Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Jabari Parker has added UConn to his list and he will meet with new head coach Kevin Ollie next Thursday or Friday, Sonny Parker confirmed to SNY.tv.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s one of the schools he wanted to have a home visit,” Sonny said, confirming a report by ESPNChicago.com. “He put that schedule together.”
The 6-foot-8 Parker, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2013 out of Chicago Simeon, now has 11 total schools on his list, including including BYU, DePaul, Duke, Florida,Georgetown, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina and Stanford.
Credit Ollie with getting in there at the last minute.
“I think he’s liked UConn in the past,” Sonny said. “He talked to Coach [Jim] Calhoun in the past and now he’s talking to Coach Ollie. All the home visits and selections are all his choices.”
As ESPNChicago.com reported, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is due in tonight (Thursday) for a home visit and DUke coach Mike Krzyzewski comes in Friday.
Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins and North Carolina coach Roy Williams are due in next week before Ollie.
“I think Thursday or Friday,” Sonny said.
BYU, DePaul and Kansas have already had home visits. After next week, Jabari may cut his list or decide on official visits.
“That should be it,” Sonny said. “From there he’ll probably evaluate his home visits and then he’ll start choosing his official visits.”
Sonny said his son’s foot injury — which has kept him out of action since mid-summer — was healing naturally.
“It’s getting better,” he said.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.