Simeon senior Jabari Parker ended months of speculation Thursday when he revealed he will play college basketball at Duke next season.
And he said his decision wasn't made until 1 p.m. Thursday.
“Everything came through and I was confident,” Parker said. “You feel the emotion in your heart, and that tells you it’s time to decide.”
Parker, who is Illinois’ reigning Mr. Basketball and is ranked the No. 2 player in the country by ESPN, made the announcement at Simeon at a news conference televised on ESPNU. The 6-foot-8 forward previously had narrowed his choices to BYU, Duke, Florida, Michigan State and Stanford, but kept most everyone guessing until the final verdict Thursday.
Parker said the decision ultimately came down to Duke, Florida and Michigan State.
Reporters began gathering in the Simeon gymnasium more than hour before Parker was set to announce his decision.
A podium crowded with microphones sat at the front of the set-up, and to its side was a table with the team hats of BYU, Duke, Florida, Michigan State and Stanford in a row. At least nine television cameras lined the back of the reporters’ seats.
About 45 minutes before the announcement, his Simeon teammates and coaches began wandering into the bleachers behind the podium.
There was a brief commotion among reporters when the Lansing State Journal accidentally posted a pre-written story stating that Parker had chosen Michigan State. The reporter quickly apologized via Twitter, saying an announcement had not been made yet.
Parker said it was difficult turning down Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who had recruited him since his freshman season.
"A lot of it came down to, 'How will I be used on the floor?' " Parker said. "(Michigan State sophomore) Branden Dawson, me and him play the same position, and it would kind of be a controversy if me and him were on the same floor and we would run into each other. I wanted to go to a school that was fitting for me."
At the beginning of the week, Parker said he hadn’t yet made up his mind, and coaches from Duke, Florida and Michigan State visited Chicago to make their final pitches.
The announcement was expected to be a relief for Parker, who has said he doesn’t enjoy the attention that comes with the recruiting process. He told the Tribune last week that he wanted to make the announcement so that he could focus on his senior season, which has gotten off to a rocky start.
“What brought me to the decision was the course of history,” Parker said. “Duke is always going to be a team in the tournament. You can’t go wrong with the program. Also, most importantly, it’s a long-term investment. I feel like if I go there, I can get a good degree.”
Parker is coming back from a fractured right foot he suffered over the summer while playing with the USA Basketball U-17 team. He totaled 15 points in Simeon’s first three games this season but decided to sit out the Wolverines’ games this week to focus on recovering his conditioning and feel for the game.
Parker’s commitment Thursday isn’t binding. He won’t sign a letter of intent until this spring.
“It’s just a commitment,” Parker said last week. “It’s not like I’m signing. It still gives me room to make plans in case anything goes otherwise.”
ckane@tribune.com
@ChiTribKane
Parker's college decision: Duke
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