Tucker lands in ACC

Somebody had to be the first one. After visiting the University of Virginia in mid-week, Jamil Tucker figured he was ready to be the first player in the class of 2006 to verbally commit to the ACC school. Rivals.com caught up with Tucker's head coach John Boyd and got the exclusive scoop on the 6-foot-9, 210-pound small forward from Gary (Ind.) West High School.

After officially visiting Charlottesville last weekend, Tucker, the No. 63 ranked player in the class of 2006, decided he saw enough to be Virginia's first recruit in the senior class.

"He's committed to Virginia and Dave Leitao is the reason. Plain and simple," Boyd said. "He gets it done. He's been responsible for putting some guys in some nice places thanks to the game of basketball and feels like he sees the same things in Jamil. Coach Leitao is first class. What else can you say?"

How about this: Virginia is landing one of the most intriguing players in this class. He's a long bodied forward with a good shooting touch, solid handles and a winning summer under his belt with the SYF Players.

Even with interest from Kent State (where he officially visited last month), Georgia Tech, Miami, Indiana and Purdue, Tucker saw himself in the ACC.

"They were one of the few coaching staffs that fully understand his potential," Boyd said. "Jamil is hungry and wants to get out there and prove to people that he's a talented player and I think (Virginia) is that way, too."

The freshness of the program was one of the selling points that brought Tucker to UVA, Boyd said.

"That is one of the reasons that sold Jamil on Virginia," Boyd said. "It's a new coach, new staff and a new facility that might just be the best in the country."

Boyd said Tucker is a full-qualifier but will retake the SAT this year "for the icing on the cake."