Wayne grad Parker on NCAA Tournament berth: “This season has been a joy’

Parker helped cut down the nets at the Schottenstein Center when Wayne High School won the state championship in 2015. He was a freshman then and wasn’t playing varsity. This season, he was also a newcomer — a transfer from James Madison playing his first season at Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers overcame long odds to make the NCAA tournament. According to KenPom.com, they had a 3 percent chance of winning four games in four days in Pensacola, Fla. That’s what happened, however, and two of the victories came in overtime. In the championship game, they beat Georgia State 80-73, clinching their first berth in the NCAA tournament since 2000.

“It was a moment second to none,” Parker said. “This season has been a joy.”

Appalachian State (17-11) received a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament and will play another No. 16 seed, Norfolk State (16-7), in the First Four at 8:40 p.m. Thursday at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. The winner will play the overall No. 1 seed, Gonzaga, in the first round at 9:20 p.m. Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

There were trials and tribulations for Parker on his way jubilation. Parker entered the transfer portal on March 29, 2020, three weeks after James Madison fired coach Louis Rowe. Parker, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 10.0 points and 4.0 assists and started all 30 games as a sophomore, but the team finished 9-21 in Rowe’s fourth season. It was his fourth straight losing season.

Parker committed to Appalachian State on April 23. The program had an advantage over other schools because coach Dustin Kerns had recruited Parker in high school when he was the head coach at Presbyterian.

“That stood out to me,” Parker said, “because he had believed in me since I was in high school. Here I am now in the transfer portal, and he was the first one to call, believing in me and wanting me again. That just kind of stood out with me and my family. We just kept praying on it during the transfer process. It was long and stressful, but I just kept praying on it and here I am.”

When Parker signed, Kerns called him a true floor general who would provide leadership and play-making ability.

“He provides valuable experience with him already playing and contributing at the Division I level,” Kerns said. “His work ethic and dedication will allow him to make a huge improvement in his overall game during his sit-out year.”

While the plan was for Parker to sit out the season because of NCAA transfer rules, the situation changed when the NCAA started approving numerous transfer waiver requests for players across the country. Appalachian State saw a way for Parker to play right away.

“We applied for a waiver; we got denied,” Parker said. “We applied for another one. It got denied. By that time, the season had just started, so games were going on and we applied for another one. That third one got denied as well. It was like six games in. We tried to do an appeal for the waiver, and that one got denied. So I got denied a total of four times. It was definitely real hard. It was definitely tough for me — just kind of not really knowing the reason why. The NCAA doesn’t give a reason why. They just say, ‘No, it’s denied.’ Everyone was getting approved except me.”

Then on Dec. 16, the NCAA declared all transfers eligible. It had previously announced this season wouldn’t count against anyone’s eligibility. That means Parker has two seasons remaining after this one if he chooses to stay in school for five years.

Parker made his Appalachian State debut on Dec. 17 in the team’s seventh game. He had 10 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes. He averaged 1.8 points and 1.4 assists in 17.3 minutes per game. He saw his playing time decline in the Sun Belt tournament but still enjoyed the ride and reveled in the championship.

“I just do whatever is asked,” Parker said. “Just kind of be that leader off the court if I’m not on the court. We’ve got a few older guys, but we’ve also got some young guys, so I’m just kind of helping them. This is my first experience, so it’s not like I can give them any tips or anything about March Madness. But I’m embracing the moment and cherishing the opportunity we’re going to have.”

Parker expected his parents, Toni and Yelvis and his brother Demond, who’s an assistant coach at Cedarville University on Pat Estepp’s staff, to come to Indiana to watch him play, though with all the players in the NCAA tournament stuck in a bubble of sorts as they follow COVID-19 protocols, they won’t get to visit him.

“I’ll just kind of see them from afar when they come to the game,” Parker said. “That’s about it. I don’t think I’ll be able to go up to them and hug them after or anything like that.”

Demond helped his brother during the transfer process and remembers many late nights talking about the decision, which was made harder because Deshon wasn’t able to visit schools during the pandemic. He treasures the two seasons they played together at Wayne and said he’s proud of what his little brother has accomplished this season.

“I’m so glad he’s finally seeing his goals and dreams come true,” Demond said.