The 6-foot-6 wing stated on social media on Thursday that he plans to apply for the NBA Draft and the transfer portal, but he may yet return to SDSU for his last year of eligibility, according to people close to the school.
Given that Cade Alger entered the portal earlier this week, that would open up a second scholarship for the following season. Alger, a walk-on who received a scholarship the previous season, also has a year remaining on his eligibility.
The current squad is skewing younger than in previous years, but coach Brian Dutcher has stated he wants to add two or three veterans via the transfer portal: a point guard, a big man who can score baskets, and maybe a wing.
Three seniors graduated from college: all-American forward Jaedon LeDee,
The 6-foot-6 wing announced Thursday via social media that he intends to enter the NBA Draft as well as the transfer portal but, those close to the program said, keep open the option of returning to SDSU for his final year of eligibility.
That would free a second scholarship for next season, with Cade Alger entering the portal earlier this week. Alger, who also has a year left of eligibility, was a walk-on who was awarded a scholarship last season.
Coach Brian Dutcher has indicated he wants to add two or three veterans from the transfer portal to an existing roster that skews younger than recent seasons: a point guard, a scoring big and possibly a wing.
He lost three seniors — all-American forward Jaedon LeDee, guard Darrion Trammell and forward Jay Pal — and has replaced them with three incoming freshmen. Scholarships for any portal additions, then, would have to come from departing players with eligibility.
Guard Reese Waters is widely expected to return for 2024-25, although he has yet to make an official announcement. Guard Lamont Butler provisionally entered the NBA Draft, as he did last year, while retaining his collegiate eligibility but has not made a decision about entering the portal.
SDSU was on spring break last week, meaning Dutcher and his staff couldn’t hold their annual postseason meetings with players until this week. The deadline to enter the transfer portal is May 1.
Parrish was a key piece of Aztecs teams that won Mountain West regular-season and conference tournament titles, played in the national championship game, went to back-to-back Sweet 16s and was 7-2 in the NCAA Tournament.
He spent his first two seasons at Oakland University outside his hometown of Detroit, where he averaged 10.5 points per game and shot 48.4 percent (35.2 percent on 3s) while starting 57 games. His numbers dipped in two years with the Aztecs, off the bench in 2022-23 and as a starter last season: 8.4 points and 38.5 percent (32.0 percent on 3s).
His season high of 17 points came in the opener against Cal State Fullerton. But his 3-point shooting struggled late in the season, going 2 of 19 in the Mountain West and NCAA tournaments before closing with a 2 of 4 performance for 10 points in the Sweet 16 loss against Connecticut.
Parrish said after that game he hadn’t decided on his future. Asked what he would miss most, he said: “The brotherhood, the guys in the locker room, coming in and practicing, hanging out after practice, all that.”
A year ago, Dutcher said that if players entered the portal he would actively replace them, not wanting someone with one foot in and one foot out of the program. But he has also indicated it’s a case-by-case situation and he’ll be as patient as possible.
“Once the portal opens, we’ll recruit like no one is coming back,” Dutcher said last month. “We’ll find out what it is. We’ll get involved with as many good players as we can, then see who is coming back and what our needs are. We can’t wait for that.”
