Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Jabari Parker’s run at four straight state titles has not begun as ideally as he would like while he has continued to work his way back from his foot injury. Parker’s Wolverines have lost early matchups to Montverde Academy and DeSoto. Although Simeon Academy’s season has not started out the way that many imagined, Parker is a much more relaxed player than he has been for the past year. Why?
Because Parker doesn’t have reporters constantly hounding him for information about where he was going to go to school.
“I’m so glad that’s over,” said Parker, “I have never been a guy who likes a bunch of attention, and ever since I committed to Duke last month it’s pretty much calmed down. Now that I’m back to playing it feels good to just be able to focus on getting my game back. That’s all I’m focused on.”
He is gradually getting his game back and working his way back from a right foot fracture he suffered with the U.S. gold medal winning U-17 Team in Lithuania. Parker gained a lot of weight while his foot was healing and he is almost back to his playing weight of last year.
“When you can’t do anything but sit around it’s easy to pick up weight,” said Parker, last year’s Gatorade player of the year. “The good thing is, when you get back into your routine of working out and going hard it’s easy to shed the weight. I don’t know how much I’ve lost, but the important thing is I’m starting to feel better out there. I was a little worried when I first came back.”
Parker and Simeon Academy are shooting for 4 straight state titles, which is something Derrick Rose and LeBron James cannot lay claim to in their high school careers. It would be truly historic and wouldn’t it be a perfect springboard to winning an NCAA title his freshman year at Duke Carmelo Anthony style.
We’ll see what happens, but in my opinion, Parker is the best high school player in the country when he is healthy.
