11:45 A.M. CST

It is rare when a high school freshman becomes a better player instantly by being promoted to the varsity team in mid-season, but that is exactly what has happened when it comes to Jay Parker.  Since moving up from the frosh-soph team to the varsity just prior to the start of the Big Dipper Holiday Tournament, Parker has been on an absolute tear and has been Thornton’s leading scorer.  Two of his top performances have been a 25 point outing (his career high) vs. Crane and a 16 point effort vs. Hillcrest.

We watched Parker in action earlier this month vs. Bloom and he helped lead a young and talented Thornton squad to a 60-58 double overtime victory.  The game was absolutely huge from the standpoint of where each team would be seeded in the Class 4A sectional at Bloom.  As a result of their victory over Bloom, Thornton will head into the Illinois state tournament as the #2 seed in a sectional that includes #1 seed Homewood-Flossmoor, #3 seed Lockport and #4 seed Bloom.

It goes without saying that Parker has uncanny scoring ability, as he is an excellent 3-point shooter and also has the ability to consistently beat opponents to the basket one-on-one.  Not only that, but Parker also has outstanding ball handling ability and decision-making skills.  The following comment is probably over-used when it comes to describing players as young as Parker, but we will say it regardless because it fits Parker to a tee—he is poised well beyond his years.  He does not force the action and plays within the flow of the game, which is what impresses us the most for a player as young and talented as Parker is. 

Jay has also benefitted tremendously from the tutelage of Sonny Parker, who played in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors and trains and works with several Chicago-area high school basketball players on an individual basis.  At the present time we believe that Parker unquestionably ranks among the top five freshmen in Illinois and we are predicting that everyone will be hearing a lot more about him in the future.

Continue to check in with Illinois Prep Bulls-eye for all of the latest as it pertains to high school basketball and recruiting in Illinois.