Nipissing U Athletics: Men's Basketball Brings In Highly-Touted Recruit

Article By:  Robb Fenton, NU Athletics

With the season winding down for the Nipissing Lakers men’s basketball team, they now know what it takes to play at this level and compete with the top teams in the province and in the country.

They have now added a new piece to the puzzle that they hope can provide not only stability, but also an influx of size, skill, hard work and commitment to the program.

Lakers head coach Chris Cheng is excited about the first student-athlete, Brett Parrott, they have signed in their second round of recruitment.

“Heading into our 2nd official year with our recruitment, there is no better way to kick it off by signing one of the top power forward's in the country. We are so happy to have Brett and his family join our Nipissing Lakers Men’s Basketball Program,” Cheng said.

Parrott is a 6-foot-8 forward, who has played most of his career at the post position, due to his height, but he’s also been able to hone his skills at different spots on the court.

Parrott was and still is a highly touted prospect and recruit and had over 20 schools after him. He chose Nipissing and will be studying sociology and business when school kicks off in September.

Cheng said he sees a real upside to Parrott, even though he’ll be entering the season needing to learn the OUA/CIS style.

“Brett provides us with more size and skill to our already young, talented front court. He can stretch the defense with his shooting ability and give a strong defensive presence in the paint. Brett brings a wealth of experience to our program at the Provincial level,” Cheng explained. “He has always have been exposed to good coaching which aided to his development to play at the next level. I like how coachable he is, his current skill set, and his dedication to developing his craft, his personality, and his passion for putting the team first.”

Parrot is already excited to get going with the Lakers, despite having to wait a few months before he can officially suit up and become part of the team.

Everything he sees from the school and program are what he’s looking for at the next level.

“I am so excited to be a part of the Lakers program, to train in the beautiful new athletic facility with head coach Chris Cheng and his staff who have been very supportive through the entire recruiting process. I am excited to be a part of a young team who has such a great upside and to help build history of the program at the school,” Parrott said.

Parrott was able to assess himself and give honest feedback about his game, but knows he’ll have work to do to be successful at the next level.

“As a 6-foot-8 forward I am agile and can keep up well with a fast paced game. I am strong defensively and block and alter shots and can take a charge. I have a CIS range three point shot (11/21-3 point shooting over three games on the weekend) along with strong interior and perimeter defensive skills,” he explained. “I am versatile and have played every position from post to point guard on my high school team the past few years.”

Parrott said his plan is simple but important as he looks to the future.

“I plan on working hard all summer to get stronger as an athlete and a player so I can contribute right away to the team. Under Coach Cheng and his staff I have no doubt with hard work that the team will grow from being a new first year program into a strong contender in the CIS in the years ahead,” Parrott said confidently.

With the core of this year’s team still available to come back for next season, along with adding Parrott, the Lakers are already poised to build on the improvement they saw this year.

The more options and the more players to contribute to the program, the better the Lakers will be for the future.

“The signing of Brett is a positive step for our program and our future and the commitment we have to recruiting young talented student-athletes our country has to offer. It is a privilege to study and play at Nipissing University,” Cheng said. “With our current student-athletes and now Brett, we hope that our other targeted prospects and future prospects begin to take notice to who we are, what we are building, and who we want to become.”

Retrieved From:  http://athletics.nipissingu.ca/news/Pages/Men's-Basketball-brings-in-highly-touted-recruit.aspx