Craig Tucker
Men’s Basketball 1978-80

Craig Tucker never had to travel far to hone his basketball skills. As a young man growing up in Flint, Michigan during the 70s, opportunities to compete and improve were everywhere. In the neighborhood schools, in the various parks around town and even in his cousin’s basement. It was in the basement of cousin Trent Tucker that the two aspiring basketball players got their start. “We would go in the basement and he had a full-court set where they make rims out of cardboard and a hanger,” Craig said. “He had them on both ends of the floor. That’s how we started playing basketball as little guys, just makeshift rims that he made. So, when I went home, I made one in my house. We used to shoot on curtain rods when we were little.”

        When Tucker received an offer from Coffeyville Community College. He made the most of the opportunity, both on and off the court. He applied himself in the classroom, earning a 3.4 GPA. He made third-team All-American as a freshman and first-team as a sophomore. He scored 1,436 points in 60 career games  (23.9 per game), a program record that still stands.

        Among his teammates were James “Buster” Douglas (Heavyweight boxing champion), Kevin McHale (Boston Celtics) and Jeff Ruland (Washington Bullets).

        While playing at Coffeyville, he got the attention of the University of Illinois and was offered the opportunity to play in the Big Ten Conference. Tucker could’ve left after his freshman year, but felt loyalty to Coffeyville and played one more season of junior college ball. At Illinois, Tucker played alongside future NBA veteran Derek Harper and Eddie Johnson, averaging 10.7 points as a junior and 15.5 as a senior. That led to the possibility of playing on the same team with his cousin when Trent was chosen by the New York Knicks with the sixth overall pick in the 1982 NBA draft and Craig was selected by the Knicks in the third round. Craig made it to Veterans’ Camp and ended up being one of the last players cut.  Tucker had proven himself at every level, but it was difficult for NBA team to get past the fact he was only 5 feet, 11 inches. “It doesn’t matter what size you are, it’s what you’ve got inside.  The will to win, the will to play hard, I had that coming from Flint more than anybody that I ever knew. Nobody ever had the will to win that I did.”

        Tucker played in the Continental Basketball Association before retiring from basketball. In April 2017 Craig Tucker was inducted in the National Junior College Athletic Association Basketball Hall of  Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada.

                Tucker lives in Las Vegas with his wife of 30 years, Paula. Paula and Craig were high school sweethearts. Tucker is a Clinical Associate in Las Vegas Recovery Center, a facility that works with recovering alcohol and drug abusers. “I was on alcohol and drugs at a time during my career,” Tucker said. “Now, being 11 years clean, I get a chance to give back what was so freely given to me. That’s why I love it.  It’s all about helping people. I can see people coming in, and I see myself.” Craig is an active member in his church, Second Baptist of Las Vegas and serves on the Security ministry.