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'11 GA SG Dai-Jon Parker (Vanderbilt Verbal)

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Shooting guard
Alpharetta, Georgia
Milton
AAU: Southern Kings

Ht:6'3"
Wt:170 lbs
Class:2011 (High School)



Teammate with Shannon Scott both at Milton and on the King James Southern Kings AAU team.
Evaluation

November, 2009: Parker is built like a high-level guard and he is a scoring machine. He's an explosive dynamic athlete that scores in bunches and can take over a game. He has a good looking stroke out to the three point line; showed the ability to shot fake and dribble into his shot; or he can get it to the basket where he is able to absorb contact and finish. He is effective in either an up-tempo or half-court game, but he shines in transition where he does a good job of filling a lane or spotting up. He is a solid secondary handler that can assist in breaking the press and is a good decision maker off the dribble. With his combination of strength, length and athleticism he has the potential to be a lock-down defender. He has developed into one of the top shooting guards in the 2011 class and will be highly sought after in the recruiting process.

July, 2009: Dai-Jon is a very gifted and athletic wing player. He is an excellent passer who sees the open floor and puts the ball in his teammates hands where they can do something with it. He can score it in many different ways. He can shoot the ball from long range with accuracy and possesses a quicker first step than most in his class. Parker allows the game to come to him early but when he decides to turn it on and take over, he shows a mean streak that makes him difficult to defend. He uses the one dribble pull-up jumper that creates space from his defender and does a great job coming off screens for shots or curls to the rim. On defense, he defends the ball and passing lanes really well. Parker shows a mean streak that sets him apart from others who possess similar size and skills. He has great passion on the floor and you can tell he loves to compete and loves the game.

May, 2009: Parker has exploded on the scene as an excellent all-around player that can beat you in a lot of ways. He is subtle at first allowing the game to come to him, but he had some brief stretches where he was the dominant player on the floor. His ability to finish in transition from any direction is impressive. In the half court he forces his defender to stay close to respect his 3-point shot and can blow by his man with a quick first step. He has a nice feel off the dribble and made quite a few plays for his teammates with a well timed pass. He is a good defender with the potential to guard multiple positions while he uses his length and athleticism to keep his opponent off balance; he is good in the passing lanes and causes problems off the ball with his help-side defense.
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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vUnpbqIwrI&feature=related]YouTube - Dai-Jon Parker and Julian Royal Interview with Dan Poneman and Highlights from the City of Palms[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_azFbrJWGyM]YouTube - Dai-Jon Parker Highlights- Milton (GA)- Too Much Swag 2011 City of Palms[/ame]
 
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Milton two-sport star Dai-Jon Parker contemplates growing options
March 19, 2010, by Chip Towers

Dai-JonParkerGetz.jpg

Milton's Dai-Jon Parker has multiple scholarship options in both football and basketball. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)

As a football prospect, Milton?s Dai-Jon Parker was one of Atlanta?s best-kept secrets.

The emphasis there should be on the past tense word ? was.

?I?ve got about 900 pieces of [recruiting] mail for him sitting on my desk right now,? Milton football coach Scott Walker said Friday.

Parker?s name has been floating around in basketball circles for a while. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound shooting guard is rated a four-star prospect in hoops and just helped lead the Eagles to the Class AAAAA state championship. He led Milton with 19 points and six rebounds in the title game against Westlake.

But only recently has Parker emerged as a major football prospect. And that was his coach?s intention.

?To make a long story short, I haven?t said anything about him [as a football prospect] because I promised I wouldn?t until after basketball season,? said Walker, who just sent Parker?s football video out this week. ?We didn?t want him to be distracted and bothered. We needed to sit down and talk about what he needed to do.

?He originally thought he wasn?t going to play football anymore. I met with him and his mother two nights ago and he?s decided he?s going to pursue both. He?s going to find out what his options are in both and make a decision at that point.?

