Uncommitted senior Tucker expands focus
In late December, four-star wing Jordan Tucker appeared to be closing in on a decision between Indiana and Villanova. Since then, he’s added two more schools to his list in Georgia Tech and Oregon, and he wants to do more research on each school before making a decision.
“I have to take this Oregon visit and I’m going to take it after the season,” Tucker said. “I’m waiting on them to finish. I’m going to take one to Georgia Tech also whenever they finish up their season with the NIT. I know I’m there all the time, but I’m going to take a real official visit and sit down with them and really figure things out.”
Tucker, who transferred to Wheeler High School in metro Atlanta for his senior season, admits one school still holds the edge in his recruitment.
“I think Indiana is at the top and then those other three are pretty even," he said. "The only thing with Villanova is I’m just waiting to see who is leaving and who is staying. I want to see what happens with Jalen Brunson and a few of the other guys.”
With Georgia Tech being so close, Tucker has been a regular on campus there this season and likes what Josh Pastner is building in Atlanta.
“I like the resources I have here," he said. "It’s an NBA city. I have a pretty good relationship with Josh Pastner. I talk to him almost every day. Out of all the coaches, I see him the most. He’s real cool. Also, Jose [Alvarado] is going there and I’ve known him since freshman year.”
Georgia Tech is also in hot pursuit of another highly ranked wing in the 2017 class, five-star shooting guard M.J. Walker. His situation could potentially influence Tucker’s decision.
“I haven’t spoken to M.J., but I talked to his dad at the Georgia Tech-Syracuse game," Tucker said. "He was asking me what I was looking for and I told him I was waiting to see what they were going to do. He said the same thing and said they were waiting to see what I’m going to do. I wouldn’t mind playing with him. We’re two different types of players. I think I can play with him. They already have guys there now though like Tadric Jackson, who will be a senior, and Josh Okogie has established himself. I don’t want to be in a situation where it’s too clogged up like I was talking about with Villanova, but I don’t mind competing for a spot either.”
With Oregon, Dana Altman’s offense intrigues Tucker.
“I just like their playing style," Tucker said. "They are free with it but they are also structured. They get up and down and put a lot of points on the board.”
The Hoosiers may hold the edge for Tucker right now, but he’s closely monitoring Tom Crean’s situation in Bloomington. Rumors have been swirling all season about him potentially being fired or leaving for another job, such as Missouri or N.C. State.
“I’m definitely monitoring what is happening at Indiana," Tucker said. "That’s why I’m slowing this whole thing down. We’ve definitely heard the rumors about Tom Crean. They told us everything is going to be fine, but you never know. The coaching staff is a big part of my interest there. I’ve always said if they go somewhere else, I would consider following them if they go to a school I wouldn’t mind going to. One thing that has always stuck out with Tom Crean wherever he’s been is how he gets the most out of his players. I need a coach like that who is going to get the most out of me.”
Look for Tucker’s recruitment to drag out at least another month as he will be taking two more official visits and potentially a third depending on how the coaching carousel plays out.
“It’s looking like it will be later in April after I take my visits,” he said.
