University of Minnesota Athletics
Painting The Future: Rico Tucker
12/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Again and again, "whoosh."
Now that the season is officially underway, Tucker looks to use his game to help repaint the University of Minnesota Men's Basketball Team into a masterpiece.
The "U" wasn't always the canvas Tucker had in mind. Growing up in San Diego, the palm trees and hot beaches were a far cry from the frigid temperatures and blankets of snow that accompany a Minneapolis winter.
With the program entering its first season with a full compliment of scholarships since Dan Monson took over reins of the program, the head coach and his assistants knew that Tucker could be a key ingredient in bringing the Maroon and Gold out from the bottom of the Big Ten and back into the national limelight. After numerous letters, phone calls and recruiting visits, the coaches had done everything they could to convince Tucker that Minnesota was the best place for him. Little did they know it would be another incoming freshman, Spencer Tollackson, who proved to be the best recruiter of them all. Tucker and Tollackson attended Nike Camp together where Tollackson lobbied on behalf of the Gophers.
"He did a lot of recruiting," Tucker said with a laugh. "He told me mostly about the history at Minnesota and why he made his decision. He told me all the good things about living in Minnesota, about how everyone in the state loves the "U." He made me feel really comfortable when I came on my visit."
Well before his arrival on campus, Tollackson knew the Gophers' future need at the point guard position. "I committed (to Minnesota) so early that I knew we were going to need a point guard. We went to a couple of the same camps together and I knew from watching him that he was one of the top five to 10 points guards in the nation," Tollackson said. "He is such a great person. I knew I had to try to get him to come here."
It wasn't just Tollackson who courted Tucker to the Twin Cities. Tollackson's parents took a liking to Tucker.
"One night, I met his parents and they told me that if I ever needed help they would be there for me and that I would always have a place to go for a home-cooked meal," Tucker said. "It was like I would have a home away from home. He really made me feel comfortable, like he would be there for me if anything went wrong," Tucker said.
Since moving half-way across the country, Tollackson has brought Tucker to his Chaska home to have dinner and pick up the necessary winter garments like hats and gloves.
Tollackson was wise to want a guard with Tucker's skills on his team. As a high school junior, Tucker averaged 25 points per game. As a senior, he scored at an even higher clip at over 27 points per game. His single-game career high was an eye-popping 56 points. That being the case, it's easy to see why the coaching staff, Tollackson and many others in the basketball ranks were so excited about Tucker.
"Rico was a player that we saw having elite athleticism combined with intense competitiveness," assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Bill Walker said. "He was a very good scorer in high school but when he moved up a level and played with the most talented players, he could take on the point guard mentality and lead his team."
During his junior year of high school, before visiting Minnesota, Tucker verbally committed to play at nearby University of San Diego. Tucker liked everything about the program, the coaches, administrators and players were everything Tucker was looking for. As he continued to play, however, he elevated his game to a higher level. He believed he belonged in one of the nation's major conferences, against bigger, stronger and faster opponents than he would face at San Diego. It was a difficult decision for the up and coming Tucker, and while he sincerely liked everyone he met at San Diego, Tucker had to meet the challenge of playing at a higher level.
Tucker would become a highly sought recruit. Some of the heralded basketball programs in the country like Gonzaga, Kansas and Oklahoma all wanted Tucker to don their respective uniforms. Through the hype, Tucker has been able to keep himself grounded. "I'm a humble guy, but I have to be. A lot of people aren't humble and are full of themselves and bad things happen to those kind of people. I try not to be one of those people that thinks they're God's gift to the world," Tucker said.
That's a very mature outlook for highly recruited freshman like Tucker to have. And while he knows he has talent, he also knows he has a lot to learn about collegiate basketball. One of Tucker's biggest assets is his passion for learning the game. Senior guard Moe Hargrow, who is sitting out this season due to NCAA transfer rules, has had a huge impact on Tucker's transition to college ball and college life. Hargrow has counseled Tucker on matters on and off the court, and Tucker believes he can learn from Hargrow's experiences. "I listen to him very closely because he's been through a lot," Tucker said.
With Hargrow sitting out the season and point guard Adam Boone out with an arm injury, Tucker will have to contribute early. It will be trial by fire, but he has played well in significant minutes in this early season, showing flashes of lightning quickness and defensive intensity that made him a high school star. Tucker admits the loss of Hargrow and Boone will curve his learning process, but he's the type who is always up for the challenge.
"It's a minor setback, but they be here to help me out if I ever have questions, they just won't be on the court. It will make the learning a little bit harder because I won't be able to see what they are explaining to me," Tucker said.
