DURHAM — There’s a reason “showtime” is included in Trey Parker’s social media handles.
Bouncing around with confidence on Coach K Court, Parker looked as comfortable as could be Monday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
A freshman guard for N.C. State basketball, Parker made his first six shots and finished with 15 points in the Wolfpack’s 74-64 loss to No. 2 Duke.
Thirty minutes into the game, the Fayetteville native hadn’t missed, conjuring memories of fellow Fayetteville native Dennis Smith Jr.’s game at Duke in 2017.
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Smith, a one-and-done freshman, dropped 32 points on the Blue Devils in an 84-82 win at Cameron. N.C. State, which had a 13-point lead in the first half Monday, was in position for its first win in Durham since Smith’s special night.
After draining his third 3-pointer against the Blue Devils (18-2, 10-0 ACC) to make it a one-point game with 9:36 left, Parker looked like he was channeling Smith as he turned in celebration to the N.C. State bench before letting out a scream and sharing some words with the Cameron Crazies.
The Wolfpack (9-11, 2-7) couldn’t get over the hump against Cooper Flagg and the Devils, but Parker left an impression. In the preseason, Parker told the USA TODAY Network he was “ready to show a lot of people I’m more just just highlights.”
He showed 9,314 fans on Monday night at Cameron.
“One of my coaches before the game said, ‘Bring that Fayetteville mentality.’ That’s what I did,” Parker said, giving a nod to associate head coach Kareem Richardson for those words of encouragement.
“. … I had to bring that Fayetteville mentality.”
Duke coach Jon Scheyer praised Parker’s production, saying the young guard changed the game “a lot.”
“Holy smokes, man, he was quick,” Scheyer said. “The way he was shooting it, it’s a little bit different. … He’s quick, he’s good. I was really impressed with what he did. Very good player.”
It’s been a tough season for the Wolfpack, which has lost five in a row, including three one-possession games. But N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts has seen progress from his three freshmen, including Parker.
“I’m getting really excited about our young guys. It’s taken them a little while to come into their own, but Paul (McNeil) has shown some moments and you got Trey Parker and Bryce (Heard),” Keatts said.
“All three of those guys are really working hard. We needed them to develop. Obviously, we don’t have (Louisville transfer) Mike James, so we needed another guard to step up and play well. Those guys are starting to contribute and I really like that.”
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State basketball’s Trey Parker impresses Duke coach Jon Scheyer
