Tony Parker, who stands at 6'9", may be the most conflicted recruit in a long time. He seems to be legitimately torn on where to attend college. At UCLA, with his friends such as Shabazz Muhammad and Kyle Anderson or staying home in Georgia near his family, and particularly his Mom. A tough choice for any kid to make but Tony Parker seems to be having a harder time then any recruit in memory.
Well supposedly we will know for sure today at 1 p.m. PST. You can follow it live online here.
Why is Tony Parker so highly sought after? First from ESPN:
With his combination of size and skill level, Parker is one of the elite big men in the 2012 class. He is a space eater in the post who can carve out position on the block. When watching him play you quickly see the skill he possesses; once he catches
And then from Scout:
A wide low post prospect, Parker is a guy that makes an impact in the paint. Blessed with a pair of soft hands that catch virtually everything thrown his way, Parker is a talented scorer on the block and has good touch when looking to score. Parker has had some issues with staying in shape, but when he's conditioned he's a heck of basketball player.
Tony would further improve UCLA's already outstanding recruiting class. For some videos of Tony Parker go:
Tony Parker Miller Grove Basketball Highlights - Top 20 Class of 2012 - Flyin To The Hoop (via CLHTV2)
Tony Parker 2012's Top PF Period!!! (via georgiastargray)
Miller Grove, GA - Tony Parker Highlights (via Maxprepssports)
Parker is huge for a different reason than Kyle Anderson and Shabazz Muhammad. He is going to stay more than one year.
When Parker played in the recent Jordan Brand classic, he showed that he was a bit raw and had a harder time than Anderson or Shabazz who both dominated the game. But although Parker shot 4-15 in that game it is important to note that he also had the most rebounds of any player for either team with 12. And that just it, Parker had some trouble against fellow all-star "bigs" but Parker was still so big and worked so hard he was able to do well on the boards.
Parker is a player who seemingly has the right attitude and is willing to work. He may not be "All Pac-12 freshman team" his first year but he seems like to be "All Pac-12" before he is through.
Hopefully he decides on coming to UCLA and leaving Mom.
Go Bruins.
[UPDATE I: Tony Parker will have a lengthy program and announce closer to 2 p.m. PST.]
[UPDATE II: Tony Parker a Bruin! Tony Parker completes the most outstanding UCLA class in years. Yes, the dreaded Jerime Anderson class was ranked #1 but this class has two versus one top five players and none of the players are rumored as potential head cases (as Drew Gordon was from day one) and the coaches (including assistants Matthews and McCray) have known these players for a long time (unlike Bobo Morgan in 2009 who was taken very late and almost unseen).
McCray in fact was Parker's AAU coach and it is safe to say he opened the door and more for UCLA to get this valued recruit. Kudos to the staff for a good job recruiting.
And more importantly, welcome Tony! ]