows that it will be his last year to win a WPIAL or PIAA basketball championship. So, don't be surprised if he balls out again like he did last season. California Area will lose five seniors next year; but, they will still have nine returning players next season. Those nine players know what it takes to make it to the playoffs and they will be expected to do it again next season. California did not have any freshman play on their Boys varsity basketball team last year; perhaps their might be some freshman that might tryout and make it onto the team next year.

Malik Ramsey will be one of the big time stars that the WPIAL will pay attention to next year and we will all be ready to see if he can lead his California team to a championship.

BY Hilton: bythebossandgoat@gmail.com and Twitter @BYHilton13