Conventional wisdom has held that Duke and UCLA were the two leading destinations for Tony Parker, but now Kansas appears to be making a major run at the 6-foot-9 forward from Livonia (Ga.) Miller Grove.
“They started recruiting real hard but I don’t know if I’m going to visit yet,” Parker told SNY.tv by phone Tuesday morning, confirming comments he originally made to Scout.com. “But it’s a question mark there.”
Parker said Kansas has been involved for “not a long time,” but he is considering them along with Duke, UCLA, Ohio State, Memphis, Georgetown and Georgia.
Asked if his recruitment was wide open, Parker said,”Yes.”
Kansas has a strong tradition of producing quality big men, from Danny Manning down through Marcus and Markieff Morris and Thomas Robinson.
“They always produce great bigs,” Parker said. “They do a great job with their team and they’re just an all-around good program and they have good history.”
Parker reiterated that he’s uncertain if he will take an official to Kansas.
“I have no clue yet,” he said. “My parents are talking about it, though.”
Parker is currently at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Meyers, Fla., where his team lost Saturday to Ricardo Gathers and Reserve (La.) Riverside despite Parker’s 14 points and 6 boards.
He drew national attention last Thursday when put up 29 and 10 in a loss to Oak Hill, 72-68, at Morehouse College’s Forbes Arena.
“I’m playing OK,” he said. “Me and our team are really just getting a feel for each other. We just gotta pick up our play.”
As far as his recruitment, he is still mulling several options.
As for Georgia he said, “Georgia’s just Georgia. It’s the hometown school. It’s a good school.”
With regard to Ohio State, Parker said, “Ohio State’s a great school. They’re playing great right now. They’re bench is starting to produce and if Jared [Sullinger] stays healthy” they’re tough.
Parker said he and Sullinger have “been cool. I met him at LeBron Camp. He’s a cool guy.”
In terms of UCLA, Jordan Adams of Oak Hill and Kyle Anderson of St. Anthony have both been recruiting Parker to Westwood. (Read more about that here.)
Shabazz Muhammad, the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2012, is also being courted by both UCLA and Duke and told FiveStarBAsketball.com he and Parker would do well together.
“Me and him in the same program would be a really good thing and we would win a lot of games,” Muhammad, who will take an official visit to Duke March 3 for the North Carolina game, said of Parker.
With several options in front of him, Parker has no precise timetable on a decision.
“I think I’m going to decide by the spring, of course,” he said, “but basically just play it by ear.”
