Jabari Parker, the No. 2 ranked high school basketball player in the ESPN 100, committed to Duke Thursday. Parker chose Duke over Florida, Michigan State, BYU and Stanford.
Parker attended Simeon (Chicago) Career Academy — the same school as all-star point guard Derrick Rose. He is listed at 6’8, 220 lbs and has a solid outside stroke for his size and finishes at the rim with authority.
Parker spoke on his decision to choose Duke over the other schools:
“What brought me to the decision is, of course, the history,” Parker said. “Duke was always going to be a team in the tournament. You can’t go wrong at the program. And most importantly, the long-term investment — I feel if I go there I can get a good degree.
“I can also stay close to home, where it’s easily accessible for my parents, for my family. It’s not too far away. And it’s just Coach K — that’s one of the best coaches ever, and I wanted to be able to experience the things that he has next year.”
As a junior, Parker was named the ESPNChicago.com Player of the Year, Illinois’ Mr. Basketball and the national Gatorade Player of the Year. He averaged 19.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.3 blocks and 1.4 steals a game.
Parker and Simeon have won three Illinois Class 4A state championships. The Wolverines are attempting to become only the second team in the state’s history to win four consecutive titles.
Needless to say, the kid can hoop. Check out his highlights from his junior year below.
[ESPN]
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