2021-22 Men's Basketball Roster
Elijah Parquet
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 195
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Beaumont, Texas
- High School:
- West Brook
Career: Played in 105 career games with 57 starts. Totaled 393 points, 164 rebounds, 93 assists, 55 blocks and 52 steals over his four-year career.
2021-22 (Senior): Averaged 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists over 18 games before his season ended prematurely with a foot injury. Hit 44 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line. Had a memorable beginning to his senior campaign, scoring a career-high 17 points in the season-opening overtime win over Montana State (11/9). He had five field goals and six free throws - both career bests - and hit a 3-pointer with 18 seconds remaining in regulation that sent the game to overtime. Ranked fifth on the team in total blocks with 13, but had the best per game average on the team at 0.7 bpg. Registered a team season-high three blocks at Washington (1/27) while matching personal bests with five rebounds and a pair of 3-point field goals in what would prove to be his final game on the court for the Buffaloes. Earned the team's Best Defender Award for the second-straight season. He opted to continue his career as a graduate transfer at UNLV with the extra year of eligibility granted to all NCAA student-athletes in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020-21 (Junior): Named to the 2020-21 Pac-12 Conference All-Defensive Team, becoming the sixth Buffalo to earn that honor and the seventh overall award (Andre Roberson was a two-time selection). Averaged 5.2 points while hitting 48 percent from the floor. He led Colorado in blocked shots (23) and was second in steals (26) and third in assists (40). During the conference schedule, ranked 12th in the Pac-12 in steals (1.2 spg) and 13th in blocks (0.8 bpg). Overall ranked 14th in the Pac-12 in blocks. Had a career-best and team season-high four steals at Washington (1/20) and three days later and a career and team-season best four blocked shots at Washington State (1/23). Solid contributor to Colorado's school and Pac-12 record for season free throw percentage at .819 as he made 21 of 23 (.913) from the line including his last 11. Shot 42 percent from 3-point range (23 of 55) and hit 15 of 31 (.484) over the final 15 games. Scored his personal best of 10 points in five different games, including the NCAA Tournament first round win over Georgetown (3/20). Had a career-best four assists in the home win over Arizona (2/6). Earned the team's Best Defender Award and was the co-winner of the Most Improved Award.
2019-20 (Sophomore): Averaged just under three points and 12 minutes in 30 games. Ranked fourth on the team in blocked shots with nine. After playing in only 25 minutes in the first eight Pac-12 games combined (includes two DNPs), he averaged 19.3 minutes over the last 11 games. In the regular season finale at Utah (3/7), he recorded career-highs with eight points on 3 of 8 shooting in 38 minutes. Made a multiple field goals nine times this season and four in the last seven games. Matched a career-high with five rebounds at USC (2/1). Named CU's Most Improved Player Award winner by a vote of his teammates.
2018-19 (Freshman): Averaged just over one point and one rebound per game as a first-year Buffalo. Played in 26 games, logging 8.4 minutes per contest. He had 10 blocks on the season, one of four Buffs to reach double-digits on the season and the only guard. Eight of his 10 blocks came during Pac-12 Conference regular season games, ranking second on the squad. Made two starts, the initial assignment coming at Arizona State (1/5) where he played a season-most 21 minutes. Also got the starting nod at Utah (1/20) with two points and a rebound in 17 minutes. Missed 10 games during the season, seven of which were due to an injury spanning the final games of the Pac-12 regular season and Pac-12 Tournament. Returned to action in the NIT second round win over Norfolk State (3/25) with three points in 10 minutes. Had started to emerge as a defensive stalwart for the Buffaloes just prior to his injury. He played 20 minutes at Washington (2/23), recording two steals and two assists.
High School: A 2018 graduate of West Brook High School, Parquet averaged 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game as a senior. He was the District 22-6A MVP helping the Bruins to an undefeated district record in Texas’ largest classification. He was also named all-region as West Brook finished 28-4 overall. Parquet was a member of the Beaumont Enterprise 2018 Super Gold Boys Basketball Team. He was forced to sit out his junior season at West Brook after transferring from Hardin-Jefferson where he was a two-time all-district performer. As a freshman, he was the District 24-4A Newcomer of the Year. Parquet played for the Team S.T.A.G.E club program.
Academics: Graduated from Colorado in May 2022 with his bachelor's degree in Sociology. In 2020-21 was the junior class winner of the Most-Improved Student-Athlete Award at the annual Herbst Academic Recognition ceremony.
Personal: Born Elijah Eugene Parquet on Sept. 7, 1999 in Beaumont, Texas. He is the son of Randell and Lenae Parquet. His father is a U.S. Navy Veteran. He has two older siblings, a sister Jemila Lee and brother Randell II. He would like to play in the NBA. Chose Colorado over a dozen schools including Virginia Tech, Louisiana Tech, Rice and Houston, because “I feel like it was the best fit for me and (the Buffaloes) recruited me the hardest.”
