Jabari Parker Would Make Duke Huge Favorite To Win it All in 2014
There are five schools considered to be in the running for Simeon High School's coveted Jabari Parker, per ESPN, but if he chooses the Duke Blue Devils, he could win a national championship in his first season.
The other schools considered to be in the running for Parker's talents are: BYU, Michigan State, Florida and Stanford. Tom Izzo is great at getting the most from the talent he has; Billy Donovan has produced a great track record at Florida, as well.
The Cougars and Cardinal are the least attractive from a pure basketball standpoint.
No school offers the combination of head coach and incumbent talent like the Blue Devils. Parker would make an otherwise poor Blue Devils recruiting class look good.
As of now, Mike Krzyzewski has only signed two players in the ESPN 100. DeSoto, Texas, guard Matt Jones and Ottawa, Kan., forward Semi Ojeleye would be nice complementary players, but they aren't considered potential stars.
Parker would obviously be the crown jewel of Duke's class and the three freshmen would join Rasheed Sulaimon, Quinn Cook, Amile Jefferson and Tyler Thornton on a very talented Duke team. The 2012-2013 squad seems primed for a deep run; the holdovers from that team will gain very valuable experience.
Parker's overall offensive ability would be a huge asset to this group.
The team figures to be missing an inside scoring option. With Parker's size (6'8"), strength and impressive wing span, he could score inside and out. He is often compared to Carmelo Anthony, and one look at his ability to use his quickness and bulk to score supports that comparison.
This team would have the talent and versatility to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Dare I say, they could even win it all. Kentucky is always looming, but the Wildcats figure to lose many of their recruits from 2012 to the NBA draft.
Even if the top prep player, Andrew Wiggins, chooses Kentucky, the Blue Devils will have more experience to put around Parker. As we're seeing from Kentucky this season, simply putting a bevy of talented freshmen together doesn't necessarily equate to championship-level play.
In an era where the top talents aren't looking at Durham often, landing Parker would be a significant get for Coach K.
Follow Brian Mazique and Franchiseplay on YouTube and Twitter for reactions, analysis and news from the world of sports and sports video games
.jpg?w=3840 "AEW Dynamite Live Grades 🔠")
