Jabari Parker recruiting: Simeon forward likely only to give verbal commitment in fall

Simeon High star Jabari Parker will in all likelihood only be making a verbal commitment to his school of choice this fall. Parker has five official visits scheduled before the early signing period closes on Nov. 21.

Parker is scheduled to visit Stanford from Nov. 18-20, so unless he decides on a school early and forgoes the remainder of his schedule, he will have only one day to make a decision within the fall signing window. Parker is also scheduled to visit Michigan State, Duke, Florida and BYU, his other four finalists.

Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal spoke to Simeon coach Robert Smith on Tuesday. Smith thinks that even if Parker only issues a verbal commitment in the fall, that will be his final decision:

"Once he makes a decision I know that’s going to be it," Simeon coach Robert Smith said Tuesday. "That’s not how he or his family operates.

"I told him, if you get to a place where your heart is in it and you feel like this is the place for me, then there’s no sense in taking those other visits, if this is how you feel. … Make sure you choose what is going to be best for you."

Parker will be visiting Michigan State this coming weekend. Spartans coach Tom Izzo and assistant Dwayne Stephens visited Simeon High Tuesday to make final plans for the weekend.