Recruiting Report: Parker Shanks (2018)
Playing AAU basketball is all about getting better and getting college exposure. Parker Shanks did both of those things.
Shanks, a 6-foot-7 forward from Plainview-Elgin-Millville, spent the grassroots season playing with Minnesota Select Ellis, where he had the opportunity to play against elite competition on a weekly basis.
“I really enjoyed playing for Select,” said Shanks. “I love the coach, the team and the program. We did pretty well. It was just a great experience all around.”
The to-be-senior big man made big strides over the summer, particularly as a finisher around the rim and as an interior defender.
“I improved so much,” said Shanks. “We’ve been playing high school summer ball and my coaches and teammates come up to me and say they can really see the improvement. It’s just very obvious. It’s amazing and I wouldn’t be able to get exposure if i didn’t play AAU. Small town teams don’t get as much exposure so it really helps me all around.”
Shanks has the size and strenth to muscle around in the paint and that shows in his defense as he’s very difficult to score over for opposing post players. He’s got long arms and does a good job forcing players to shoot over him without committing bad fouls. When he establishes a strong base, he’s tough to earn position against. And on the offensive end, he’s got a solid perimeter shooting touch to go along with an expanding inside game.
Shanks’ combination of size and skillset plus his signs of improvement suggest he’s got a lot of upside still as a player. Several colleges have taken notice.
“I’m getting the most interest from Bethel and Wisconsin Stout,” Shanks said. “I’ve gone on a few visits and I plan on visiting Bethel at the end of August. Still figuring out a time for a Stout visit.”