So to be clear at the outset, I have zero "insider information" about Parker Fox from a recruiting standpoint. But, I know a good amount about him as a kid/young man and his family as well as his playing history. I coached Parker during his 14U AAU season with the MN Magic, after which he went with the Heat who had a pretty comparable squad to ours. Little bit different system, and he had a good connection with their coach that I think, in many ways, resembled him during his own stellar D3 career at UST (Connor Nord). I maintained a good relationship with his family through the following couple of years in the hopes of luring him back; he just had a great bond with Connor, and the Fox family values relationships to their credit.
Parker might be the most incredibly huge late bloomer I've ever had the opportunity to encounter in my past coaching days (which are paused due to little children at home). When I coached him, he "looked like he could grow," but he was an extremely scrawny/wiry combo GUARD with a streaky (but good overall) 3 point shot. He had some spring but often needed to be in the open to use it due to a lack of strength. Between spring of his 8th grade year and the end of high school, I think he grew upwards of about 10 inches if not more, and he filled out a ton comparatively. And, he's filled out a ton during college compared to high school. (Yes, that tells you how incredible his late blooming proved to be since he's still not "huge"). His 16U AAU team was probably around the 8th to 10th best in the state that year, and he didn't even consistently start for them yet at that time. By the end of his senior year of high school, he was a local star. I think his redshirt year then paid big dividends from what I can tell, and he's improved every single year since.
I would be absolutely shocked if he isn't grad transferring. He's a redshirt junior, and he was always an excellent student to my knowledge. His dad is an elementary school principal, and his mom is a teacher. Grade AAA family with good values. If Parker is saying he's interested in the MN hometown opportunity, there's authenticity behind it. He can be a little fiery and emotional, but that's mostly but he's a phenomenal teammate an extremely high character kid. I'd be so happy for him if the Gopher fit comes to fruition, and people would love watching him play.
