UCLA Signs De'End Parker to a National Letter of Intent

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UCLA Signs De'End Parker to a National Letter of Intent

The sophomore guard made the game-winning tip-in to lead CCSF to the State title.

The Official UCLA Men's Basketball website
April 13, 2011


LOS ANGELES - UCLA head coach Ben Howland announced today the signing of De'End Parker to a National Letter of Intent to attend UCLA in the fall of 2011.

Parker, a 6-foot-6-inch, 215-pound guard out of San Francisco, Calif., (Lincoln High School), will be a junior next season after transferring from City College of San Francisco where he played for head coach Justin Labagh.

Parker joins the early signing class, which consisted of Norman Powell, a 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound guard out of San Diego, Calif., and Lincoln High School.

"We are extremely excited about De'End Parker joining our basketball program and family," Howland said. "He will give us immediate help as a transfer with the loss of our starting wings (Malcolm Lee and Tyler Honeycutt). He is a very good athlete and a great competitor, but most of all, he is an outstanding young man that will represent UCLA to our expectations in all aspects. He's a great kid and has been very well coached."

Parker averaged 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game as a sophomore this past year at CCSF. He shot 43.0 percent from three-point range while guiding the Rams to their first State title in 49 years (since 1962). Parker's tip-in with less than three seconds left gave CCSF an 83-81 victory over Citrus College in the 2011 California Community College Athletic Association championship game. The Rams finished the season 32-1 overall and ended the year on a 27-game winning streak. He was named as the Coast Conference Co- Most Valuable Player (with teammate Jonathon Williams), leading his squad to a league title and a 12-0 mark. The Rams were 29-5 in his freshman season, as he led CCSF to a 61-6 record in his two seasons.

"When UCLA offered me a scholarship, I was really excited, and I knew it was a no-brainer after speaking with my family," Parker said. "I have spoken to the UCLA coaches and know that I can come in and make an immediate impact. I'm excited about getting the opportunity to play because my natural position is on the wing as an off-guard. UCLA produces the most NBA players and I'm very thankful to have the chance to come in and compete."

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UCLA, USC each sign one men's basketball player

Bruins land guard De'End Parker, a transfer from City College of San Francisco, and Trojans get Greg Allen, a guard from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas.

By Ben Bolch and Mike Hiserman
The Los Angeles Times
6:10 PM PDT, April 13, 2011



UCLA and USC each announced the signing of one player Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA regular signing period for men's basketball.

At UCLA, the signing marked De'End of an era.

After going 23 years between noteworthy junior college transfers, the Bruins on Wednesday signed De'End Parker, a 6-foot-6 guard from City College of San Francisco who will become the second junior college player on their roster.

Junior guard Lazeric Jones, a transfer from John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill., averaged 9.1 points for UCLA last season and was the only player to start every game.

The last junior college player to make a significant impact for the Bruins before Jones was Jack Haley during the 1986-87 season.

Parker averaged 12 points, six rebounds and five assists last season for San Francisco, which won the California Community College Athletic Assn. title in March. He shot 43% from three-point range and will help fill the void at shooting guard and small forward created by the departures of Malcolm Lee and Tyler Honeycutt.

"When UCLA offered me a scholarship, I was really excited, and I knew it was a no-brainer after speaking with my family," Parker, who had initially committed to California, said in a statement. " … I know that I can come in and make an immediate impact."

Parker, the youngest of seven children, received his first name during birth when his mother decided her childbearing days were over.

USC signed Greg Allen, a 6-3 guard from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. He averaged 11.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals and shot nearly 40% from three-point range. Allen originally signed with Creighton out of Eureka (Calif.) High in 2009, but he never enrolled there. He averaged 25.1 points as a high school senior.

"He has the ability to shoot the ball and defend the opposition's best player, which will be important and allow him to make an immediate impact on our program," USC Coach Kevin O'Neill said.

USC's incoming class of recruits also includes wing Byron Wesley from Etiwanda High, guard Alexis Moore of Long Beach Poly and center James Blasczyk of Lee College in Baytown, Texas, who each signed in the early signing period.

The Trojans should also have forwards Dewayne Dedmon and Aaron Fuller. Dedmon transferred from Antelope Valley College and Fuller from Iowa.

UCLA signed Norman Powell, a 6-3 guard from San Diego Lincoln High in the early signing period, and have David and Travis Wear, 6-10 twins who sat out last season after transferring from North Carolina.


For more on new Bruin De'End Parker, see earlier blogpost (link).