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Tony Parker (Frayles de Guasave)

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Boys Player of the Year: Tony Parker proves his point
March 23, 2012, by Todd Holcomb

In middle school, Tony Parker wasn?t the person people expected to start on four high school state championship basketball teams. Some even wondered if he?d make his high school team.

Parker was 6-foot-3 and nearly 300 pounds ? in the seventh grade.

?I wasn?t always as slim as I am now,?? Parker said. ?I averaged around four points a game. When I scored, the crowd went crazy. That?s how horrible I was. Me and my dad [Virgil Parker] used to be in the gym, and people would come by and say, ?Oh, you got you a lineman out there.?

?But I kept playing ? and I kept playing. It gave me lot of ambition to prove to people that I really was a basketball player.??

If there were ever a time to gloat, it?s now. Parker is The Atlanta Journal-Constitution?s state Player of the Year.

Parker is 6-9, 270 pounds, or maybe a little heavier when wearing four Class AAAA championship rings. No other Georgia player has been a starter on four state champions since Dontonio Wingfield of Albany?s Westover High in 1990-93.

?There were a lot of naysayers,?? Miller Grove coach Sharman White said. ?Everybody thought he was going to be one of those oversized post kids. He ate those words for motivation. His determination to be the best was what stood out about him. His work ethic was unbeatable.??

As a senior, Parker averaged 16.6 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots against perhaps the nation?s toughest schedule. Miller Grove (24-9) played Oak Hill of Virginia, St. Anthony?s of New Jersey and Simeon of Illinois, teams that finished in the top 10 of every national poll.

Parker led Miller Grove to four tight victories against Class AAAA runner-up Southwest DeKalb, which featured his McDonald?s All-America teammate Shaq Goodwin and Auburn-signee Jordan Price. In the championship game, Parker was at his best, scoring 21 points with 13 rebounds.

?I just know I wanted to win,?? Parker said. ?Winning was most important thing for me coming in as a freshman. I was coming into a program with eight seniors [including Georgia Tech basketball player Mfon Udofia and former Tech football player Stephen Hill] that had just lost in the Final Four. They were hungry, and that was huge to me. That?s the hungriest guys I?ve ever played with. That just stayed with me through workouts, practice and in the classroom.??

Parker has become fitter, leaner and stronger each season. He gives credit to a personal trainer, Kevin Peeples.

As perhaps Georgia?s top senior prospect, Parker is close to a college decision. His finalists are Duke, Ohio State, Kansas, UCLA, Georgetown, Memphis and Georgia. He might make an announcement at the McDonald?s All-Star Game in Chicago on Wednesday. If not, he?ll wait to do it at Miller Grove.

He has a story to tell. It might inspire somebody, he said.

?I want people at my school to be able to come see what it looks like to realize that dream,?? Parker said, ?and how hard you have to work to get there.??
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http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-high-s...yer-of-the-year-tony-parker-proves-his-point/
 
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Tony Parker's inner circle
The heavily recruited senior turns to family, friends and his coach for advice
Updated: March 23, 2012
By Jason Jordan | ESPNHS


espnhs_parker_parents_576x324.jpg

Ty Freeman/ESPNHS
Tony Parker and his parents, Virgil and Hazel, let ESPNHS be a fly on the wall as the prized recruit, his family, friends and coach candidly debated where he should go to college.

LITHONIA, Ga. -- Woodstone Road sits roughly 25 miles west of the pop and glamour of Atlanta, but it might as well be clear across the country. It's quiet and homely. It's one of those roads you've got to know is there in order not to miss.

Midway down the road, at the top of a steep hill, sits a two-story, brick-lined house with a well-manicured lawn. It's at this house where a meeting of the minds will ensue. Where Tony Parker, a senior forward at Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.), has summoned the help of his inner circle to weigh the pros and cons of his college suitors -- UCLA, Memphis, Duke, Ohio State, Kansas, Georgetown and Georgia.

The meeting is vital on so many different levels.

Parker is a McDonald's and Jordan Brand All-American who could change the fate of any school he chooses.

As one college assistant from a top-10 school put it, "Tony could mean the difference between the Sweet 16 and the national championship."

