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Parker pulls into Kentucky Former UNC recruit could give instant lift to Wildcats
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Power forward Jason Parker, a one-time North Carolina recruit until he was denied admission, enrolled at Kentucky and will be eligible to play for the Wildcats this season. Parker, a former Mr. Basketball in North Carolina, is expected to become an immediate contributor to Kentucky's front line. "We're very excited that Jason's going to live out his dreams of playing college basketball," Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said Tuesday from training camp in Hawaii, where he's with the U.S. Olympic team as an assistant. "I'm glad he's getting the opportunity to do that at Kentucky. He will add a real presence and some much-needed depth on the front line." Parker, a 6-foot-8, 255-pounder, averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game last season at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy. He graduated from West Charlotte High School in 1999 after leading the team to the Class 4A state championship as a senior. Parker re-entered the recruiting process after North Carolina denied him admission earlier this month. He chose Kentucky over Cincinnati, Michigan, Wake Forest and Charlotte. "I'm just excited and thrilled to be in school here at Kentucky," Parker said Tuesday. "I looked for four items when choosing a school -- a great basketball tradition, a great coach, a chance to win a national championship and strong academics. I found them all at Kentucky. I can't wait to suit up for coach Smith." Jesse Parker, Jason's father, has said North Carolina denied his son admission because his score on the Scholastic Assessment Tests was ruled invalid and Tar Heels coaches feared his American College Test score also would be thrown out. Jason Parker improved his SAT score by 350 points from a previous test and showed a similar increase on his ACT, his father has said. After reviewing his high school transcripts, Kentucky discovered that Parker had been in an accelerated curriculum throughout high school and had not received full credit for "advanced gifted classes" he took, the university said in a statement. "This is one of the most complex cases our compliance office has ever handled," said Kentucky athletics director Larry Ivy. Ivy said Kentucky's assistant athletics director for compliance, Sandy Bell, worked with NCAA officials to make sure that Parker was properly credited. "The test scores that were in question in April have been canceled," Ivy said. "His corrected GPA [grade point average] combined with previous test scores from last winter, which have not been challenged, allow him to play for the Wildcats this season." The Wildcats had one scholarship available for the upcoming season.
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