The choice is made  
On Wednesday I wrote; “he could choose among the following, Brigham Young, Duke, Florida, Michigan State or Stanford. I will probably be incorrect but my best guess is Duke or Stanford. No science here just pure speculation, check back and see if I'm correct.” Jabari Parker the number two prospect in the Class of 2013 chose Duke University over the other four schools. Just a belief on my part the highly touted Parker might be more than a one and done athlete.  I could forsee him returning after his freshman year rather than head for the NBA.  I could be wrong, who knows.     

Developing big man
Once upon a time Georgetown University held a status for developing big men. Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and others. The number over the last several years has shrunk dramatically however we should add a name. Roy Hibbert of the Pacers is the name to add to those big men developed at Georgetown. The 7-2 278 pound Hibbert was considered a project at the time he enrolled at the school. He would eventually become the 17th pick in the first round of the 2008 draft by the Raptors.  The Raptors traded his rights to the Pacers for Jermaine O'Neal.  As with most big men it often requires them a longer period of time to adjust to NBA play.   

This was certainly the case for Hibbert. His growth as an NBA player began in a similar manner as it had at Georgetown. Hibbert started 42 games his rookie year with 7.1 ppg and 3.5 rebounds. Last season he finished the season at its highest point of his four year career. He finished the season at nearly 13.0 ppg and 9 rebounds plus 2 block shots a game. Hibbert was vital as the Pacers almost upset the Heat in the Eastern Conference playoffs last season. As Hibbert’s game continues to evolve I wonder if the Raptors might have expressed regret privately on their draft day trade.

The flow of talent from the continent
Nations on the African continent continue to be a hotbed of basketball talent. Much of the emerging talent is raw as with Joel Embiid. Embiid from Cameroon arrived in the U.S. last October; his basketball experience is a total of 18 months. Embiid enrolled at Montverde Academy (Montverde Fla.) on his arrival in the U.S. He’s transferred to Rock School (that’s the schools real name) in Gainesville Florida for his senior year. Embiid is a 7-0 220 pound power forward in the Class of 2013.

Offers are on the table from 11 schools which proves once again height prevails even with limited familiarity with the game. YouTube video details his offensive game which is smooth considering he’s only played the game less than two years. A teammate of Emdiid at Rock is Glenn Feidanga a 6-8 230 pound power forward. Feidanga is also from Africa although he arrived much sooner than his teammate. He’s from the Central African Republic and is also a highly regarded Class of 2013 prospect. Embiid verbally committed to Kansas during the early signing period.

I wonder if he read Wednesdays Words eye view? 
The Pelicans--hmmm Hornets Anthony Davis must have read Wednesday’s column on Damian Lillard. The story I pronounced Lillard Rookie of the Year. The Hornets lost the game against the Warriors but it certainly wasn’t his fault. Many scouts compared Davis’s game to the great Bill Russell. They pronounced his defensive game far ahead of his offense, while it might be true it certainly may have been unfair to Davis. Davis did come close to Russell type numbers in a recent game except in the block shot category. 15 points 16 rebounds, 7-7 from the free throw line with 4 steals and 1 blocked shot. The NBA career of Davis is still developing; this 6-10 220 pound power forward will gain muscle and develop an offense. Just think he’s still a teen, he won’t turn 20 until next March.  ROY (Rookie of the Year) will be either Davis or Lillard.

Pillow talk
The NCAA refused to approve the eligibility of Shabazz Muhammad due to questions surrounding unauthorized payments to the UCLA recruit.  Freshman Muhammad was cleared shortly after the season began. Wait there is more to the story, several news sources are reporting the NCAA investigator who handled the case has been fired. This story is ripe with National Inquirer or TMZ material.  It's reported the investigators boyfriend was over heard discussing the inquiry on an airline flight. He was reported to have stated; “Muhammad would never be declared eligible.” The conversation was heard by an attorney on the flight, the attorney contacted the Los Angeles Times with the story.  The Times is reported to have approached the NCAA with the story.