One of the state’s top girls basketball players is taking her deep and diverse set of skills – not to mention her homecoming queen crown – to the next level.

Bradwell Institute’s Parris Parham signed a letter of intent November 13 to play for the University of West Georgia, holding a ceremony before dozens of family and friends at the Performing Arts Center. The reigning Region 1-AAAAA offensive player of the year also was named homecoming queen at Bradwell last month.

Longtime Bradwell Institute girls basketball coach Faye Baker heard about Parham when the young standout was playing at Snelson-Golden Middle School. It wasn’t long before Baker brought Parham over to BI to workout with her varsity squad.

“The main thing that makes Parris special is she is coachable,” Baker said. “She listens and we’ve seen her mature and grow and that’s why she is where she is at today. That says a whole lot about her – she’s just a great young lady.”

And Parham also pays attention to what her coaches lay out for her off the court, including her academics and how to handle social media.

“Whatever we advise her to do, she always listens and she always takes heed to it,” Baker said.

Parham averaged 19.1 points per game last year and over her career, she is averaging 14 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Baker said Parham’s work ethic has improved over the years.

“She has put in the work. She realized how hard she needed to work to get to where she needed to be,” Baker added.