Parquet needs defense, better shooting to boost playing time
BOULDER » Last year, Eli Parquet entered his second season with the Colorado men’s basketball team still refining the offseason excavation project he used to revamp the technique on his jump shot.
That work paid dividends as Parquet made significant improvements in his shooting percentages compared to his freshman year. One year removed from that fundamental overhaul, Parquet is hoping to make a similar jump, and become a more consistent offensive threat, as a junior.
Through his first two seasons,
Parquet has displayed both the intriguing flashes and bouts of inconsistencies typical of young players. Meeting his defensive potential likely will dictate his playing time as much, if not more, than his shooting touch.
“I’ve been working hard pretty much all summer, all offseason, on my jump shot,” Parquet said. “I’ve been trying to focus in on that. I’m already focusing in on the defensive side. That’s my strength, and I’m trying to help the team on the offensive end, too.”
Parquet weathered a full- circle sort of season last year, getting a shot at the starting lineup in December
only to fall out of the rotation completely early in the Pac- 12 Conference schedule. But Parquet finished strong. Sparked by a memorable showing off the bench in a win at USC — Parquet collected five points, a career- high five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one blocked shot in 27 very active minutes — Parquet again became a fixture in the rotation down the stretch and played a career- high 36 minutes in the regular- season finale at Utah.
Parquet battled for playing time throughout the season at the twoguard spot with then- senior Shane Gatling and Daylen Kountz, who has since transferred to Northern Colorado. While those two guards are gone, Parquet likely is facing a similar competition with redshirt freshman Keeshawn Barthelemy and true freshman Nique Clifford. Given Clifford’s inexperience and Barthelemy’s likely duties running the point behind, and sometimes alongside, McKinley Wright IV, head coach Tad Boyle again is urging Parquet to turn up the defensive intensity.
“Looking at our stats in practice, and the way he’s shooting the ball, he is shooting it in a position where we want him to take open shots,” Boyle said. “And he’s capable now of making open shots.
“What I want Eli to really, really, dial- in to, is what this team needs on the perimeter is, we’ve got McKinley Wright who I consider a defensive stopper. We need a second defensive stopper. Is that going to be Keeshawn? Is that going to be Eli? Is that going to be one of the younger guys? Is it going to be D’Shawn ( Schwartz)? Maddox ( Daniels)? But I think Eli has that ability to be that lockdown defender and a guy that can make open shots and can make a play off the bounce. We know how athletic he is. But defensively, he can be a game- changer if he chooses to be.”