March 3, 2003

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USF senior forward Darrell Tucker and junior guard/forward John Cox have been named first team all-West Coast Conference it was announced today.

For Tucker, who leads the league in scoring with 18.5 points per game, and would also lead it in scoring during league games (22.1 ppg.) if he played the minimum required, its his second straight selection and third overall. Tucker played just nine league games this year (USF won seven of those) after separating his right (shooting) thumb in a game at Michigan on January 2nd.

Tucker also was named WCC Player of the Month for the third time this season. He averaged 24 points per game and 7.5 rebounds as the Dons swept at LMU and Pepperdine.

Tucker ranks third on the USF career scoring list with 1768 points, which ranks also 14th in WCC history and sixth in Bay Area Division I history. On the USF list he trails just Bill Cartwright and Quintin Dailey, while on the Bay Area list he trails Stanford's Todd Lichti and Adam Keefe, Cartwright, Dailey and Cal's Sean Lampley. He trails Lampley by just eight points. Last game against Pepperdine, he passed Ricky Berry and Mark McNamara.

John Cox had a breakout year and becomes part of the first USF father-son duo to be named all-WCC. His father, Chubby Cox, was all-league 1977 and 1978.

Cox was USF's second leading scorer with 15.7 points per game, but lifted his average to 18.9 in WCC action, second to Gonzaga's Blake Stepp. Cox was also ranked in field goal percentage, free-throw percentage and three-point percentage in league action.

USF guard Jason Gaines was a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year Honors.

USF Notes: USF is as hot as anyone in the league, having won seven of nine and 13 of 20. The Dons were able to do this despite the loss of star senior forward Darrell Tucker for six games. USF clinched the third seed with a sweep of Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine in L.A. this weekend. LMU has won two straight home games (including an upset of Gonzaga) before losing to the Dons 75-69, while Pepperdine had won five of six before USF took that game 90-82. USF's 9-5 mark equals the best mark since USF returned to basketball in 1985-86, which they did in 1996-97. USF was definitely the WCC's shooting champion, sweeping the field goal (49.2), 3-point (43.9%) and free-throw (74.4%) percentage titles. For USF, it was the first time the team had led the league in FG% in WCC play since 1979, the first time they have ever led in 3pt% (3pt started in 1988) and first time the Dons have led in free-throw pct. since 1995. In individual conference stats, John Cox was second in the league in scoring (18.9 ppg) behind Blake Stepp. However, Darrell Tucker, would have led the league in scoring with 22.1 ppg. had he played the minimum 75% of USF's WCC contests. Jason Gaines led the WCC in assist/turnover ratio with 2.09. In overall stats Darrell Tucker is the WCC's leading scorer 18.5 ppg, Cox is fifth 15.7. Shamell Stallworth leads in free-throw percentage (85.7%) and three-point percentage (44.5%). Tucker is second in three-point percentage with 44.3%. Gaines also leads in assist to to ratio (2.38). TUCKER CAREER SCORING - THIRD IN USF, FOURTEENTH IN WCC: Tucker, the Oakland native and grad of McClymonds High School, is trying to earn his third all-WCC honors in four years. Tucker leads the league in overall scoring with 18.5 points per contest and is third in rebounding, 7th in field goal percentage, 2nd in three-point percentage and 12th in free-throw percentage. He is averaging 22.1 points and 7.9 rpg. in WCC play, but has not played enough games to be among league leaders (he would be first in scoring and third in rebounding. Tucker has certainly made his mark on the USF record books, having scored 1,768 points. He trails only Quintin Dailey (1,841) and Bill Cartwright (2,116). Friday night he passed three former Santa Clara players; Brian Jones (1722), Harold Keeling (1731) and Kurt Rambis (1735) and David Vann of St. Mary's (1738) to move all the way up to 14th position in WCC career scoring.

Tucker's 845 career rebounds rank seventh on the USF career list. He appears to on the way to leading USF in scoring for the third straight season, the first USF player to do that since Quintin Dailey who did it in 80-81-82. Bill Russell, Phil Smith and Ollie Johnson are the only other USF players to achieve that streak. Tucker has also passed Paul Silas (1661 at Creighton - '62-'64) as McClymonds High School's all-time leading alumni scorer.

WCC All-League (Men) Darrell Tucker, John Cox (USF), Blake Stepp, Ronny Turiaf, Cory Violette (Gonzaga), Jason Keep, Jason Blair (USD), Terrance Johnson, Jimmy Miggins (PEP), Samuel Saint-Jean (SMC). Player of Year: Blake Stepp (Gonzaga) ; Freshman of Year: Alex Acker (Pepperdine); Coach of Year: Mark Few (Gonzaga); Defender of the Year: Anthony Woodards (SMC).