Despite loss, Wolverines will be fine

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If youre worried about Jabari Parker and the Simeon Wolverines after Thursday nights nationally televised loss to DeSoto, dont be. It looks bad that the No. 1 team in the nation has already fallen, but its not nearly as bad when considering the circumstances behind it.
Simeon hasnt played a game since Dec. 1, a stretch of 11 days without any serious competition. But for DeSoto, it was their 15th contest of the 2012-13 season. It was obvious the Wolverines weren't in sync as a team because they dont have many games under their belt.
Simeon trailed 27-24 at halftime, but scored just five points and shot 1-of-15 from the field in the third quarter. The inability to put the ball in the basket allowed DeSoto to jump out to a 43-29 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Name the last time that has happened to a team coached by Robert Smith.
Early in the final quarter, the Wolverines 2-2-1 full-court zone press turned DeSoto over to get them back in the game. It also had Simeon looking like a team that has won three consecutive Illinois State Championships and features four players going to high-major college programs next season, one of which is an All-American and the No. 2 player in the country.
So what appeared to be missing on Thursday night is actually there; its just going to take more games to put it together. 
Also consider that the DeSoto game was Jabari Parkers second in the last five months.
Parker is still a ways away from being the player he was last year, all the way up until his foot injury in late July. It will take time to shake off the rustand the weightand become the superstar fans are used to seeing on the court.
The good thing is the Wolverines wont have another layoff of that length, as their schedule picks up with enough games in succession to help them get their rhythm back as a team. On Saturday they play a game in Memphis and then come back to Chicago for games next week.
On Monday theyll face off against Carver on the road, then its back home for a game on Wednesday against Larry Hawkins, and Friday they host Brooks. That caps a stretch of five games in eight days that should be enough to have Parker looking like more like the All-American that he is and, as a group, have the Wolverines ready for the 2012 Pontiac Holiday Tournament taking place Dec. 27 though 29.
This early season loss isnt the end of the world for Simeon. It's just an unfortunate bump in the road to a potential national championship due to scheduling that has them trying to catch up with teams whose seasons have already started and who have a better sense of continuity on the court.

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