“Travis Parker always believed he could play among the nation’s best college basketball players. Penn State decided Parker could, too.
“Parker, a former standout at North Pitt High School, now is one of the starters for the Nittany Lions, who play in the Big Ten Conference, a league that boasts the No. 1 team in the country — Illinois. Parker is more than two years removed from his days with the Panthers, where he helped them advance to the Class 2-A state championship game. But now Parker might be having the best time of his life, playing basketball while earning a college diploma.
” ‘This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, play at the highest college level,’ Parker said during a phone interview from State College, Pa. ‘You really can’t get much higher than this. . . . Right now I’m just living a dream. This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was real young. I’m just trying to take it all in, be a good student and play hard.’
“Parker spoke about academics almost as much as basketball. He’s majoring in recreation and parks management with a minor in business with the hopes of securing a position in sports marketing.
“Working on grades as much as jump shots started while being away from home for the first time. And Parker’s been far away from home long before he arrived at Penn State. …”