It’s far from a hidden secret: Pitt’s basketball roster needs size. And at 6-foot-8 inches, 240 pounds, Springfield (MA) Commonwealth Academy power forward Arashma Parks has plenty of it. Parks visited on Saturday and watched the Panthers matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
“I started talking to Pitt before my season, sometime in October,” said Parks. “Coach (Dan) Cage has been my main contact. He set up my visit yesterday. Pitt said they need me mainly for rebounding and getting put backs, which I do really well. I believe I could be a great fit for the Panthers.”
Parks currently has scholarship offers from Fordham, Townson, Saint Louis, Massachusetts and Manhattan. He’s receiving heavy interest from Pitt, Florida, Saint Louis, St. Joe’s, Temple and Fordham.
“We started off by seeing the new court then the new facilities. We walked around and saw all of the changes they [the coaching staff] have made since arriving at Pitt,” he said. “They said they needed rebounding and more size on the team.”
When asked about his strengths on the basketball court, he stated, “I’m a true back to the basket player. I rebound well and I can score. I can get put backs as well.”
Parks was asked specifically about his feelings on the Panthers. He replied, “I would say, if they do offer, they would be very high on my list. Even though there currently isn’t an offer on the table, they are recruiting me pretty hard. I talk with Coach Cage every day. He has nothing but positive things to say to me. He’s always talking with me about my game and telling me things I can do to improve it. He’s always telling me to get in the gym and never stop working.”
“Pitt is close to home for me. It allows my family to see me player. They are very high on my list. I talked with many of the players yesterday and they are pretty chilled guy and welcomed me with open arms. They told me Pitt is it and it’s a great place to play basketball.”
Pitt will watch Parks play on January 15th at a high level tournament called Hoop Hall. They will make a determination on a scholarship offer shortly after.
Harry G. Psaros can be found on Twitter at @PittGuru
