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Four-star prospect DeMarcus Henry transfers from Mater Dei (CA) to AZ Compass Prep

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby: Lawrence Fernandez06/24/25lawandfern
DeMarcus Henry
© James Weber/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

For his junior high school basketball season, DeMarcus Henry will transfer from Mater Dei (California) to AZ Compass Prep. The school’s official account on X/Twitter confirmed the move.

During the 2024-25 season, Henry averaged 14.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. His contributions helped the Monarchs finish with a 22-9 record. However, in their season-ender, Mater Dei lost to Santa Barbara in the CIF Division 11 Southern Section quarterfinals.

Despite that defeat, DeMarcus Henry and the Monarchs finished 19th in the California On3 Composite Team Rankings. Likewise, his game earned him some offers from prestigious college basketball programs like Oklahoma State, Washington, Cincinnati, Ohio State, UNLV, and Oregon, among others.

Henry will join the Compass Prep Dragons, a team that finished their 2024-2025 season with a 19-8 record and won the Arizona CAA High School National Division championship. At the end of the season, AZ Compass is the state’s second-best team behind Perry and the 41st-best team in the nation. AZ Compass will also be his third high school after playing for Mater Dei and Withrow (OH).

Meanwhile, DeMarcus Henry’s 91.27 On3 Industry Ranking makes him a four-star prospect who is the third-best incoming junior player in Arizona behind Darius Wabbington and Javon Bardwell. He’s also the seventh-best standout at shooting guard and 43rd-best in the nation.

On the other hand, it seems like his brother, five-star wideout Chris Henry Jr., will be staying at Mater Dei. If he sticks around, he will play his senior season for the best high school football team in the nation. The older Henry has one year remaining before joining the Buckeyes.

Chris and DeMarcus Henry are the sons of the late NFL wide receiver Chris Henry. Their father was a former West Virginia standout who played five seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals. Henry Sr. passed in 2009 at age 26. A subsequent autopsy revealed him to be dealing with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).