Inevitably, Tucker will make mistakes, that's just part of being a freshman. The most important part is not allowing yourself to get down. He is well aware that the transition to the college game will be hard, and while he won't condone making mistakes, he won't beat himself up over it either.
"Confidence is a big thing for me. I'm confident in whatever I do. Whenever I have a bad outing I just move on. I learn from it, but I keep my head up and I move forward because it's in the past now. All you can do is look to the future," Tucker said.
Monson has referred to Tucker as one of the better athletes he's ever coached. Tucker's teammates marvel at his jumping ability and the intensity he brings to the defensive side of the court is exemplary. Tucker takes pride in his aggressive defense, citing fans and teammates as his inspiration.
"If people see you playing good defense, it gets your teammates more into it and it gets the crowd more into it. It's a way to get all these people involved without even touching the ball," Tucker said.
You could say that getting other people involved is what Tucker is all about. He is a certified extrovert, easy-going and friendly. In the age of athlete's with inflated egos, Tucker is down to earth, confident yet grounded. He was taken back by the sheer size of the "U," but says he likes being around all the people. Tucker says he has found the diverse population throughout Minneapolis to be very fitting for his personality. "I try to meet as many people as possible, try to be outgoing. I'm open to all people, different kinds of people, I try to be a friendly, cultured person," Tucker said.
Tucker is a very creative person. While basketball is one outlet for his creativity, he has found other ways as well. Over the years he has started writing raps, something that stems from a pre-game tradition in high school.
Writing is a means of both intellectual enjoyment as well as stress relief for Tucker. However Coach Monson need not worry that Tucker will request time off to promote an album, as Tucker claims he writes "just for fun."
The task ahead of Tucker is no doubt a daunting one. Help bring the program back to Big Ten prominence, learn on the run while playing significant minutes as a true freshman and keep improving his game. However, this savvy, speedy guard is up to the challenge. It may be a while before you see Tucker leading the team out of the tunnel and onto the floor at the Final Four, but similar to when Michelangelo painted the ceiling at the Sistine Chapel, masterpieces take time. Until the masterpiece is completed, you can rest assured Tucker and the rest of the Golden Gophers will be in Williams Arena, perfecting their craft.
"Whoosh."
story by Kevin Morales, athletic communications student assistant You hear the familiar "whoosh" sound during Golden Gopher practices at Williams Arena. There stands Rico Tucker just beyond 19 feet, nine inches from the hoop; his arm extended straight, wrist folded indicating a smooth follow through. Tucker has worked to get to this point. Like an artist, he's polished his game to the point where it sometimes feels automatic.
Again and again, "whoosh."
Now that the season is officially underway, Tucker looks to use his game to help repaint the University of Minnesota Men's Basketball Team into a masterpiece.
The "U" wasn't always the canvas Tucker had in mind. Growing up in San Diego, the palm trees and hot beaches were a far cry from the frigid temperatures and blankets of snow that accompany a Minneapolis winter.
With the program entering its first season with a full compliment of scholarships since Dan Monson took over reins of the program, the head coach and his assistants knew that Tucker could be a key ingredient in bringing the Maroon and Gold out from the bottom of the Big Ten and back into the national limelight. After numerous letters, phone calls and recruiting visits, the coaches had done everything they could to convince Tucker that Minnesota was the best place for him. Little did they know it would be another incoming freshman, Spencer Tollackson, who proved to be the best recruiter of them all. Tucker and Tollackson attended Nike Camp together where Tollackson lobbied on behalf of the Gophers.
"He did a lot of recruiting," Tucker said with a laugh. "He told me mostly about the history at Minnesota and why he made his decision. He told me all the good things about living in Minnesota, about how everyone in the state loves the "U." He made me feel really comfortable when I came on my visit."
Well before his arrival on campus, Tollackson knew the Gophers' future need at the point guard position. "I committed (to Minnesota) so early that I knew we were going to need a point guard. We went to a couple of the same camps together and I knew from watching him that he was one of the top five to 10 points guards in the nation," Tollackson said. "He is such a great person. I knew I had to try to get him to come here."
It wasn't just Tollackson who courted Tucker to the Twin Cities. Tollackson's parents took a liking to Tucker.
"One night, I met his parents and they told me that if I ever needed help they would be there for me and that I would always have a place to go for a home-cooked meal," Tucker said. "It was like I would have a home away from home. He really made me feel comfortable, like he would be there for me if anything went wrong," Tucker said.
Since moving half-way across the country, Tollackson has brought Tucker to his Chaska home to have dinner and pick up the necessary winter garments like hats and gloves.
