4-star Dennis Parker talks official visits
On3 has 2023 Dennis Parker ranked No. 59 in the 2023 class, higher than the other three major scouting services. Parker led his Richmond (VA) John Marshall High to a state championship in March and a 22-4 record.
“I believe I’m a very versatile player,” Parker told On3. “I can play one through four. I’m a good facilitator, can score, get to the rim, and get my teammates involved. I love to win. I’m working on my shot right now. If you can shoot, you can get paid at the next level. That’s what I’m really focusing on right now. I’ll watch a lot of Paul George and Devin Booker. They know their game, and they space the floor well. They do well in the mid-post area, are physical, and can shoot very well.
Parker has taken three official visits, Georgetown, Oklahoma State, and NC State. On3 sat down with Dennis Parker at the recent CBG Fall Series to talk about his visits and how his recruitment looks moving forward.
Parker talks official visits
Georgetown: “Coach (Kevin) Nickelberry and coach Pat (Ewing) are some really good guys. They have a good plan for me. I trust any plan that has me going to the next level. They run a lot of sets that we run at John Marshall. A lot of ball screens, flare actions, down screens, and stuff like that. There are a lot of similarities between us and their school.”
Oklahoma State: “I got closer with coach (Mike) Boynton. It was really interesting. I got to hang with Avery Anderson, one of their best players. He was just telling me about how college basketball works. My favorite part was hooping with the guys. It went really well. It was fun. They are very competitive.”
NC State: “The best part was, once again, the plan. They are going to support me in my dreams. I’m all in on whoever I go to. I had never been to Raleigh, and it was actually pretty nice. Coach Keatts kind of models my game of a little bit like Dereon Seabron. They space the floor, set screens, and just go downhill from there.”
Parker talks final two officials
Missouri: “Coach Dennis Gates and coach CY Young are some good people. They were at Florida State before, and now they’re at Mizzou and putting the full-court press on their recruiting.”
DePaul: “Coach Bino (Ranson) and coach (Tony) Stubbs are some good dudes. They see me as a potential NBA guy, and they believe in me also.”
Mississippi State: “Great dudes. Coach (Chris) Jans and coach (James) Miller. Their sets are like what we ran at Team Loaded, so they see me fitting into their offensive scheme very well.”
In his words
“I’m probably going to start cutting down my list in the next couple of weeks,” Parker said. “If any other schools are interested, they are really going to have to show me something.
“I want to go somewhere where I can make an impact as a freshman. A place where the coach lets me make mistakes and learn from it, instead of just getting yanked out of the game and getting benched for the rest of the game. I want to go someplace where I can be the best player I am, and they can create me and let me be the best man I can possibly be.”
Parker’s scouting report
Parker has a great frame and a competitive nature. He has always been a very good defender, using his length for a lot of deflections as a team defender. He can move his feet on the perimeter and switch down a line up with his length. This season Parker vastly improved his shot creation. He has a nice mid-range and mid-post game. He has turned what used to be a question-mark, three-point shooting, into a weapon now. Parker is an above-average, but below-elite, athlete. His father was a football player and Parker gets some of his competitive nature from him. He battled with injuries early in his career, but the 6-foot-7 wing took big strides this high school season. Won a state championship.