Simeon junior Jabari Parker was named the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year on Thursday during an announcement at his school in Chicago.
The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 19.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.3 blocks and 1.4 steals while leading Simeon (33-1) to its third straight Class 4A state title this season. Last month, he was named Mr. Basketball of Illinois, the first junior to win the statewide vote in the award’s 32-year history. Rated the No. 1 junior in the country, Parker has not decided on a college.
Parker is now in the running for Gatorade’s Athlete of the Year, which is chosen from the national players of the year in 12 sports. The Athlete of the Year award is presented at a ceremony prior to the ESPY awards in Los Angeles in July.
