The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530878
28 ■ THE WOLFPACKER SHOW STOPPER Dunking Made Trey Parker An Internet Sensation, But His Real Passion Is Defense T BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN rey Parker is used to cameras rising from photographers' laps, ready to capture the mo- ment when the ball is in his hands. He's become accus- tomed to the bated breath of those in the gym as he makes his way to the rim. The reactions after he finishes with an elaborate dunk? Those never get old. So, when he hit the floor for NC State's annual preseason dunk contest to conclude its Primetime with the Pack festivities inside Reynolds Coliseum, Parker felt at home. The freshman guard knows how to put on a show, which he did in his first performance in front of NC State's fan base. Parker positioned 6-foot-10 senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield be- hind 6-9 junior forward Ismaël Diouf and added NC State's mascot, Mr. Wuf, to create a three-man line right outside the restricted area under the basket. Yet again, the bouncy guard made it look like he was hitting a layup. Parker cleared all three with ease, finishing with the ball in his right hand and powering it through the rim. While Parker brought the Old Barn to its feet, it isn't the first-year player's entire identity. Yes, he put himself on the global stage with viral dunks grow- ing up, but Parker is determined to prove he's more than that. He showed it as a top-150 recruit out of high school, and now the goal is to do the same at the col- legiate level. "When you see him play, he's not as flashy as he is when you see him on the internet," NC State coach Kevin Keatts said during the preseason. "He's a good basketball player. What I wanted from Trey is to be more of a basketball player than a guy who's about Instagram and Snapchat. "He's a freshman, but he's a talented basketball player who will bring a lot of value to our program." 'Showtime' Parker remembers driving down the court with a defender in front of him. The next thing he knew, the crowd watching this fifth-grade boys' basket- ball game at Freedom Christian Acad- emy in Fayetteville, N.C., was on the playing surface in the middle of the game. What happened in between? The birth of "Showtime." Parker, who has always seemed to have springs for legs, put that very de- fender on a poster with a dunk over top of him. At first, Parker thought he'd hit a layup. Then he realized why the crowd reacted the way it did. "It was just crazy," Parker said with a smile, recalling that moment. "I didn't even know I dunked it. I turned around and saw everybody on the court. I'm like, 'What's going on?' It was just crazy." From that moment on, Parker was able to turn heads with his dunking abil- ity. By the time he reached high school, numerous clips of his dunks had gone viral. His brand grew, and so did the at- tention. Parker's highlight-reel finishes gener- ated hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, including one video that cur- rently has been seen more than 4 million times. The spotlight was on Parker each time he took the floor. Whether it was in warmups or mid-game, those in atten- dance always expected a showstopping dunk. "When my first dunk went viral, it was like, 'OK, I'm here now,'" Parker said. "You've just got to go along with it. I adjusted to it, and it went more and more and more [viral]." Eventually, the Fayetteville native had more than 500,000 followers on Insta- gram. He embraced the attention, view- ing it as an opportunity to inspire others. "I just like putting on for the kids," Parker said. "When I was a kid, seeing everybody grow up, there were people that did make it and didn't make it. I just want to be the person that makes it for the kids, because all the kids look up to me." Growing As A Freshman There's more to "Showtime Trey" than just his high-flying dunks. He'll be the first to tell you. He could always score on all three levels, but defense re- mains his favorite part of the sport. "My defense makes my offense," Parker said. "If I get a stop on defense, I know I'm going to score. Defense makes me happy. I love defense." Parker, who spent his senior season and a prep year at Overtime Elite, im- pressed against the top-level talent he faced while with the Atlanta-based program. Playing with the Cold Hearts, Parker averaged 10.3 points, 4.3 re- bounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals during his final season. That prep year helped Parker get ready for the collegiate level. His basketball habits improved, and so did his focus. It all paid off once he arrived at NC State. Parker was one of three freshmen to join the Pack this season and he has seen the most usage of the trio. He aver- aged 4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1 assist in 12.8 minutes through the Wolfpack's first 11 games, including a start against BYU over Thanksgiving. The biggest adjustment for Parker was becoming a true point guard. He was used to having the ball in his hands in high school, but the offense was built around his ability to score. Now he's growing comfortable with running plays Parker saw action in 10 of NC State's first 11 games, averaging just under 13 minutes and earning a start versus BYU on Nov. 29. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS