After making her official visit to campus last weekend, top women's basketball recruit Candace Parker says that Duke remains high on her short list of schools.
"I really liked my visit," Parker said. "The team is awesome, the coaching staff is great, and the area is great."
The Naperville, Ill. native--who is also considering DePaul, Texas and Tennessee--is rated the No. 1 prospect in what is generally regarded as one of the deepest women's basketball classes ever.
At 6-foot-3, she has the strength and quickness to play any position on the floor. Her stellar all-around game is reflected in her well-balanced numbers as a junior at Naperville Central high school: 24.3 points, 14.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 3.4 steals and 2.9 blocks per game.
Although an ACL injury has sidelined Parker for several months, it has not slowed the recruiting efforts of Duke or any other top women's program in the country.
Parker stayed with current Blue Devil freshman Alison Bales, who she has known since high school, and she enjoyed the company of fellow recruit Wanisha Smith, a consensus top-15 prospect who also made her official visit last weekend.
"Alison and I have been friends since freshman year of high school, so it was great to stay with her," Parker said. "It was also fun to have Wanisha there; she's a blast."
One of the highlights of Parker's weekend was the annual Blue-White scrimmage, which showcased the Cameron Crazies for the potential future Blue Devil.
"It was crazy, a lot of fun," Parker said of the game. "The Cameron Crazies were awesome, especially since it was just a scrimmage. It really showed the support for basketball here."
The 2003 Naismith High School Player of the Year also watched the women practice over the weekend, and she was impressed with both the players and the coaches.
"It was good to see them in action and see what the game is like on the college level," she said. "I really admire the relationship that [Coach Goestenkors] has with her players, and it was great to get to know the team."
Parker, who is potentially interested in studying medicine, also got a chance to meet with some Duke doctors and faculty members during her visit to campus.
"I knew that Duke's pre-med program was great, but it was really nice to get a chance to meet some people," she said. "The relationship between the medical doctors and the basketball team is great."
After making one more official college visit next weekend, Parker plans to take a week to think about her choices and announce her decision on Sunday, Nov. 9th.
"I have one more visit to take, and it's going to be a tough decision," she said. "I want to take some time to think about it, but Duke is definitely right there after this weekend."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.