University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Ink Parker Jefferson to 2025-26 Roster
11/21/2024 10:24:00 AM | Men's Basketball
University of Minnesota men's basketball coach Ben Johnson has announced the addition of Parker Jefferson (Waxahachie, Texas) to the 2025-26 roster. He joins Jacob Ross and Kai Shinholster, all three of which announced their commitment in the November signing period. All three will join the Golden Gopher program in the summer of 2025.
"We're really excited to add Parker Jefferson to our program," head coach Ben Johnson said. "From the minute we saw Parker play, we knew he would be a perfect fit, especially from the big position. He's got a great basketball IQ, is a great passer, and a guy you can play through to stretch out the defense. Those three qualities are ideal for how we want to play. The more we got to know him, we love his personality, his competitive spirit and his toughness. Parker is going to have a great impact on our program in the near future."
Jefferson, a 6-foot, 10-inch forward, played three years at Waxahachie High School (Texas) before transferring to Inglewood High School (Calif.) his senior season. Jefferson also played AAU basketball with Team Griffin and Real Run. Jefferson scored over 1,000 career points during his three-year tenure with Waxahachie by his junior year. As a junior, Jefferson averaged 16.7 points and 9.5 rebounds. He was named the 11-6A Most Valuable Player for his efforts and led the team to a district championship. In that junior year, Jefferson was also named The Holiday Classic's All-Tournament selection, averaging 22.8 points. Jefferson averaged 12.8 points and 5.7 rebounds as a sophomore and 15 points and 9 rebounds per game as a freshman.
Jefferson is listed as a four-star recruit from ESPN and a three-star recruit from 247Sports and Rivals. He will join the rest of his family as Division I athletes. His parents, Mike and Carrie, played football and basketball at Arkansas. His brother, Michael, played basketball at Iona, while his sister, Kaylee, played at Sam Houston State.
"We're really excited to add Parker Jefferson to our program," head coach Ben Johnson said. "From the minute we saw Parker play, we knew he would be a perfect fit, especially from the big position. He's got a great basketball IQ, is a great passer, and a guy you can play through to stretch out the defense. Those three qualities are ideal for how we want to play. The more we got to know him, we love his personality, his competitive spirit and his toughness. Parker is going to have a great impact on our program in the near future."
Jefferson, a 6-foot, 10-inch forward, played three years at Waxahachie High School (Texas) before transferring to Inglewood High School (Calif.) his senior season. Jefferson also played AAU basketball with Team Griffin and Real Run. Jefferson scored over 1,000 career points during his three-year tenure with Waxahachie by his junior year. As a junior, Jefferson averaged 16.7 points and 9.5 rebounds. He was named the 11-6A Most Valuable Player for his efforts and led the team to a district championship. In that junior year, Jefferson was also named The Holiday Classic's All-Tournament selection, averaging 22.8 points. Jefferson averaged 12.8 points and 5.7 rebounds as a sophomore and 15 points and 9 rebounds per game as a freshman.
Jefferson is listed as a four-star recruit from ESPN and a three-star recruit from 247Sports and Rivals. He will join the rest of his family as Division I athletes. His parents, Mike and Carrie, played football and basketball at Arkansas. His brother, Michael, played basketball at Iona, while his sister, Kaylee, played at Sam Houston State.
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