Tom Parker (basketball)
Tom Parker (born July 1, 1950) is an American former standout basketball player at the University of Kentucky who played for the Wildcats between 1969 and 1972. As a senior in 1971–72 he was named the co-Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year. As of 2011 he is a teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky. Early life and high school Parker grew up in Collinsville, Illinois and attended Collinsville High School. Standing at and weighing , he played the center position and dominated his opponents. In three seasons of varsity basketball he scored 2,041 career points and set many school records. These records include his career point total, points in a single game (50), season and career scoring averages (32.9 and 23.7, respectively), field goals made in a game (21), season (359) and career (818), shots taken in a career (1,520), total career rebounds (851) as well as defensive rebounds in a career (559). In all three seasons he suited up for the Kahoks he garnered all-state honors, and as a senior he was named a Parade magazine All-American. Kentucky and later life When Parker matriculated in 1968–69, NCAA eligibility rules at the time prohibited