Tony Parker | Senior | Center | Miller Grove
Tony Parker, a senior at Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.), is the No. 21 player in the Class of 2012 and one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation, with UConn, Duke, UCLA, Ohio State, Georgetown, Memphis, Kentucky and Kansas all in the running for his services. He has agreed to chronicle the remainder of his final season and recruiting experiences leading up to his decision through a diary with ESPNHS.
Wassup!
I’m coming off a great week of basketball!!! I made the Jordan Brand Classic roster for the East team. This is a great accomplishment for me and my family, and it really shows what hard work and character can do for a basketball player. A lot of great players and NBA stars have played in this great event, so I’m extremely excited to represent my family, school, community and state.
I have also been so blessed to make the leader of all high school All-Star games as I was also selected as a McDonald's All-American. It’s a big honor. I’m blessed for this accomplishment and my parents, family, coaches and teammates are very proud of me for making such a prestigious event.
Last Friday, we played against Southwest DeKalb. This game is probably the biggest game in Georgia. We have played twice (this year) and it has sold out both times. The rivalry is big time! It's a great basketball environment and the atmosphere is a great representation of one of the best rivalries in Georgia history.
Everybody wants to see the matchup with me and Shaq (Goodwin), which has been compared to the Dwight Howard-Randolph Morris matchups (in the early 2000s). Plus, our schools absolutely have no love-lost between each other, so it was trending on Twitter the night before!
There was so much hype around the game. It’s crazy and we all love the atmosphere and the support from the community. We won the first matchup by six in a very hard-fought game that went down to the wire. This game didn’t go into overtime like the last one because we finished this one in regulation (59-53).
My teammates really came out strong and played a really good game. Christian Houston, Justin Colvin, Tony Evans, and Brandon Morris really came to play and it showed. We look forward to possibly seeing Southwest again in the region tournament They beat us in the championship last year, so we have to come ready to play.
Southwest has a really good team and a short memory because they forget every loss and come out like they have won every game. We really have to match their intensity (if we meet again).
Thanks again, ESPN and ESPNHS
Make sure to follow Tony on Twitter: @Tonyparker32.