As his high school basketball career approaches the halfway mark, Clayton Parker is ranked among the top high school basketball players in the nation.

According to the 247Sports website, the Montgomery County junior was voted among the top 250 high school basketball recruits for the Class of 2025 as he is ranked 210th. He is also ranked the No. 7 basketball recruit in Missouri.

“I think it’s awesome coming from a small town because a lot of them are from St. Louis,” Parker said. “Other than that, they’re all in big cities. I think it’s cool to have a small-town kid there.”

247Sports is a website that targets recruits for college football and basketball and is operated by Paramount Global.

Parker is part of a nationwide list that includes top-ranked Cameron Boozer, a 6-foot-9 forward from Columbus High School in Miami, Fla., and ninth-ranked Jasper Johnson and 19th-ranked Aaron Rowe, both from Link Academy in Branson.

Rankings are based on the performances from the summer basketball season as well as the high school basketball season.

The 6-foot-8 Parker found out about his ranking in late September. He said being ranked among the top high school players in the country has given him a boost of confidence.

“Rankings are nice, but I like to think that I’m always better than the next person above me,” Parker said. “It’s always something to look forward to.”

In the state list, Parker is listed behind Johnson, Rowe, Nicholas Randall of Vashon, Luke Walsh of Vianney, Corbin Allen of Oak Park in Kansas City and Zyree Collins of St. Mary’s in St. Louis. Walsh is one of Parker’s best friends.

Last winter, Parker enjoyed an outstanding sophomore season that included his first all-state award. He averaged 23 points per game with 240 rebounds and 42 blocked shots. He also helped the Wildcats finish with 19 wins and capture an Eastern Missouri Conference crown.

Parker said his mission for the next two years is to help his team become one of the state powerhouses.

“My main goal is to make a run and go to the Final Four,” the junior said. “I know it’s going to take a lot of work. But I believe in the team that we have. The guys are my best friends.”

Parker joined the Gateway Knights 16-and-under basketball team this summer after playing with the Bradley Beal Elite squad the year before.

“It was good,” Parker said. “I actually played with them in the finals. We went 5-2. I played pretty well. I actually had a couple of colleges that contacted me after that.”