(8-1-21) The Next Big Thing in high school boys basketball this coming season is St. Marys’ (Jr 6’10 240) Austin Parks.
As a Sophomore last season Parks average 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds…shooting 57.8 percent from the field. He was a 2nd team All-Western Buckeye League selection this past season.
Parks will be a Junior this year for the Roughriders. But this past off-season he has taken a huge advantage during the AAU basketball season playing with the Ohio Buckets Turf. Although he was getting offers during the winter, D I majors are taking a lot of interest in Parks.
Parks is the top post player and a top five prospect in Ohio for the 2023 class according to many recruiting services. In June he received an offer from Ohio State.
Ohio U., Toledo, Dayton and Cincinnati other Ohio schools to offer. Out of state offers include Indiana and West Virginia
What the scouts say…Triple Double Prospects
Austin Parks – ’23 C St. Mary’s Memorial: He might not have any reported scholarship offers yet, but the time will come soon where Parks will be one of the most sought after big men in the region in the 2023 class; that’s how talented the rising junior post from small-town Northwest Ohio is! First of all, Parks is a big, big boy at a wide-shouldered 6’10. Second, Parks moves pretty well for that size. Third, he’s skilled and tough enough to be very productive at a young age; including leading his Ohio Buckets-Turf team to a huge win over All-Ohio Red on Saturday, in which Parks quickly became the talk of the tournament in Fort Wayne. Parks is only starting to scratch the surface of his exposure, and even though it might be easy for college coaches to overlook him in the age of perimeter-based positionless basketball, Parks is in our eyes a no-brainer for the NCAA D1 level where his size and productiveness makes him a niche player in the modern game.
2023 C Austin Parks (St. Marys) – Quietly becoming one of the top prospects, particularly at his position in Ohio’s 2023 class. He’s a big body, who has good feet, and improving hands at this point in his development. Was really impressive passing the ball out of the mid-post, and finding the open man. Gives first and second efforts around the rim, can score through contact, and in a multitude of ways around the basket. Delivered a pair of big time two-handed jams, on his way to a team-high 15 points in this one. Has a soft touch, capable of knocking down mid-range shots. Rebounds his area well and with strength, solid defensively anchoring the post. Certainly a promising prospect who should eventually find his way with a D1 program down the road.
Jake Meisler, his coach with the Ohio Buckets told The Daily Hoosier:
“He’s a big body for a 16-year-old. He’s a legitimate 6-10 and he has a 7-foot wingspan. And the thing with Austin compared to any other player that size is his mobility and athleticism. He moves very well for that size. He has a great skill set. He’s very athletic, he pops off the floor. He’s kind of a throwback big man in that he’s got the size and the athleticism.”
Can a big man from Auglaize County play at the D I level?
Yes…New Knoxville’s Evan Eschmeyer proved that…at all levels.
Eschmeyer grew up dreaming of playing as a professional. His countless hours on the court during high school in New Knoxville, Ohio, paid off when Northwestern offered him a scholarship in 1993. At Northwestern the 6-foot-11 Eschmeyer earned All-America honors and led the Wildcats to a spot in the National Invitation Tournament. He also made it to the NBA with the New Jersey Nets (2nd round draftr choice) before he retired due to injuries.
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