Tony Parker put on a UCLA hat and T-shirt Monday afternoon at Lithonia (Ga.) Miller Grove High School and said he’s ready to join his friends in what ESPN.com is now ranking as the No. 1 recruiting class in America.
The 6-foot-9 McDonald’s All-American chose UCLA over Ohio State and Georgia and joins a recruiting class that includes Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams.
UCLA last summer hired Parker’s longtime AAU coach, former Atlanta Celtics CEO Korey McCray, as an assistant coach.
“It was a real tough decision,” Parker said.
“I think with me, Shabazz [Muhammad], Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams, we can bring UCLA back up.”
Anderson, who committed last fall, underwent an MRI on his thumb Monday afternoon and could potentially be out three months if surgery is needed, but should return for the basketball season.
Muhammad committed two weeks ago, choosing the Bruins over Kentucky and Duke.
Muhammad Tweeted: “Congrats to my boy @tonyparker32 for committing to the bruins today #bruingang !!!!”
Now they will unite to help try to turn around a UCLA program that came under harsh light in a recent Sports Illustrated article and nearly cost head coach Ben Howland his job.
“It is icing on the cake today to have Tony Parker join this recruiting class,” Howland said.
“He is a great player that has an unbelievable work ethic. I’m so excited for our program to have a quality big man like Tony join our team and Bruin family. He has all of the intangibles to go with being a very talented player. He is a driven and motivated talent that plays with physicality, toughness, enthusiasm and passion. He’s the first player in the history of the state of Georgia to play in and win four straight state championships. He is a winner and has an unbelievably bright future.”
Parker led the Miller Grove to four straight Georgia 4A state titles while averaging 16.8 points 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game as a senior in 2012.
Armed with these talented tools, Howland should be able to get the Bruins back on the right track and into the NCAA Tournament.
If not, he surely will be in trouble after next season.
