Monday was a good day for Gophers men’s basketball recruit Parker Jefferson.
Gophers recruit Parker Jefferson has big MLK Day with his first career triple-double
Parker Jefferson, a 6-10 senior, had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the win for Inglewood (Calif.).
The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 23, 2025 at 5:41PM
The 6-10 Inglewood High School senior put on a show for fans watching the MLK Showcase in Southern California with his first career triple-double.
Jefferson’s 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists helped to lead Inglewood to 92-90 victory over Los Alamitos. His first double-figure assist game also came with just two turnovers.
“About time,” Jefferson joked. “Felt great. I had six assists in the first half, so I had a feeling it would be that type of game. I’ve never had that many in a single game.”
Inglewood, led by Jefferson and five-star junior guard Jason Crowe, has won 11 straight games. What’s been the secret to success besides a rare triple-double from their big man?
“I think just understanding that it all starts with our defense,” said Jefferson, who had his senior night Wednesday. “And we’ve learned to trust each other and the coaches more and more every game.”
Jefferson’s been watching the Gophers closely this season. He was excited to see them pick up their first Big Ten win last week with a thrilling overtime game against Michigan on Dawson Garcia’s buzzer-beater.
“It was insane!” Jefferson said before his future team won Tuesday at Iowa. “Just the right kind of win we needed.”
Gophers coach Ben Johnson and his coaching staff showed Jefferson videos of great passing big men in the NBA, including Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, the triple-double king.
“He can do everything on the perimeter that you want in a big in terms of dribble, pass and shoot,” Johnson said earlier about Jefferson. “He’s an unbelievable passer. He sees it. He’s got a great feel for the game.”
Johnson and Minnesota’s staff were late in Jefferson’s recruitment because they didn’t really pursue him until watching Southern California players in the fall.
“The minute I saw him I was like, ‘Can we get him?’” Johnson said. “When you watch him play with that size and that feel, [it fits] with the way we play and how we want to move offensively. It’s great anytime you can get a big that has that type skill, can pass and can step out to three and stretch the floor.
“He’s a competitor. He’s a dude who cares about winning and cares about competing. He loves the game. Those are the kids we want to continue to recruit.”
The Gophers signed Jefferson in November with 6-6 wing Jacob Ross from SoCal Academy and 6-5 guard Kai Shinholster from Philadelphia Penn Charter.
Ross and Shinholster also had a big weekend by being named top performers in games in the MLK Classic on the East Coast on Saturday.
It’s that time of year, but up next for Minnesota is a two-game series at first place Michigan State.
