Two Imani Christian transfers eligible
The PIAA made a ruling Monday that made the Imani Christian boys basketball team even stronger.
The PIAA overturned a previous WPIAL ruling and made R.J. Sledge and Kylan Holmes eligible to play this season at Imani Christian. Holmes, although, will not be eligible for the postseason.
Sledge, a sophomore, transferred from Bishop Canevin to Imani Christian. Holmes, a junior, was enrolled most recently at Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School but was a player at First Love Christian Academy
in Washington, Pa., before that. Khayree Wilson is the former head coach at First Love and is now an assistant at Imani Christian.
The WPIAL ruled Sledge and Holmes ineligible after a hearing a few weeks ago, claiming they transferred at least partly for athletic reasons, which is against PIAA rules. Sledge was a starting point guard for Bishop Canevin’s team last season that won WPIAL and PIAA Class 1A championships. Sledge and Holmes had an appeal hearing with a five-member PIAA appeal board Monday and the board voted 5-0 to make both players eligible this season. Imani Christian is the Post-Gazette’s preseason WPIAL Class 1A team.
“The appeal board listened to the testimony and information that was presented and made a decision based upon that,” PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said. “They felt, based on the presentations given, that the transfers were not athletically motivated.”
WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer declined comment.
Imani Christian, a small private school in the East Hills section of Pittsburgh, has become known for taking transfers who are basketball players. Seven players have transferred just since last year. Besides Sledge and Holmes, Imani
Christian also got Dame Givner, who transferred from Obama in the Pittsburgh City League. Givner averaged 18 points a game last year as a freshman at Obama.
Imani Christian also features 6-foot-10 sophomore Alier Maluk, who came to Imani before the start of his freshman year. He is ranked among the top 25 sophomores in the country by scouting services. Imani also has Bez Abdul and 6-8 Virgil Hall, who transferred from Baldwin to Imani before the start of last year.