, ▁P elle ▁played ▁basketball ▁for ▁Lake wood ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Lake wood , ▁California , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁tout ed ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁rec ruits ▁in ▁his ▁class . ▁His ▁school ▁was ▁located ▁near ▁his ▁family ' s ▁residence ▁in ▁Long ▁Beach , ▁California . ▁As ▁a ▁s oph om ore , ▁P elle ▁transferred ▁to ▁Manuel ▁Dom ing uez ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Com pton , ▁California , ▁playing ▁under ▁head ▁coach ▁Du ane ▁Cooper . ▁After ▁Cooper ▁was ▁dismiss ed ▁from ▁the ▁team , ▁P elle ▁revealed ▁plans ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁a ▁different ▁high ▁school ▁program . ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Frederick ▁K . ▁C . ▁Price ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁but ▁was ▁s idel ined ▁for ▁his ▁junior ▁season ▁due ▁to ▁transfer ▁rules . ▁Despite ▁his ▁absence , ▁the ▁team ▁won ▁the ▁C IF ▁Southern ▁Section ▁Division ▁ 4 AA ▁championship , ▁led ▁by ▁Allen ▁C rab be ▁and ▁Richard ▁Sol omon . ▁With ▁three ▁games ▁left ▁in ▁his ▁senior ▁campaign , ▁P elle ▁was ▁aver aging ▁ 1 5 ▁points , ▁ 1 0 ▁reb ounds , ▁and ▁ 5 ▁blocks ▁per ▁game . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁high ▁school ▁career , ▁P elle ▁was ▁ranked ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁the ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁center ▁in ▁his ▁class ▁by ▁rec ruit ing ▁service ▁Riv als . ▁He ▁was ▁r ated ▁a ▁four - star ▁rec ruit ▁by ▁ESP N ▁and ▁ 2 4 7 S ports . ▁Despite ▁his ▁success ▁on ▁the ▁court , ▁he ▁strugg led ▁in