Solid Pickup For Conf USA School

While it may not have gotten a lot of publicity outside of the Lone Star State, Houston picked up a solid guard prospect in Parker Pinkalla this spring.

Pinkalla, a 6-4, 185 pound combo/shooting guard from Strake Jesuit H.S. in Houston, committed to Ray McCallum's Cougar program back in April after taking an unofficial visit to the Conference USA school.

Pinkalla had offers from New Mexico, Southern Methodist, Colorado State and Richmond before casting his lot with hometown Houston.

"One of the main reasons I picked Houston was because I felt comfortable with Coach McCallum's vision of winning," Pinkalla said. "He went from nine wins to 18 wins in one season, and he's really starting to recruit the greater Houston area hard, which hadn't happened under Clyde [Drexler] and Alvin Brooks."

"And he's completely turned around the program, and I think in the next couple of years, we are going to start getting into the [NCAA] tournament and start making a big step," Pinkalla said. "We want to be like Phi Slamma Jamma."

Pinkalla said he was primarily recruited to play the two slot at Houston. The Insiders Report/Rivalshoops.com had a chance to see him in action this spring at the Kingwood Classic in Houston and at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in North Carolina with Tom Rogers' Ft. Worth Lions program.

Simply put, Pinkalla can stroke the ball from the perimeter, and he is especially deadly coming off screens. But he's not a flat-footed stand still type of shooter, he can also shoot it off the dribble and play some point if needed.

This past season at Strake Jesuit, Pinkalla averaged 17 points and seven assists per game. A full academic qualifier, he boasts a 3.0 GPA and scored 1120 on the SAT.

Pinkalla has a busy summer ahead with the Ft. Worth Lions, with pit stops expected at the Baylor Elite Camp in Waco, Tex., the BCI Nationals in Arlington, Tex., the Great American Shootout in Denton, Tex, the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev., and the Best of the Summer Tournament in Los Angeles, Calif.

We expect to be at several of the events this summer during the July evaluation circuit, and we'll keep you posted on Pinkalla and other top players in the Class of 2003.