A highly recruited junior from Chicago is the subject of a Sports Illustrated article that addresses his Mormon faith, while a Kentucky baseball player has decided to put his career on hold to serve a mission. Jabari Parker, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound junior at Chicago’s Simeon High, is one of the top basketball prospects in the country.
Davis writes that before Parker plays a basketball game, he sits by himself in the locker room for a couple of minutes of prayer and reflection.
"I pray that God keeps me safe on the floor and that I'm able to have a good attitude toward my teammates," he says. When the game ends, Parker heeds that higher calling by rushing to be first in line to shake hands. "I just want to show the opponents that I'm grateful," he says. "I want to show good sportsmanship."