Top recruit Parker narrows list

Associated Press
CHICAGO – Top high school recruit Jabari Parker plans to make official visits to Duke, Florida, Michigan State, Stanford and Brigham Young.
His father, Sonny Parker, told The Associated Press that no other schools are in the running. 
“He is going to take all those five visits and then he’ll decide,” he said.
Sonny Parker wasn’t sure of the exact dates, although he did say Jabari will visit Duke at the end of the month and Florida in the first week of November.
All five were among the 10 schools Parker said he was considering over the summer. DePaul, Georgetown, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina apparently did not make the cut. Nor did Connecticut, which made a home visit even though it was not on that list.
“He likes all the schools,” Sonny Parker said. “He liked all the programs. He liked all the coaches.  ... When he visits, he’ll probably get more of a feel for the campus. He’ll get a feel of the school and the players, the whole curriculum and everything.”
A 6-foot-8 forward, Jabari Parker is one of the most prized recruits to come along in recent years.  He received the Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year after leading Simeon to its third straight state championship while averaging 19.5 points and 8.9 rebounds as a junior.
It’s not hard to see why Parker is so coveted.
He might grab a rebound, bring the ball up the court and try to set up his teammates as he runs the offense. The next possession, he might bury one from the outside or dunk, but he always makes a concerted effort to play within his team’s system.
He comes from the same high school that Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose attended, and his father played six seasons with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA after starring at Chicago’s Farragut Career Academy.
Religion also plays a big role in Jabari Parker’s life. He is a devout Mormon, just like his mother Lola Parker, and he rises at 5 a.m. three days a week to attend a Bible study at his church before school.
Soon, Jabari Parker will have a big decision to make.
“He just wants to win,” Sonny Parker said. “He just wants a relationship with the coach and the players. He just wants to be better as a player, as a person.”