NC State's Dennis Parker Jr. 'grew' in Wolfpack's win over Charleston Southern

NC State freshman guard Dennis Parker Jr. took the floor for his third collegiate game in a pair of Adidas high top shoes that popped on the court: a red one and a yellow one.

They did not match, but as Parker put it, “mustard and ketchup.”

Okay, then. 

But there is a backstory to it. During the one game in his illustrious career at Richmond (Va.) John Marshall High School he wore that combination on the court, Parker scored 30 points. 

“I wanted to bring them back out in college to see how it worked,” Parker said with the shoes sitting to his left on the floor in front of his locker. “It was all right.”

Though he did not repeat that outing in NC State’s 87-53 win over Charleston Southern on Friday night at PNC Arena, Parker put together his most complete performance of his young collegiate career. He scored 12 points with four rebounds and a team-best four steals, all in 18 minutes. 

Not a bad way to show improvement for the Richmond native. 

In his first two games, Parker combined to score five points with six total rebounds and two steals. Parker outperformed that against the Buccaneers, and he did it with his second straight zero turnover contest. 

“He grew today,” NC State coach Kevin Keatts said of his lone freshman on the roster. “He got a lot better today. And that’s good because as Dennis Parker becomes a better player as a freshman, it’s only going to help our team.”

Keatts said he had a conversation with Parker earlier this week with some expectations for the freshman, though the 7th-year coach views him as another one of the transfers with collegiate experience. That conversation paid off in the win over the Buccaneers.

Parker shined on both ends of the floor. He was able to knock down a 3-pointer from the left corner, while he also attacked the basket at the rim. Parker was also a pickpocket, and was able to record steals in the backcourt, as well as intercepting passes. 

The 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard prides himself on defense, and that was on full display. 

“One thing about me, I always love defense,” Parker said. “That’s always been one of my things. If I can’t get it going on offense, I can make myself impactful on the defensive side of the floor. … It really doesn’t matter, I love defense at the end of the day.”

Parker said his defensive play allows his scoring ability to open up, and he shot the ball for an efficient 4-of-6 from the field against the Buccaneers. 

“Defense can lead to a rebound, to an assist and then to an open shot,” Parker said. “There’s so many things that can happen off a blocked shot or a steal.”

Parker’s best collegiate outing was not a surprise to his teammates, which all wore grins as they spoke about him postgame. 

“I told y’all my freshman is coming for y’all,” graduate forward DJ Burns said with a laugh. “It’s only going to get worse. That’s all I’ve got to say. I’m going to keep it short. It’s only going to get worse from here.”

For Butler transfer Jayden Taylor, whose locker is right next to Parker’s, watching the freshman’s growth was compared to being a proud dad. 

“Seeing him succeed, it’s like as a father, I just feel good,” Taylor said. “It’s like seeing my son excel. When I see him do good, it’s just like I’m doing good. It makes me happy.”

Parker is still learning the college game. He said he has adjusted to the speed of the game a little bit better since the season opener, and the biggest change is learning to guard opposing collegiate players. He got used to going against his teammates each day in practice, now it is all about learning on the fly.

Well, against Charleston Southern, Parker made it look easy. 

Keatts does not view Parker as a freshman, and he does not play like one either, nor does he talk like one. But when he was asked if he felt like a freshman, he said he did, but not a collegiate one — a high school first-year player. 

But that does not matter to Parker, who grew up playing in the Richmond YMCA as an 8-year-old against players that ranged from 25- to 40-years old. He just wants to hoop. 

“I feel like a 15-year-old still,” Parker said. “I feel like I’m a freshman in high school, honestly. People say I don’t look like a freshman out there. In my mind, I still think I’ve got some maturity to do, but I just want to play basketball regardless if there’s a 36-year-old out there.”

While he Parker has a long way to go before he hits his ceiling on the basketball court, he is focused on NC State’s next game: against Vanderbilt in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving. 

But will the red and yellow, mix-matched pair of shoes make the cross-country flight? Maybe. 

Keatts asked the Wolfpack players on the bench if Parker’s shoes came different colors once he noticed it during the game. They did not, and Parker’s teammates said that. Now, that leaves a conversation to be had if the shoes can continue. 

“I’m going to have to have a talk with him to see if they can go with me to Vegas,” Parker said with a laugh. “Hopefully he’ll say yes.”

Parker dropped 30 points in high school as he donned that combination, and now he set his career-bests in points, rebounds and steals in just his third college game. For NC State’s sake, those shoes might want to be on the team’s flight to Sin City.