The rise of Dennis Parker Jr.: From the YMCA basketball court to NC State  

As an 8-year-old, Dennis Parker Jr. tagged along with his father as he played at the local YMCA in Richmond, Va., every Friday night. The young basketball mind watched from the sidelines as the older players played game after game for almost three hours each week. He’d watch them play, but at the end of the night, it would be Parker Jr.’s turn to jump in against players that ranged from 20-40 years old. For Parker Jr., who was in elementary school, it was a trial by fire. Parker Jr. stood at 5-10 at the time, so he “met the height requirement to check some guards,” Parker Sr. recalled. While he had the skills to hang in there with the older players, Parker Jr. did not have the same strength or basketball IQ as the others. That changed the more he played.