Mani Messy was an athletic freak too. Basketball player?......
I remember playing pickup games in the rec center with Mani and watching him reverse dunk with total ease anywhere within 5 feet of the basket. Too bad it never translated into production in games. As for Parker, obviously it remains to be seen what he can develop into, but from a production standpoint he has already as a freshman far surpassed anything Messy even came close to sniffing. Messy played in his most games as a freshman and averaged 1.5 ppg. He never played in more than 11 games in any subsequent season.
NC State website says as a freshman in the ACC, Parker averaged 4.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game … Scored in double figures four times … Led team in steals three times, in points twice and in assists twice … Made collegiate debut on Nov. 4 vs. USC Upstate and had six points, four assists and two steals … Had first double-digit scoring game of his career with 13 points and added a season-high five rebounds in win over Coastal Carolina on Nov. 13 … Scored 15 points at Duke on Jan. 27 on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range … Had season-best in points (19), three-pointers made (5) and assists (5) at Stanford on Feb. 8 … Led team in scoring with 13 points against Louisville on Feb. 12.
So he's already shown capability at the highest level in college having success as a basketball player. Hopefully he can become consistent as he matures. But I have no idea what he will do here. I was only responding to the previous poster who was unaware who he was. And what I said is objectively true. Parker is our most physically gifted guard who has the highest ceiling. That's who he is. I make no predictions about what he will do here.