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Dick Harmon: History says highly prized recruit Jabari Parker will stay near Chicago and go to Michigan State

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By Dick Harmon, Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, Dec. 12 2012 11:30 p.m. MST

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Dick Harmon

Dick Harmon

Deseret News

Summary

If history says anything, Jabari Parker will likely stay close to home and go to Michigan State.

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  • BYU men's basketball: Jabari Parker sets date to announce his decision (+video)

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  • Jabari Parker on college pick: 'I'm still considering all of them'

When it came time for Glenn “Doc” Rivers (Proviso East), to sign, he chose to stay right at home and played at Marquette. This was the same decision made by Dwyane Wade, who played high school ball at Harold Richards in Oak Lawn.

Keeping it right at home was the college decision of DePaul superstars Terry Cummings (Carver), Mark Aguirre (George Westinghouse College Prep) and Quentin Richardson.

Isiah Thomas decided to leave St. Joseph’s of Westchester, and he took his considerable talents to the University of Indiana, a breezy drive down the freeway from Chicago.

Most recently, when Anthony Davis from Perspectives Charter School in Chicago decided to do a one-and-done before going to the NBA, he chose Kentucky, an SEC team.

Of course, there have been hundreds of talented players from Chicago that have ended up at schools from Wyoming to New Mexico, the Pac-12 and Big 12. But for the purposes of this commentary, we’re talking the elite of the elite.

Parker and 6-foot-10 Jahlil Okafor (Whitney Young Magnet High), a 2014 recruit, are undergoing extensive scrutiny in Chicago. Two of Parker’s teammates, Kendrick Nunn and Jaylon Tate, have chosen to play for the University of Illinois. This is where Marcus Liberty from Crane High School and King College prep signed before his career as a Nugget and Piston in the NBA.

It seems, in Chicago, the very best of the best don’t stray too far from home. There is a culture there that keeps them hooked up with coaches, trainers, friends, family and familiar surroundings. It’s kind of a comfort zone.

While any superstar can find his way to an All-America list or an NBA career from just about anywhere in this day and age, the Chicago scene remains a kind of predictable machinery.

So, if you take the cream of the crop from Chicago, the Windy City’s super elite, the legends of the game, the tea leaves say they will stay close to home, not go west, and stay out of the ACC.

Is it written in stone? Absolutely not.

But it is History 101 of Chicago basketball. These guys, influenced by a local culture, stay in Big Ten and Big East territory.

Is this a prediction? No. Just a fact.

Odds are, Parker will go to Michigan State.

Dick Harmon, Deseret News sports columnist, can be found on Twitter as Harmonwrites and can be contacted at dharmon@desnews.com.

Related Stories
  • Jabari Parker to face expectation-laden senior season, adversity

  • BYU men's basketball: Jabari Parker sets date to announce his decision (+video)

  • Why Jabari might (or might not) pick each of the five schools on his short list

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Featured Comments

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Truth Machine
Salt Lake City, UT

timid sparrow

More hyperbole and jealousy from the kids on the hill.

Despite the delusional whining of some jealous fans, there's no such thing as "poaching a kid while he's on his mission".

  • 9:23 a.m. Dec. 13, 2012
  • Top comment
skywalker
Palo Alto, CA

DH

The history of recruiting is the reasons for recruits choosing a particular school are as varied as the recruits themselves. One recruit may want to stay close to home and family; while another recruit may want to get away from home More..

  • 8:51 a.m. Dec. 13, 2012
  • Top comment
Brave Sir Robin
San Diego, CA

BYU's only hope is that he goes on a mission so they have two years to try to poach him. BYU is very good at that.

  • 9:03 a.m. Dec. 13, 2012
  • Top comment
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About the Author
Dick Harmon

Dick Harmon

Dick Harmon is a columnist for the Deseret News with a focus on college athletics. He previously worked as executive sports editor, sports columnist, city editor and police reporter for the Provo Daily Herald for 26 more ..

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