Jabari Parker: Young Star Bucking Trend of Today's Recruiting World

Today's recruiting world is filled with glitz, glamour and press conferences fit for a king. College sports have changed, and every blue-chip recruit is under a high-powered microscope.

Small forward recruit Jabari Parker is rated the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2013 class according to Rivals.com, the No. 3 overall recruit according to Scout.com and No. 1 on ESPN's Super 60 list.

The Simeon, Ill., native is sought after by every prestigious college program in the nation. He can have his pick of the college basketball litter, but he may opt for an alternate route. 

Parker is featured in this month's edition of Sports Illustrated. In the issue, Parker declares that he is considering a two-year stint as a Mormon missionary when he turns 19.

This statement is astounding, but not in a negative sense.

Marquee recruits rarely stave off the allure of basketball's bright lights. Parker's statement will definitely cause a stir around the college basketball world, but let's look at why he did the right thing by bucking the trends of today's recruiting landscape.

Growing Up

Parker has a massive choice lying in front of him. He can either grow up on the basketball court, or he can take a two-year journey away from the sport he's grown up playing. 

Most high school players jump at any opportunity to play prime-time college basketball. Some, like Jeremy Tyler and Enes Kanter, are willing to stop at nothing to play the game they love. 

But does this make them better players, or prepare them for the speed bumps every 19-year-old eventually faces?

No, it doesn't. 

Parker is obviously grounded and well aware of the full spectrum of life's opportunities. 

Taking two years to grow up and live outside of basketball is not a bad thing. 

This goes against everything college basketball recruiting has become. Recruiting is all about inking players to commitments and getting their talents on campus without delay. 

College basketball coaches recruit around the year, and the spotlight is always on high school players. Parker and others are under constant pressure to pick a school and focus on their NBA dreams with maniacal focus.

But it doesn't need to be that way. It puts an inordinate amount of pressure on high school players who, some forget, are still kids. 

Maybe Parker goes on a two-year mission, comes back and realizes that basketball is not the path he wants his life to take. That would make this story truly noteworthy.

Or, maybe Parker falls off the grid for two years, comes back at 21 and picks up right where he left off. He is an incredibly gifted player, definitely capable of bouncing back from a two-year hiatus. 

What Will This Mean?

Parker is still going to be chased, courted and wooed by every respectable college basketball program the United States has to offer. He can't say anything to change that. 

We are talking about a player talented enough to win the 2011 Gatorade National Player of the Year award—as a junior. He is a standout player on the wing with an ever-evolving repertoire of offensive moves. 

College coaches drool over his potential. They would still be drooling if he left for two years and returned ready to play ball. 

I expect Parker to eventually select a school to play for. Not that his statement should not be taken seriously, but the inevitable fame will pull too hard on his heart strings. 

However, I give Parker credit. He seems to see the big picture and realizes that life does not start and end on the basketball court. 

If Parker does wind up going on a two-year Mormon mission, then so be it.

Instead of saying, "What was he thinking," maybe you should say, "Why don't more players think like that?"