Jan. 12, 2012

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Note: this feature appeared in the December edition of the Maryland Gameday program

By Sean Ellenby, Maryland Athletics Media Relations

Ahead by a single point with 28 seconds remaining in a heated contest against Mount St. Mary's, head coach Mark Turgeon was in need of a critical defensive stop. The first-year Maryland coach elected to sub in versatile sophomore Mychal Parker.

Parker was ready. Following a missed jumper by Mount St. Mary's with 14 seconds left, Parker soared for the crucial rebound, got fouled, and proceeded to calmly knock down both free throws to guide the Terrapins to a 77-74 victory.

"Coach [Turgeon] told me to be ready whenever he put me in, so I was kind of ready for that," Parker said. "I definitely take pride in being able to do that and I was glad that I could step up."

Stepping up in key moments of games has become something of a habit for the Washington, N.C., native. Just three days before, Parker iced Notre Dame in the BB&T Classic by sinking two late free throws to give the Terps an insurmountable seven-point lead.

"Making the free throws in the last two games was really big for us," said teammate James Padgett. "Mike has a lot of ability he hasn't shown yet, but as his confidence grows he's going to be able to show people what he can really do."

The recent success speaks volumes for Parker, who was seldom used during his freshman season in 2010-11 despite being a highly touted recruit.

Through eight games this year, Parker already played 184 minutes (23.0 mpg), a far cry from the 6.2 minutes-per-game he averaged last season. He is also averaging 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds, up from 1.3 per game in both categories last year.

A standout player at Miller School in Crozet, Va., averaging 21 points and 6.5 rebounds as a senior, Parker acknowledges the difficulties he faced as he leapt from high school to Division I basketball.

"It was a big jump [from high school]," Parker said. "When I came to Maryland I had to learn the game, so it was totally different from high school. I just had to learn to be smarter and stay in control during the game."

With the exerience of a year of collegiate basketball under his belt, Parker worked hard in the offseason to take his game to the next level.

"I basically tried to get in shape and get stronger," Parker said. "I worked on my outside shot a little more and my dribbling just to prepare myself."

His hard work and persistence has paid dividends as he has become a `do-all' combo guard/forward in Turgeon's system with the ability to excel on the defensive end of the court.

"He's a great defender," Padgett said. "He's long and very athletic, so he can be an extra threat on the wing and a great ball defender and that will help us out a lot."

"I just want to do whatever Coach tells me to do and make the team happy," Parker said. "I'm a team player so I just want to do whatever it takes."

The injury to guard Pe'Shon Howard has provided Parker with a fantastic chance to prove his ability on the court and gain valuable playing time early in the season.

"The opportunity is a blessing," Parker said. "I don't want to pass it up. I just want to give it my all, so I'm blessed to have this opportunity."

The 6-foot-5 sophomore likely would not be attending the University of Maryland if not for his father, Omar Parker, a standout basketball player himself at Lakeland Community College. Their close relationship led Parker to select Maryland over other schools including Virginia, Clemson, and Miami.

"My dad was a huge Len Bias fan," Parker said. "That was just his dream for me to come to Maryland, so I'm glad I got the opportunity to come."

Parker believes that his strong bond with his father has led him to become the player and man that he is today.

"He's basically my best friend," Parker said. "My father did everything in my life and I basically do everything for him because I don't want to let him down."

Parker also recognizes the smooth transition from former coach Gary Williams to Turgeon as vital in his development this season.

"I'm definitely learning a lot from Coach Turgeon," Parker said. "I'm learning how to play defense better, so it's a good fit."

Despite the Terps' youth- just two players have at least two years of varsity experience - Parker believes the team will turn a lot of heads and is excited about the program's future.

"We're capable of surprising a lot of teams," Parker said. "A lot of people think that we're immature, but we're just getting better every day. The future is powerful and I'm glad to be a part of it."