Poythress, Parker plan visit

Top prospects Tony Parker and Alex Poythress are teammates on the AAU circuit, and in late October, they’ll explore the possibility of sticking together as they head into college. John Watson of Scout.com reported Sunday that Poythress, 6-foot-7, and Parker, 6-foot-9, will take their official recruiting visits to Duke together on the weekend of Oct. 29-30.

The duo plays together for the Georgia Stars on the club circuit, and both rank in the top 50 on ESPN’s national recruiting rankings for the class of 2012. Poythress, a small forward from Northeast High School in Clarksville, Tenn., checks in at No. 17, and Parker, a 270-pound power forward from Lithonia, Ga.’s Miller Grove High School, ranks 31st.

Poythress’ athleticism gives him considerable upside, and he could become a skilled, versatile combo forward to augment the Blue Devil attack. Poythress has trimmed his list to Duke and four other schools—Florida, Kentucky, Memphis and Vanderbilt.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski may have committed a secondary recruiting violation in contacting Poythress between tournaments in July to offer him a scholarship, but that seems not to have affected the forward’s interest in the Blue Devils. After the team returned from its trip to China and Dubai, Krzyzewski said that the situation had not yet been resolved.

Despite Poythress’ obvious talent, Duke may need Parker more desperately. With Miles Plumlee entering his final season, and Mason Plumlee a candidate to depart for the NBA after his junior year, the Blue Devils could end up extremely short on the interior. Parker’s wide frame would go a long way toward solving those issues, and he has supplemented his good hands with an improved defensive game. Parker is still reportedly considering five schools aside from Duke­—Georgetown, Kentucky, Ohio State, Memphis and UCLA—and has expressed a desire to matriculate alongside fellow top recruit Kyle Anderson, whom the Blue Devils are not believed to be recruiting.

Still, the visit will serve as a crucial step in the recruitment of both players, and the Blue Devils can certainly benefit from following up this year’s strong recruiting class with another talented group.