State hoops: Micah Parrish declines Michigan State offer; EMU lands Orlando Lovejoy

In the end, Micah Parrish chose the sun over the Spartans.

Parrish, a star forward for Oakland the last two seasons, announced this week he is transferring to San Diego State. He had previously visited Michigan State and was extended an offer.

Parrish's father, Emanuel, told the San Diego Union-Tribune the decision came down to San Diego State's coaching lineage. He was a big Michigan fan in the 1980s, when Steve Fisher led the Wolverines to the 1989 national championship. Fisher was San Diego State's coach from 1999-2017, and was succeeded by Brian Dutcher, who was on Fisher's staff at Michigan.

“Steve Fisher and Brian Dutcher, they are Michigan,” Emanuel Parrish told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “They’re just on the other side of the United States now. But they’re Michigan guys.

"I’ve always loved that style of play.”

Micah Parrish did not respond to a text message and phone call from The News.

Parrish, 6-foot-6, averaged 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds for Oakland last season. He's highly regarded for his defense, making the Horizon League's all-defensive team. He's also a good free-throw shooter.

Parrish, who grew up in Detroit, also had visited West Virginia.

He was a surprise entrant into the transfer portal, with Oakland building around his fellow redshirt freshman Trey Townsend and point guard Jalen Moore. The Golden Grizzlies made the Horizon League's championship game his first year, and won 20 games his second.

Following Parrish's entry into the transfer portal, Oakland signed his potential replacement, forward Keaton Hervey from Missouri State. The Golden Grizzlies also added former Orchard Lake St. Mary's star Lorne Bowman II, a point guard and transfer from Wisconsin.

Slam dunks

► In other recruiting news, Eastern Michigan has received a commitment from Detroit star Orlando Lovejoy, who was expected to contend from Michigan Mr. Basketball this past season — before he abruptly moved from Romulus' Summit Academy to Jermaine Jackson's prep school in North Carolina.

His last year at Summit, Lovejoy averaged 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. During a prep showcase in February, he averaged 29 points, and scored 38 to earn the tournament's MVP honors.

He returned to Summit in March for the Michigan state playoffs.

► New Western Michigan men's basketball coach Dwayne Stephens is piecing his staff together, as he's set to announce Michigan State graduate assistant Manny Dosanjh as an assistant coach. Previously, WMU announced the hiring of Jeff Rutter from Miami (Ohio) and Thomas Kelley, a holdover from the last two staffs.

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tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984