Rutgers scored a key commitment on Sunday when Kwe Parker pulled the trigger for the Scarlet Knights.
After months of contemplating on my college decision, I’ve chose to continue my basketball career with Coach Jordan at Rutgers University????⚫️
— Kwe Parker (@iJump_tooMuch) August 23, 2015
The 6-foot-2 2016 point guard from Wesleyan (N.C.) Christian also considered Wake Forest, Florida and Florida State.
“Kwe really likes Rutgers coaching staff,” Karolina Diamonds coach Kevin Graves told SNY.tv by phone. “He really likes Coach [Eddie] Jordan, he really likes Van Macon. They were in the process a long time recruiting Kwe.
“We went up there last year for an unofficial and he enjoyed himself at the Penn State football game and then he went back for an official visit [June 13th]. I think he likes the whole atmosphere of the team and he knows some of the players already. Him and Corey Sanders played against each other on the ciruit and they were in the dunk contest together last year in Vegas for the Jordan Brand. He knows Bishop Daniels and Bishop was up there when he went on his visit and stuff.”
One of the highest-flying players in the country, Parker might be most known for his mixtapes on YouTube, in which he throws down dunk after dunk, and have drawn comparisons to Seventh Woods’ mixtape.
But Parker isn’t just a dunker. Graves says Parker’s defense and 3-point shooting are underrated.
“I think they really sold Kwe on having a program that’s going to play fast-paced, that’s going to be guard-oriented where he can get out and play in the open floor and use his quickness and explosion on defense because Kwe is a great defender,” Graves said. “He’s always going to play hard, he’s going to run through a brick wall, and he’s so explosive for his size that it works on both ends of the floor. HIs hands are quick and he can get steals but he can also get in gaps. But he’s a better passer and 3-point shooter than people give him credit for.
“I think Kwe is like a Russ Smith, that’s how he plays.”
Graves said Parker and Sanders could make for a tough backcourt.
“It’s just kind of like when you had [Shabazz] Napier and [Ryan] Boatright [at UConn], you really don’t have a point guard and I think that’s where basketball is going at the NCAA level,” Graves said.
Parker told USA Today: “I’m a basketball player. If you look at a highlight video of me you see all of my dunks, but the reality is that only happens a couple times in a game. The rest of the time I’m knocking down shots, making passes and playing defense. I don’t want to be known as the dunker. I don’t like that.”
Rutgers also recently landed JUCO wing Deshawn Freeman in Eddie Jordan’s 2015 class.
