This week on The Blue Zone we will be running down the top three performances from the 2013-2014 season of each of the departing Blue Devils. Today, we take a look at Jabari Parker.
Jabari Parker, Forward, Freshman
3) Jan. 22, 2014 at Miami: Parker showed exactly how dominant he can be in the paint in this matchup against the Hurricanes during which he collected 15 rebounds. Six of those boards came on the offensive glass and gave the Blue Devils opportunities to earn second-chance points. Parker also led Duke defensively with three big blocks, helping his team surrender only 46 points to the Hurricanes—a season-low for the Blue Devils. Although Parker was always an incredible offensive threat, it was when he was at the top of his game defensively that he truly looked like an NBA-ready player. Duke won 67-46, with the Chicago native facilitating a 42-28 edge for the Blue Devils on the boards and scoring 17 points in front of NBA superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
2) Feb. 8, 2014 at Boston College: The freshman phenom was a freak in Duke's 89-68 rout of Boston College in Chestnut Hill. Without hitting a single three-pointer, Parker scored 29 points for the Blue Devils and grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds. He added an assist and three blocks for good measure. With Parker controlling the interior against the Eagles, teammate Quinn Cook and the rest of Duke’s guards were able to get loose on the perimeter, knocking down 11 3-pointers. This was an incredible performance for Parker, but it was still not his greatest of the year.
1) March 8, 2014. North Carolina: Parker saved his best performance at Cameron Indoor Stadium for last. In a ruckus environment, Parker scored a season-high 30 points against Duke’s most-hated rival and added 11 rebounds to collect his 14th and final double-double of the season. With Rodney Hood also having one of his best games of the season, the Tar Heel defense was on its heels throughout the game. The final memory of Parker playing in Cameron will be a sweet one for Blue Devil fans, as Duke won 93-81.
Check out the top performances of the other players we've already covered this week: Rodney Hood; Tyler Thornton; Andre Dawkins; Josh Hairston; Todd Zafirovski
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