Charleston's Tucker signs to play with Northern Colorado

GREELEY, Colo. (uncbears.com) -- Northern Colorado head coach B.J. Hill, after adding six scholarship players in his first recruiting class last season, added just one this year in dynamic guard Greg Tucker from Charleston High School in Charleston, Mo.

Tucker is a 6-foot-2, 190 pound wing player, whom Hill compares to current Bears redshirt-freshman Tevin Svihovec

Hill, working off a tip from a friend who used to coach in the Big Sky, first started recruiting Tucker during a trip to St. Louis in July but didn't get to watch him play much because of a hurt ankle. A subsequent trip to Missouri, though, resulted in the beginning of a great relationship.

Hill said he liked what he saw from Tucker on the court but really got interested after sitting down with him for a one-on-conversation.

"I sat down with him for about an hour-and-a-half and liked him even more," Hill said. "Then I went to his house and met his mom and loved the family and what they were about and thought he would fit in perfectly with what we're trying to do. I think he's a great addition to our program.

"He's a strong, athletic kid, who I think can bring a lot to us. We lose Mike [Proctor] next year, but we're pretty deep in our frontcourt, so we decided to go with another guard in this class. We'll just have to get a big in next year's class."

Tucker averaged 21 points and six rebounds per game last season and helped his Blue Jays, winners of 11 all-time Missouri state championships, to a third-place finish in Missouri Class 3. He also earned a spot on the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 3 All-State First Team. He was one of just two juniors on the Class 3 First Team and joined current Northern Colorado freshman Tim Huskisson, who was a 2011 MBCA Class 4 First Team selection for Willard High School.

Toss in redshirt-freshman Tate Unruh (Branson, Mo.), and the Bears will suit up three players next season who prepped in the Show-Me State.

"I don't know what is," Hill said, "it's kind of become a weird deal. Southern Missouri all of a sudden has become a hotbed for us. All three are great kids--they have great character--and are really good players. They are all great additions to what we're trying to get done here."