"I've never looked at it like that," Parker said. "That's kinda crazy. The roundtable just got more crazy, huh?"

cont...
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http://espn.go.com/high-school/boys-basketball/story/_/id/7717492/tony-parker-recruiting-roundtable

Ohio State
?This is the equivalent of Kansas losing Thomas Robinson with Ohio State likely losing Jared Sullinger. He came in there and established himself as the man from day one and really carried the Buckeyes on his back. He?ll be leaving a big doughnut there in the post right next to that big ?O? at Ohio State and that?s right where Tony can come in and produce. Once again this is a situation where Tony?s skills will allow him to flourish. They don?t have anyone on the roster with his skills next season.?
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http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school..._/id/3794/biancardi-best-fits-for-tony-parker

Tony Parker Named Gatorade Georgia Boys Basketball Player of the Year
Miller Grove High School Standout Named Gatorade Georgia Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Friday, March 23, 2012
By: Staff Report | MaxPreps.com

CHICAGO (March 22, 2012) ? In its 27th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Tony Parker of Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) as its 2011-12 Gatorade Georgia Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Parker is the first Gatorade Georgia Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Miller Grove High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Parker as Georgia's best high school boys basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Parker joins an elite alumni association of past state boys basketball award winners, including Dwight Howard (2003-04, SW Atlanta Christian Academy, Ga.), Chauncey Billups (1993-94 & 1994-95, George Washington HS, Colo.), Jason Kidd (1991-92, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS, Calif.), Paul Pierce (1994-95, Inglewood HS, Calif.) and Chris Bosh (2001-02, Lincoln HS, Texas).

The 6-foot-9, 270-pound senior power forward and center led the Wolverines to a 23-9 record and the Class AAAA state championship this past season. Parker averaged 16.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and three blocks per game. A 2012 McDonald's All-American Game selection and a 2012 Jordan Brand Classic game invitee, Parker is the No. 21 ranked recruit in the Class of 2012 as rated by ESPNU.

Parker has maintained a 3.0 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of the Special Olympics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and has participated in food and clothing drives for needy families.

"Tony Parker has been a force in our region for the last two years," said Adam Griffin, head coach at Dunwoody High. "His game has improved each year and he consistently plays hard no matter the outcome of the game."

Parker remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

cont...
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http://www.maxpreps.com/news/Kqwd9E...eorgia-boys-basketball-player-of-the-year.htm
 
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With Thomas likely leaving, missing Parker hurts...it is a bummer, at one time it looked like OSU had the upper hand. Sully was already leaving and Amir will be solid I think. But a PF with scoring ability would have been nice.
 
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The 11 April date implies consideration for who may or may not be turning pro.

I certainly don't see any candidates at UCLA or Georgia. Duke loses a Plumlee but keeps several bigs in any case.

If it boils down to who makes room by going to the NBA it sounds like Kansas and OSU to me.

As far as Parker being a one-and-done - I'll take it. A kid of his talent working with Amir up front could be the missing piece next season.
 
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Oh8ch said:
The 11 April date implies consideration for who may or may not be turning pro.

I certainly don't see any candidates at UCLA or Georgia. Duke loses a Plumlee but keeps several bigs in any case.

If it boils down to who makes room by going to the NBA it sounds like Kansas and OSU to me.

As far as Parker being a one-and-done - I'll take it. A kid of his talent working with Amir up front could be the missing piece next season.
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Not sure if it is true but I was told that Shabazz Muhammad is no longer considering UCLA. IF that's the case, and I stress IF, then UCLA can't look good for Parker...
 
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Oh8ch;2134644; said:
The 11 April date implies consideration for who may or may not be turning pro.

I certainly don't see any candidates at UCLA or Georgia. Duke loses a Plumlee but keeps several bigs in any case.

If it boils down to who makes room by going to the NBA it sounds like Kansas and OSU to me.

As far as Parker being a one-and-done - I'll take it. A kid of his talent working with Amir up front could be the missing piece next season.
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Bingo. One-and-dones really hurt when you have an entire class all leave, but having Parker for a year is that missing piece to plug in for Thomas and go with Amir. Ross will be a lengthy scoring threat but from what I understand, Parker brings legit defense to the table. Plus we just really need at least one decent prospect in this class...it would hurt to bring in nobody or some last minute JUCOs. I think this team can still be great next season with Craft, Smith Jr., Thompson, Ross, and Williams on the floor, with Seibert and Scott playing some, but a big man would really help, even if for a year only.
 
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RB07OSU;2134693; said:
Bingo. One-and-dones really hurt when you have an entire class all leave, but having Parker for a year is that missing piece to plug in for Thomas and go with Amir. Ross will be a lengthy scoring threat but from what I understand, Parker brings legit defense to the table. Plus we just really need at least one decent prospect in this class...it would hurt to bring in nobody or some last minute JUCOs. I think this team can still be great next season with Craft, Smith Jr., Thompson, Ross, and Williams on the floor, with Seibert and Scott playing some, but a big man would really help, even if for a year only.
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Seibert :confused: back to Parker:)
 
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