Feb. 6, 2002

To suggest that USF's surge over the past month is primarily the result of improved play from junior forward Darrell Tucker is to miss so much of the picture.

Center Hondre Brewer is staying out of foul trouble and blocking shots. Guard John Cox has found his rhythm after sitting out with an injury last season. Point guard LyRyan Russell, also shelved by injury a year ago, is pushing the pace and distributing the ball.

But it all starts with Tucker, the 6-foot-9 graduate of Oakland's McClymonds High.

During the Dons' current 9-3 run, Tucker is averaging 20.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and shooting 51 percent, with 10 double-doubles in 12 games.

"Darrell realizes now he's No.1 on everyone's scouting report," USF coach Phil Mathews said. "He also realizes he is the go-to guy and our guys are looking to him. They know when Darrell gets going good, it could be an explosion."

Tucker will be in the spotlight again Friday when the Dons visit West Coast Conference leader Pepperdine. The Waves are 15-6 overall, with non-conference victories over UCLA and USC, and have beaten WCC favorite Gonzaga on the way to an 8-0 league start.

Tucker feels like the Dons are ready for the challenge. Finally.

USF was the Bay Area's most confounding team early this season, starting the year 2-7. One of those two victories was at the expense of Cal State Hayward, an NAIA non-scholarship school playing without its best player. And the Pioneers led by as many as 12 points early in the game.

"No disrespect to Hayward, but we knew then we had some flaws in our character," Tucker said. "There was something wrong.

"When you're 2-7, you've got to ask yourself, 'What's the problem?'"

Tucker thought about it and decided there were a number of issues, ranging from players being overanxious to overconfident. The team wasn't playing together, he said, and it wasn't having fun.

Now the Dons are 6-2 and in third place in the WCC standings. And by any measure, they're having fun.

"The scary thing with our team is we still haven't played our best basketball and everyone knows it," Tucker said. "Everyone knows we can play much better."

In particular, Tucker has played much better than ever this season, certainly more consistently. Talented from the start of his collegiate career, Tucker was prone to occasionally disappearing on the court his first two seasons.

With 13 double-doubles and season averages of 19.2 points and 10.1 rebounds, Tucker hasn't been AWOL often this year. But in one of the club's biggest games, at Gonzaga, he got into early foul trouble and wound up with just eight points and six rebounds in a 20-point loss.

"They had a good game plan and they were going to make me work for everything -- push me here, shove me there," Tucker said. "That game only bothered me for that night. I use it to movtivate me, but I don't sit there and dwell on it."

Mathews said Tucker is maturing, and if that means organizing his priorities, then Tucker agrees. These days, he said, his only three concerns are school, basketball and family.

Literally, perhaps the big man on campus, Tucker doesn't even have a girl friend right now.

"Girls are always going to be a distraction. I'm a single guy right now," he said. "It's totally better. There's less responsibility. On game days, I don't talk to anyone. My mom knows not to call. I don't have the TV on. I just sit in my room and think."

The quiet time is a prelude to an explosion on the court.

AROUND THE WCC: USF sophomore guard John Cox, cousin of NBA star Kobe Bryant, was named WCC Player of the Week after scoring 22 points against San Diego and 20 vs. Santa Clara in a pair of victories. Cox shot 8-for-9 from 3-point range in the two games. ... Gonzaga has soared to new heights in the national rankings at No.9 in Associated Press poll and No.10 in USA Today/ESPN poll -- both all-time bests. ... Santa Clara is staging an alumni game Saturday at 2p.m. at the Leavey Center, prior to its contest that evening vs. Portland.

Article courtesy of Jeff Faraudo/The Oakland Tribune (2/6/2002)