Meet Cliff Tucker
Get to know the name Cliff Tucker. There is a good chance that you will hear his name a lot over the next month and a half. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound shooting guard from Chapin High School in El Paso, Texas finished up an impressive camp tour and is now gearing up for the important July period.
Tucked away in West Texas, Tucker has quietly emerged as a must-see man for the high-major programs come July. The big time athlete has gained strong momentum after strong showings at camps at Texas and Virginia this month.
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He is making the most of his time at the elite camps. Tucker said the camps provide him an opportunity to gauge himself with other elite level players across the country.
"There is not a lot of competition out here. You have to go to Dallas or Houston to get that," Tucker said. "And people just down come out here."
El Paso, a seven and a half hour left turn out of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, might be a popular place once college coaches get a chance to see the strong bodied, athletic guard this summer.
His next stop is the Reeebok ABCD camp. The camp will be the first time many high-major programs will see the three-star combo guard.
"Hopefully I can go out there and show how good I am so I get my name out there. Nobody has really seen me yet," he said.
Some schools have seen him though. Utah, Texas A&M, Georgetown, San Diego, Richmond, Wisconsin, Santa Barbara, New Mexico and UTEP (his only current offer) are showing interest, he said.
Originally from the Virginia/Maryland/D.C. area, Tucker said he was glad he could get back to his old stomping ground when he participated in the Virginia camp. The son of military parents said location probably won't be a factor.
Tucker has made a splash on the gridiron as a big receiver. He said he has heard from the football staffs at UTEP, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, New Mexico State and Nebraska. "I'll probably take some visits for football, too," Tucker said.
Tucker, who plays with the New Mexico Force AAU club, averaged 19.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game as a junior.
"I like playing football but people say I might be a better basketball player," Tucker said.
July will be a time for college coaches to see that for themselves.