By Michael Kaplan
Although James Dunleavy â07 will not be able to contribute on the court, he will be there every step of the way. Due to CIF age limits, Dunleavy has been ruled ineligible for the upcoming basketball season.
âNot being able to play in my senior year is tough,â Dunleavy said. âItâs tough to miss out on the leadership role that being a senior on the team entails. Itâs just something I have to deal with.â
Since spring of his sophomore year, Dunleavy knew that according to CIF rules he wouldnât be able to play this year. Yet, after many attempts to get around the ineligibility, the glimmer of hope has escaped Dunleavy.
Dunleavy had been planning on commuting to Stonebridge Prep, a school in the valley that was going to allow him to play on their club team every day, but that was before he struck cardinal and gold on the recruiting trail.
âAt the end of the summer USC came into the picture,â Dunleavy said. âThey said that they really liked me and wanted me to go there and to redshirt my freshman year, so I decided to do that. I knew the recruitment process was going to be tough but luckily, when I got to the camp, I played really well and the USC coaches took notice.â
Dunleavy has been around basketball his entire life. His brother, Mike, plays professionally for the NBAâs Golden State Warriors.
His father, Mike, has been the head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers since 2003. This year, Dunleavy will practice and train with the team every day, and during the games he will serve as the team manager.
âJames is the type of person who really knows how to execute,â teammate Zane Ma â08 said. âHe can sense and exploit weaknesses in defenses and, since he has been in the system for three years, he has experience in big time games.â
Head Coach Greg Hilliard believes Dunleavy has âa good mind for the gameâ and expects him âto really help out the young players by being a coach on the court during practice.â
âIâm still part of the team and close with guys, so itâs ok,â Dunleavy said.