Player profile: Juwan Parker

Photo Credit:  247sports.com

Previously:  Nemanja Djurisic 
Previously:  J.J. Frazier 
Previously:  Osahen Iduwe 
Previously:  Cameron Forte 
Previously:  Kenny Paul Geno 
Previously:  Houston Kessler 
Previously:  Dusan Langura 
Previously:  Brandon Young 

Juwan Parker

Height:  6'4"
Weight:  200
Position: G/F
Year:  Sophomore
Role:  Brandon Morris

Overview:  So we've reached the final five players (barring any late transfers) for the 2014-15 Georgia Bulldogs.

Juwan Parker came all the way from Tulsa, Oklahoma to play his college ball in Athens, and it's possible to find him rated anywhere from a 2 star (ESPN) to a 4 star (247sports) shooting guard coming out of high school.  Parker was a two time All-State player, and was actually a nice get for Mark Fox, choosing Georgia over schools like Memphis and Stanford.

His freshman season was a mixed bag, seeing him break double figures only twice while struggling to find any shooting touch from the field and giving Fox few reasons to put him on the court in front of Kenny Gaines.  His free throw shooting (79%) was a bright spot, but his 29% field goal shooting and 19% 3-point shooting leave a lot of room for improvement.

Expectations:  Does the fact that I have Juwan as the fifth most impactful Georgia player mean I think he'll start?  No, at least not right off the bat.  His natural position just happens to be manned by Kenny Gaines, someone who probably isn't going to cede his starting role until he graduates.

However, you'll notice I added '/F' to his position above.  Small forward may not be a perfect fit, but the *ahem* departure of Brandon Morris might make it a necessity.  In fact, Morris' dismissal, while far from ideal, opens up some interesting rotation possibilities for Coach Fox.  Parker isn't huge, but against smaller teams or lineups he may be called upon to play a little outside of his comfort zone, and while there may be a size disadvantage at the defensive end, that should turn into a quickness advantage on the other side of the court.

I am, of course, being a bit facetious when I tag his role as "Brandon Morris," but he is going to have to shoulder some of the scoring burden that Morris can no longer lighten.  At his best, Parker looks like a guy with a nose for the basket and no fear of contact.  Assuming the shots fall a little more often this year (and how could they not?), Parker should absolutely contend for Most Improved Bulldog by the end of the season.

Areas for Improvement:  Shooting, obviously.  Get the field goal percentage into the 40's and the 3-point percentage into the 30's.  Nudge the free throw percentage up into the 80's.  Do all of that, and keep the assist-turnover ratio about where it is (3 assists for every 2 turnovers), and Juwan will be cooking with gas.

Thing I Learned About Juwan From GeorgiaDogs.com:  If he doesn't dunk in warmups, he plays poorly.  Uh oh.

2014-15 Stats I Could Get Excited About:  7.3/3.2/1.6 points/rebounds/assists per game.

Let's go Juwan, and let's go Dawgs!