Parsons makes West Coast swing

Chandler Parsons took a West Coast swing earlier in the month to see a pair of Pac-10 schools and play at the Pangos All-American camp. The trip was worth the cross-country trek, says the 6-foot-8 small forward from Lake Howell High School in Winter Park, Fla.

Parsons unofficially visited Arizona State and Southern Cal and sandwiched the Pangos camp in between trips. All and all, it was time well spent on the West Coast, he said.

"Arizona State really impressed me. Had I never visited there, I would have said it was too hot and too far away but the visit changed it all for me," Parsons said. "It was 113 degrees there and I didn't even sweat. There is no humidity there at all. I liked it.

"Coach Sendek made some great points to my mom and helped take the stress off of her about the location. He said that four to five years from now I will have to make a business decision and location will come into that. And if I play in the NBA, you can't pick the city you live in either. I think she liked that."

Parsons played well enough at the Pangos camp to make the top 20 all-star game. After shining there, Parsons made a quick trip to USC to get an up close and personal look at the Pac-10 school.

"The facilities they have there are amazing," Parsons said. "I was with one of their assistant coaches, Gib Arnold, when we were there. Coach (Tim) Floyd wasn't around. That was disappointing. We just met with the academic advisors and checked out the campus on a golf cart…It was fun and I had a good time but it wasn't as impressive as Arizona State."

With Arizona State and USC making a push, a number of other programs are just as strong. Parsons picked up offers from Colorado State and Ole Miss over the last two weeks. Oklahoma and Virginia have joined the recruiting race.

Parsons is already holding offers from UMass, Miami, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and SMU. Florida, Georgia, South Florida and Tennessee are also in the picture, he said.

"There are always new schools but I'm still open. I don't even know what to do next," Parsons said. "There really isn't a favorite. I like Arizona State and Wisconsin but I haven't been there to see the campus. Miami is nice. South Florida is nice. I've been there with my family and we've met with the coaches there. They would be a nice fit."

Food for thought: South Florida recently hired Parson's high school coach and former USF star Reggie Kohn as the Director of Basketball Operations.

"I'm going to be thinking long and hard about it between now and the end of July," Parsons said. "I don't want to rush my decision but I'd like to have something done before our season starts in October. I'm going to have a long, hard talk with my parents and my coaches."

Parsons will play at the Nike All-American camp in July as well as the Peach Jam in Augusta, Ga., and the AAU Super Showcase and the AAU Nationals tournament in Orlando.