In this photo taken Thursday, April 12, 2012, in Chicago, Simeon Career Academy's Jabari Parker, walks down the school's hallway after he is named the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
M. Spencer Green, ASSOCIATED PRESS
An LDS devotional featuring high school basketball phenom Jabari Parker and his family this weekend has been canceled.
Christian Parker, Jabari's older brother, said the family decided to call off the event to avoid possible NCAA rules violations during his official recruiting visit to BYU. He added that the family was very disappointed because they had looked forward to reuniting with friends and family in the Polynesian and African-American communities of the Salt Lake Valley.
"Certain potential violations were brought to our attention and there was no way around it," Christian Parker said Wednesday. "As a family we wanted to avoid any complications that might jeopardize Jabari's college eligibility."
Jabari Parker is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The devotional was originally scheduled to take place at the Salt Lake University LDS Institute of Religion, adjacent to the University of Utah, on the evening of Sunday, Nov. 25.
Jabari Parker is a senior at Simeon High School in Chicago. He is among the top recruits in the nation and is considering scholarship offers from Duke, Michigan State, Florida, Stanford and BYU.
Email: ttoone@desnews.com Twitter: tbtoone
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To sdunn,
Freedom of speech and religion is a constitutional prohibition against the Federal Government restraints. It is NOT a right required of all other groups. Therefore, the NCAA can have it's own rules which are punishable More..
Its because he held the event at Standford, he wasn't going for an official visit to one school and holding an event at another. That's why it becomes a conflict. It can look like he is visiting two schools instead of one. Which would More..
Glad they cancelled it. Felt too much like the Jake Heaps/Stout/Apo press conference. Hold a fireside AFTER he's done something. Too much pub for a high school kid.