BREAKING | 2023 Four-Star CG Parker Friedrichsen Commits to Notre Dame
Notre Dame has landed a commitment from 2023 Bixby (Okla.) combo guard Parker Friedrichsen and it’s a perfect fit.
Mike Brey’s squad will need to replace several guards next season and the 6-foot-4, 170-pounder will be up for the task on and off the floor as Friedrichsen isn’t your normal high school senior according to Bixby head coach Lance Kight.
He's much more like a college senior than a high school senior,” stated Kight. “I can promise you that. We threw Parker right in the mix as a freshman. He didn't have a whole lot of time to grow up. He had to start going against varsity competition as a 14-year-old and that makes you mature a little bit.”
As a junior, the four-star prospect averaged 27.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 apg and 3.3 spg and Kight only expects Friedrichsen to improve those numbers in 2022-23.
"We talked about Trae Young averaging 39 points a game his senior year at the 6A level, the same level Parker plays at and that's the state record,” explained Kight. “I don't see any reason why he can't go get 35-40 points a night this year. He's just improved his game so much.
"Three of his last four games last year, he went over 40. He had 40, 42 and 42. There's no reason he shouldn't pop off some 50-point games this year against the best competition in Oklahoma."
It’s high praise, but Kight isn’t the only person who has seen what his star can do. Friedrichsen might have one of the best three-balls in the country, but his offensive game is much more than splashing from deep.
"Parker was called one of the best shooters in the nation as a junior and now people are saying he's one of the best scorers in the nation,” said Kight. "He's a three-level scorer. In my opinion, he's the best three-point shooter I've ever seen in high school, but he'll go off the bounce and his mid-range from 15 is flawless. He's sneaky athletic. He'll come down and punch it on you if you're not there in front of him.
"He's rangy at 6'3 1/2, but he's got a 33-inch vertical leap with a sick jump shot. He's got the whole scoring package. He's going to wow some guys at the next level."
And about that three-ball - it’s a weapon the Notre Dame program needs and will use sooner than later.
"We shoot on the shooting machine every day and we'll shoot 300 shots,” Kight said. “Parker will shoot from three points: wing, top of the key and wing. I've seen him hit 272 out of 300 with a three-second interval. Outside of a dude named Steph, I'm not sure how many guys can do that.
"He's done it in front of multiple Divison I coaches that have turned to me and said, 'Coach, we don't have anyone on our team that can come close to that.'
"If you give him a half inch, he'll get his shot off. He'll make some step-back moves that, outside of James Harden and Steph Curry, there's not very many in the nation that can do it.”
Yes, Friedrichsen isn’t the biggest guard in the country and he’s embraced it. Kight hasn’t seen a harder worker during his time as a head coach and being called ‘lean’ and ‘frail’ has only motivated the Bixby standout.
"He works in the weight room and he's the hardest worker,” Kight explained. “He has the best work ethic I've ever seen in 25 years as a head coach. Every morning I'm at the gym at 6:15 am and Parker is either there waiting on me, or he's arriving shortly after. He shoots every day for an hour and a half and he lifts during the day. After practice, he gets in an hour of shooting and dribbling. He has a lot of Pistol Pete Maravich in him.
"Coach (Mike) Brey mentioned his passing was so underrated. Whether they play him at the point or as a scoring point guard or off the ball, he can play whatever he wants to at the 1, 2, or 3 levels."
Notre Dame fans will learn to love Friedrichsen while opposing fans will quickly hate him as he plays with emotion. It’s a positive energy as his teammates feed off it and it’s something Brey and associate head coach Anthony Solomon love in his game.
"He carries himself with a swagger,” explained Kight. “He's very confident with his skill set. I've coached high school basketball in Oklahoma for 25 years and outside of Trae Young, Parker is the best scorer to come out of our state in the last 25 years. I'm not saying he's the best player, but he's the best scorer outside of Trae. He's walking bucket.
"Coach Brey's eyes lit up watching him go up and down a few weeks ago. He said he has the 'it factor' and he's a playmaker."
Off the court, Notre Dame is getting a player that can handle the rigors of tough academics and more responsibilities than just going to hoops practice.
"The summer before his junior year, he started to blow up on the AAU scene,” Kight stated. “We talked about carrying on professional conversations with coaches around the country. We have had 63 Division I coaches in our office in the last 16 months, which is crazy. I think that makes you mature.
"He's an intelligent kid. He does online school and comes to practice the last hour and he has a 4.0 GPA and all the requirements to get into any college in America. That tells you all you need to know right there."
Part of that maturity came in the form of a decommitment from Oklahoma State. It wasn’t an easy decision for Friedrichsen, but the Oklahoma native did it the right way.
"He's handled it probably more mature than most kids,” Kight said of how Friedrichsen handled the recruiting process. “He made the early commitment to Oklahoma State and he came up to me about a month later and asked how he could back out of it because he got caught up in the moment.
"We sat down, talked and it wasn't anything against Oklahoma State, but I think he had a great visit and they pushed for a commitment and got it. He did the right thing and backed out and took the summer to find out where he wanted to play."
With his commitment done, Friedrichsen will now focus on leading Bixby to a State Title and then the fun will begin.
"He'll see junk defenses and double teams, but at the college level, he's not going to see any of that,” said Kight. “He's liable to go off on a Big Monday against somebody. The skillset level is going to allow him to play immediately."
Offers: Akron, Cincinnati, Creighton, Davidson, DePaul, Detroit Mercy, Drake, Illinois, Iowa, Marshall, Memphis, Missouri, Montana State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts, Purdue, Rice, Southeast Missouri State, Southern, Tulsa, UTSA, Virginia Tech and Xavier
Rankings
247: 90 (four-star)
Rivals: 4-star
ESPN: 81 (four-star)
Composite: 94.07 (four-star)
Junior Highlights
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Standard Hoodie
