University of Minnesota Athletics
Ceremonies Set for Tucker and Skoog Jersey Retirement
1/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The University of Minnesota and the Gopher men’s basketball program announced today that the jersey’s of former Gopher greats Trent Tucker and Whitey Skoog will join four other former Gophers in the rafters of Williams Arena. The ceremony for the retirement of Tucker’s jersey will take place at halftime of the Minnesota-Indiana game on Feb. 10, while Skoog’s jersey will be raised during halftime of the Minnesota-Northwestern game on Feb. 22.
A native of Flint, Mich., Tucker was recruited by and played four seasons for head coach Jim Dutcher (1978-82). He amassed 1,445 career points at Minnesota (8th all-time) and finished among other Gopher greats with 164 career steals (3rd all-time), 631 field goals made (6th all-time) and a .772 (183-237) free-throw percentage (7th all-time). As a senior in 1982, Tucker led the Gophers to a 23-6 overall record (14-3 in the Big Ten), the school’s last Big Ten Championship and also garnered All-American status.
Tucker, who received his degree from the “U” in 2004, was the sixth overall section in the 1982 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks and went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA with the Knicks (1982-91), the San Antonio Spurs (1991-92) and finished his career with an NBA Championship with 1992-93 Chicago Bulls. Currently, Tucker is the Senior Vice-President of Community Outreach and Youth Development at the University of Minnesota and also works as an analyst for the Big Ten Network during its broadcasts of Big Ten Conference men’s basketball.
Skoog played guard for head coach O.B. “Ozzie” Cowles during the 1948-51 seasons. Known best as one of the foremost pioneers of the jump shot, Skoog was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Big Ten selection for the Gophers. Following his Golden Gopher career, he was the 10th pick of the 1951 NBA Draft and played six seasons for his hometown Minneapolis Lakers, where he was a part of three world championship teams.
Skoog earned a bachelor of science degree at Minnesota in 1951 and collected a master of arts in physical education from the U’ seven years later. He went on to coach for 24 seasons at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., where he won a pair of MIAC conference titles and was named the conference’s Coach of the Year in 1975.
Jim Brewer was the first former Gopher to be honored by the university when his jersey was retired on March 5, 1973. Mychal Thompson joined Brewer on March 4, 1978, followed by Kevin McHale on Oct. 18, 1993 and Lou Hudson on March 5, 1994.
Single-game tickets are still available for the remaining home games this season. Fans interested in purchasing tickets may call the ticket office at 612-624-8080, or toll free at 1-800-U-GOPHER. Tickets may also be purchased through Minnesota’s official athletics department website, www.gophersports.com.
