Reading, PA -  Marcus Dawkins, an All-Berks basketball player at Reading High last season, has enrolled at Central Catholic, Cardinals coach Snip Esterly.

"I can't say anything else," Esterly said.

Dawkins, a 6-4 junior, averaged a team-high 17 points last season for the Red Knights and scored a game-high 20 points in their 66-49 victory over Holy Name for the Berks Conference championship.

It marks the second year in a row that an All-Berks player from Reading High has transferred. Justin Rodriguez made the all-county team as a Red Knights junior in 2007-08 and enrolled last year at Gov. Mifflin, where he averaged 21.4 points and was named to the all-county team again.

One player whose father is a famous Reading High graduate also transferred to Central Catholic. Marquis Marshall, son of longtime NBA player Donyell Marshall, left Muhlenberg for Central Catholic.  Marshall, who's a sophomore, played on the junior varsity team for the Muhls last winter.

"He played with us in the summer," Esterly said. "He's a real nice kid."

Dawkins' departure leaves a huge void at Reading High, even though the Knights return four other starters, led by Siena-bound Trenity Burdine, from a 20-9 team.

Dawkins is a versatile player who can play several positions, but he also was suspended at least once last season for disciplinary reasons.

At Central, he joins returning starters Donovon Jack, a 6-5 sophomore who averaged 9.0 points last season, and Matt Doyen, a 6-1 senior who averaged 5.9. The Cardinals finished 23-8 last season and reached the PIAA Class A quarterfinals.

Contact Rich Scarcella: 610-371-5070 or rscarcella@readingeagle.com.