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SALT LAKE CITY — NCAA recruits can now receive direct phone calls and text messages from coaches as a way to remain in constant contact. However, there is one top recruit that is barred from receiving such contact.
The parents of nationally recruited high school basketball player Jabari Parker have told coaches they are not allowed to directly contact their son. According to ESPNChicago.com, coaches are only allowed to directly contact Parker's parents, Sonny and Lola Parker, who will give permission to talk to their son.
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"Everybody's doing their job, but they still can't have Jabari's number," Sonny said. "That ain't changed.
"We want him to enjoy being who he is. If he wants to talk, we'll ask him first. Right now, we don't want him to be over-bombarded because coaches can sometimes be aggressive, and that can be overwhelming."
Parker is being recruited from several schools, including Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan State, Louisville and BYU. Parker, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has not yet decided whether to serve a full-time mission before pursuing his basketball career. Coaches and fans of Parker look forward to his announcement at a later date.
UCONN basketball banned from postseason
The NCAA released its Academic Progress Rates for all Division I athletic programs Wednesday. Because of poor classroom performance, 15 teams will be banned from postseason play during the 2012-13 season, including Connecticut's basketball team.
Every team involved will also lose four hours of practice one day per week, which will be used to help athletes work on "academic activities."
"I believe very strongly that this is a game-changer," said NCAA Committee on Academic Performance chairman Walter Harrison on a conference call. "It sends a message to our teams and to our critics that we mean business."
For some, it comes as no surprise that Connecticut was involved in the postseason ban. Connecticut was the only major-conference team to be banned from postseason play.
Bryce Harper walks out to Justin Bieber
Washington Nationals found a star in 19-year-old rookie Bryce Harper. This season, Harper has a .291 batting average and has hit seven home runs. But it wasn't his athletic abilities that recently caught fans' attention.
On Tuesday, Harper switched up his walk-up song against the Tampa Bay Rays to Justin Bieber's new single "Boyfriend." Harper isn't the first player to use a Bieber song during a game, however. Troy Tulowitzki used Bieber's song "Baby," last season, hitting a home run in his second at-bat.
Maybe Harper's trying to send a message to all the lady fans or he just like pop music. No doubt, some fan thinks it's "clown music, bro."
Speaking of clowns, Harper donned a new t-shirt this week with his now famous phrase, "That's a clown question, bro" on the front, according to the Washington Post.