Tollackson was wise to want a guard with Tucker's skills on his team. As a high school junior, Tucker averaged 25 points per game. As a senior, he scored at an even higher clip at over 27 points per game. His single-game career high was an eye-popping 56 points. That being the case, it's easy to see why the coaching staff, Tollackson and many others in the basketball ranks were so excited about Tucker.
"Rico was a player that we saw having elite athleticism combined with intense competitiveness," assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Bill Walker said. "He was a very good scorer in high school but when he moved up a level and played with the most talented players, he could take on the point guard mentality and lead his team."
During his junior year of high school, before visiting Minnesota, Tucker verbally committed to play at nearby University of San Diego. Tucker liked everything about the program, the coaches, administrators and players were everything Tucker was looking for. As he continued to play, however, he elevated his game to a higher level. He believed he belonged in one of the nation's major conferences, against bigger, stronger and faster opponents than he would face at San Diego. It was a difficult decision for the up and coming Tucker, and while he sincerely liked everyone he met at San Diego, Tucker had to meet the challenge of playing at a higher level.
Tucker would become a highly sought recruit. Some of the heralded basketball programs in the country like Gonzaga, Kansas and Oklahoma all wanted Tucker to don their respective uniforms. Through the hype, Tucker has been able to keep himself grounded. "I'm a humble guy, but I have to be. A lot of people aren't humble and are full of themselves and bad things happen to those kind of people. I try not to be one of those people that thinks they're God's gift to the world," Tucker said.
That's a very mature outlook for highly recruited freshman like Tucker to have. And while he knows he has talent, he also knows he has a lot to learn about collegiate basketball. One of Tucker's biggest assets is his passion for learning the game. Senior guard Moe Hargrow, who is sitting out this season due to NCAA transfer rules, has had a huge impact on Tucker's transition to college ball and college life. Hargrow has counseled Tucker on matters on and off the court, and Tucker believes he can learn from Hargrow's experiences. "I listen to him very closely because he's been through a lot," Tucker said.
With Hargrow sitting out the season and point guard Adam Boone out with an arm injury, Tucker will have to contribute early. It will be trial by fire, but he has played well in significant minutes in this early season, showing flashes of lightning quickness and defensive intensity that made him a high school star. Tucker admits the loss of Hargrow and Boone will curve his learning process, but he's the type who is always up for the challenge.
"It's a minor setback, but they be here to help me out if I ever have questions, they just won't be on the court. It will make the learning a little bit harder because I won't be able to see what they are explaining to me," Tucker said.
Inevitably, Tucker will make mistakes, that's just part of being a freshman. The most important part is not allowing yourself to get down. He is well aware that the transition to the college game will be hard, and while he won't condone making mistakes, he won't beat himself up over it either.
"Confidence is a big thing for me. I'm confident in whatever I do. Whenever I have a bad outing I just move on. I learn from it, but I keep my head up and I move forward because it's in the past now. All you can do is look to the future," Tucker said.
Monson has referred to Tucker as one of the better athletes he's ever coached. Tucker's teammates marvel at his jumping ability and the intensity he brings to the defensive side of the court is exemplary. Tucker takes pride in his aggressive defense, citing fans and teammates as his inspiration.
"If people see you playing good defense, it gets your teammates more into it and it gets the crowd more into it. It's a way to get all these people involved without even touching the ball," Tucker said.
You could say that getting other people involved is what Tucker is all about. He is a certified extrovert, easy-going and friendly. In the age of athlete's with inflated egos, Tucker is down to earth, confident yet grounded. He was taken back by the sheer size of the "U," but says he likes being around all the people. Tucker says he has found the diverse population throughout Minneapolis to be very fitting for his personality. "I try to meet as many people as possible, try to be outgoing. I'm open to all people, different kinds of people, I try to be a friendly, cultured person," Tucker said.
Tucker is a very creative person. While basketball is one outlet for his creativity, he has found other ways as well. Over the years he has started writing raps, something that stems from a pre-game tradition in high school.
Writing is a means of both intellectual enjoyment as well as stress relief for Tucker. However Coach Monson need not worry that Tucker will request time off to promote an album, as Tucker claims he writes "just for fun."
The task ahead of Tucker is no doubt a daunting one. Help bring the program back to Big Ten prominence, learn on the run while playing significant minutes as a true freshman and keep improving his game. However, this savvy, speedy guard is up to the challenge. It may be a while before you see Tucker leading the team out of the tunnel and onto the floor at the Final Four, but similar to when Michelangelo painted the ceiling at the Sistine Chapel, masterpieces take time. Until the masterpiece is completed, you can rest assured Tucker and the rest of the Golden Gophers will be in Williams Arena, perfecting their craft.
"Whoosh."
story by Kevin Morales, athletic communications student assistant
