They’re Dialing Up Parmer

Marlon Parmer pined so badly for attention from college basketball recruiters, he almost cried.

How, he asked, could a high-scoring, 6-foot-2 point guard who led Verbum Dei to the Division IV state championship as a junior in 1998 go virtually unnoticed while other juniors were courted?

As it turns out, the college coaches were watching. They just weren’t sure what they were seeing.

“Marlon is a hybrid; he’s a point guard and a two guard,” Verbum Dei Coach David Greenwood said. “Last year, he was totally thinking like a two and I wanted him to play the point.

“He saw a lot of kids signing with big schools and said, ‘Coach, why aren’t the schools calling me?’ I told him he needed to change his game and start distributing the ball.

“He did that this season. And most of the coaches I’ve spoken to have said, ‘We didn’t know he can pass like this.’ ”

They do now.

With the next signing period beginning April 7, and many of the top players already signed or committed, Parmer is suddenly regarded as a prized catch. His appeal rose steadily through the season when he averaged 28 points and nine assists. It reached an apex Saturday at Arco Arena in Sacramento when he led Verbum Dei to its second consecutive title with what has become a trademark clutch performance.

Parmer scored eight of his game-high 31 points in overtime as Verbum Dei defeated Sacramento Christian Brothers, 74-63. Parmer scored Verbum Dei’s last five points in regulation. He also delivered several outstanding passes in the open court and in traffic.

Parmer’s heroics made him one of five finalists for Cal-Hi Sports’ state player-of-the-year award. McDonald’s All-Americans Casey Jacobsen of Glendora and Jason Kapono of Lakewood Artesia, Andrew Gooden of El Cerrito and DeShawn Stephenson of Fresno Washington Union are the other finalists.

It’s heady company, but Parmer has proven he belongs. Parmer scored 32 points and had seven assists against Southern Section Division I-AA champion Artesia. He scored 28 points and had 10 assists in a loss to top-ranked Compton Dominguez, scored 31 points and had nine assists against Division II state champion Washington Union and had 40 points and 10 assists in the Southern Section Division IV final against Santa Monica Crossroads.

“I have to admit, when I’m on the court, I’m trying to prove something, that I’m as good as the All-Americans and other players that got more attention,” Parmer said after the state final. “But mostly, I just want my team to win. That’s why two [state championships] in a row is so special.

“I owe a lot to Coach Greenwood. I used to play at just one speed. He helped me grow my game.”

Parmer, who is considering scholarship offers from USC, Michigan and Utah among others, is the latest in a line of outstanding Verbum Dei guards that includes Los Angeles legend Raymond Lewis, former UCLA standout Roy Hamilton and Utah’s Andre Miller.

“When I was a sophomore, Raymond Lewis came up to the school, made 35 shots in a row and just left,” Parmer said. “I’ve never seen anyone who can shoot like him.

“Roy Hamilton was at a couple of our games and he talked to me about clock management and when to pick your spots in a game. I met Andre Miller last week when he came to one of our practices.

“I’m proud to be part of such a great tradition.”