PROJECTED 2009-2010 ARIZONA LINEUP
The UA lineup next season could look this way if Kevin Parrom signs with the Wildcats. *Wise is testing his NBA draft status without hiring an agent. **Shumpert is a walk-on who received a scholarship last year.
| POSITION |
STARTER |
ROTATION PLAYER |
| Point guard |
*Nic Wise, senior |
Garland Judkins, sophomore; Brendon Lavender, sophomore |
| Shooting guard |
Kevin Parrom, freshman |
Hill; Kyle Fogg, sophomore |
| Center |
Kyryl Natyazhko, freshman |
Alex Jacobson, sophomore |
| Power forward |
Jamelle Horne, junior |
Natyazhko |
| Small forward |
Solomon Hill, freshman |
Parrom; **D.J. Shumpert, sophomore |
After Xavier lost its Sweet 16 game to Pitt in March, Sean Miller was asked by the Cincinnati media about his thoughts of having to replace seniors C.J. Anderson and B.J. Raymond.
Let’s backtrack first: Raymond was one of Miller’s first recruits as head coach at Xavier in 2004. Anderson transferred from Manhattan for the 2007-2008 season, the same season Book Richardson was hired from New York City to be an assistant under Miller.
Raymond and Anderson, both 6-6 and 225 pound combo guard-forwards, combined to average 24 points and 9.6 rebounds in 35 games this season. Anderson was aggressive, going to the line for a team-high 173 free-throw attempts. Raymond was more finesse, leading the Musketeers with 84 three-pointers.
Knowing each of their capabilities, and what they meant to Xavier’s team as seniors, Miller indicated to the Cincinnati media that he signed an incoming recruit who reminds him of both: Kevin Parrom of South Kent (Conn.) Prep.
“He is a combination of B.J. and C.J. … who can do a little bit of everything,” said Miller, who at the time was allowed to comment on the prospect because Parrom signed a national letter of intent with Xavier.
Considering what Raymond and Anderson meant to that program, Miller’s assessment of Parrom’s capability speaks volumes.
Now fast-forward: Friday morning, Parrom will step off a plane at the Tucson International Airport and greet Miller and Richardson far away from South Kent, his Bronx home, and Cincinnati. His recruitment starts all over again in a much different place. His official visit to the UA campus this weekend will allow him to reacquaint himself with Miller and Richardson, a pair he trusted enough the first time around.
After selling Parrom on Xavier’s promise as a program of the future, Miller and Richardson will educate the young player about the Wildcats’ rich tradition and what it means to represent those who wore “ARIZONA” on their chest before him. He has gone from being a player who can light Xavier’s fire, to one with the potentially important role of carrying the torch from his UA predecessors.
Parrom, also a 6-6 combination guard-forward who is listed at 200 pounds, finds himself in an ideal recruiting situation where the program needs him as much as he needs the program. Can the same thing be said of Parrom’s outlook with Pitt, the other school competing for his services?
Pitt returns three perimeter and wing players (Jermaine Dixon, Gilbert Brown and Brad Wanamaker) who fit Parrom’s description. They each logged at least 19 minutes a game this season. Pitt has already signed 6-5 forward Lamar Patterson.
And the Panthers, who have one scholarship to give, are awaiting the decision of Kavon Lytch, a power forward from Midland (Texas) JC by way of New York City. Lytch visited Pitt last weekend before Parrom visited there. Lytch is expected to take a visit to Cincinnati soon before making a decision.
With Zane Johnson transferring out of the UA program, the Wildcats only return Kyle Fogg (24.1 minutes per game) at the off-guard position. Incoming freshman Solomon Hill will be asked to carry the load on the wing and as an occasional ball-handler.
This opens the probability that Parrom will be asked to “do a little bit of everything,” from playing on the wing to positioning inside. According to Van Coleman, the lead talent scout for Hoopmasters.com, Parrom “has good range on his jumper and is a physical finisher off the dribble. He has tools to be a real stopper at the collegiate level.”
The words “physical finisher” and “real stopper” indicates Parrom could also lend some intangible qualities to the UA. The Wildcats, now more than ever, need Parrom’s aggressive style and tough mental approach.
The overriding factor: Will Parrom be comfortable enough in Tucson to be thousands of miles from the East coast? Jarrid Famous, who prepped in Florida before playing at Westchester (N.Y.) Community College, committed to South Florida the night he returned from his UA recruiting visit because he did not want to play far from his family in Florida.
The official distance between the Bronx and Tucson is listed at 2126 miles. That may be 2126 reasons why Parrom considers Pitt more than Arizona.
The UA’s best answer to that: Richardson is from Queens, N.Y., and he uprooted his family to move to Tucson because he is thinking about his future. Miller, who ironically attended Pitt, welcomes coaching far from his Pennsylvania roots because of the prestige of the Arizona program.
Their theme: To get ahead in life, sometimes you have to move out of your comfort zone and create a new one through your mental toughness, skills and diligent work.
We should find out by the middle of next week if Parrom subscribes to that theory as well.
A popular topic of discussion among Arizona fans — among Pac-10 fans, among college football fans — is how their conference is doing against other conferences.