Apparently there are going to be a lot of options for Parker:

* He? approaching double digits in basketball offers, including Georgia, Georgia Tech, UConn, Florida and Ohio State.
* On Wednesday Duke offered Parker in both basketball and football.
* Georgia has verbally offered him in football and he has written football offers from Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt.

?Every option is on the table for him at this point,? Walker said.

Football, Walker thinks, might be Parker?s best option.

?One thing we kind of all agree on is he probably has a better chance to make money one day in football,? Walker said. ?When you?re 6-3 and you?re a wide receiver you?re a little above the curve. When you?re 6-3 in basketball, there are a lot of those out there. That?s one of the things he?s thinking about.?

Parker?s football options are even more amazing considering his limited experience. Other than a brief stint as a defensive end when he was in ninth grade at Marietta High, Parker did not play football until he showed up at Milton?s practices the first day of school last August.

?He missed all of camp; missed all summer,? Walker said. ?It took about a half hour to realize he was the best player on the field. In sports he?s just a freak.?
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Milton two-sport star Dai-Jon Parker contemplates growing options | AJC College Sports Recruiting
 
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UGA football target hangs up helmet and shoulder pads to focus on basketball ONLY
May 24, 2010, by Michael Carvell

Parker1.jpeg

Milton's Dai-Jon Parker is betting on basketball for his future (AJC)

Dai-Jon Parker, one of the nation?s premiere two-sport athletes, has given up football in order to focus on basketball only during his senior year.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder starred at wide receiver and cornerback for Milton High this past season as a junior, and got 11 early football offers, including UGA, Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt, Duke and Mississippi State.

However, Parker is also highly-regarded in hoops, holding basketball scholarship offers from UGA, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Auburn, Ohio State, Oregon, Purdue, Virginia Tech, and Oregon State, among others.

Parker plays shooting guard, posting 19 points and 6 rebounds in Milton?s win over Westlake for Class AAAAA state championship. After the basketball season, Parker briefly considered playing both sports as a senior. However, he opted not to report to Milton?s spring football practice, which ended on Friday.

When asked about Parker, Milton football coach Scott Walker said, ?Not playing.?

?He was advised against [football], and sometimes you can?t win those battles. I still don?t think it?s the best decision. But, you know, he?s a great kid and a great basketball player. You can?t argue with that. Hopefully, everything will work out the way it?s supposed to go for him. Again, great kid, and we wish him the best.?

Milton basketball coach David Boyd said Parker informed him about giving up football earlier this month. ?I didn?t really have much input on that at all. Dai-Jon just felt like that basketball was going to be an opportunity to play at a high Div. I level. And depending on where he ends up, it could be a really good situation for him.?

Parker has played in the shadows of two heralded teammates, Milton point guard Shannon Scott (committed to Ohio State) and power forward Julian Royal (undecided). However, some college coaches consider Parker the No. 1 recruiting target at the Fulton school.

?The thing that makes Dai-Jon so unique is that he?s a great athlete, great shooter, and great defender,? Boyd said. ?Those are rare commodities in one player. You might have a great shooter, or a great athlete, or a great defender. But rarely do you have all three in one player.

?That?s what Dai-Jon brings to the table. He is an outstanding 3-point shooter, an explosive athlete, and maybe the best defender I?ve ever coached. He?s a ?shut down, lock down? defender. He guarded all the other team?s best players during the season, and did a superb job.?
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http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-high-s...nly/?cxntfid=blogs_georgia_high_school_sports
 
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What about Parker? Parker will at least wait until after the summer to announce his college decision, according to his coach. Parker gave up a promising football career (11 major-college offers in football) to focus on basketball only as a senior. The 6-3 Parker will travel the country over the summer while playing for two AAU basketball teams. His offer sheet includes Georgia Tech, UGA, Ohio State, Auburn and Virginia.
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The ‘Marcus Thornton Effect?’ Top prospect has UGA, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest as favorites, says coach | Prep Zone: High School Sports
 
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