ACC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

9. Jabari Parker

One of the top prospects in the high school class of 2013, Parker is a 6’8 forward from Chicago who made his way to Duke, playing his college days with Coach K, himself a native of Chicago. An impactful frontcourt weapon and elite prospect, Parker spent just his freshman season with the Blue Devils before heading to the NBA, but he did some pretty great work in that lone season.

Duke’s top scorer and rebounder, Parker averaged 19.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, scoring at least 20 points in the first seven games of his career. Parker was a decent shooter from outside the arc and had a number of standout efforts, including a 29-point, 16-rebound affair at Boston College in early February. Unfortunately, his Blue Devils were upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Mercer, a sour end to a season full of double-doubles and great games.

The ACC’s best rebounder, Parker was named a First Team All-American and ACC Rookie of the Year for this fantastic season. He was one of the finalists for the Wooden Award and lived up to his preseason billing even if the team fell short of their lofty goals. He was off to the NBA and became the 2nd pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, but was still a mega-weapon at Duke in his short time in college.