Jabari Parker update: Top-ranked hoops recruit still planning to commit this fall, but might not sign until spring

Jabari Parker, Michigan State’s most prized college basketball recruiting target since Magic Johnson, will be in East Lansing this weekend for one of his five official visits.

Duke, Florida, Stanford and BYU are his other finalists.

Parker, however, likely won’t sign a letter of intent during the early signing period, which runs from Nov. 14-21, his father, Sonny, said Tuesday.

“He’ll probably make a verbal decision, but he probably won’t be able to sign until the spring because the signing period,” Sonny Parker said. ” … I don’t think he’ll be done with all his five visits.

“The only way it can happen is if he decides early during his five visits.”

Parker’s final visit is scheduled at Stanford Nov. 18-20, leaving him one day to decide. If he doesn’t sign in November, he can’t do so until May.

His coach at Simeon High School in Chicago said once Parker makes a decision, even if verbally, that’ll be Parker’s final decision.

“Once he makes a decision I know that’s going to be it,” Simeon coach Robert Smith said Tuesday. “That’s not how he or his family operates.

“I told him, if you get to a place where your heart is in it and you feel like this is the place for me, then there’s no sense in taking those other visits, if this is how you feel. … Make sure you choose what is going to be best for you.”

“His situation is rare. You have options. A lot of people don’t have options. And people will wait for your options, too.”

Parker, a 6-7 wing, is considered by some to be the best high school prospect since LeBron James, however unfair those expectations may be.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and assistant Dwayne Stephens were at Simeon High School Tuesday to finalize plans for this weekend, Sonny Parker said.