Freakishly athletic Tucker wowing DePaul fans

Dar Tucker had been coming to the park for years, dominating the boys' games, hoping the men would one day take notice.

Unlike the coaches who would later crowd around him, the men at Veterans Park couldn't dangle college scholarships, national TV exposure or NBA dreams. All they could offer was their respect.

And in Tucker's hometown of Saginaw, Mich., respect meant everything.

"New York's got Rucker Park; we've got Vets Park," said Tucker, a standout freshman guard for DePaul. "If you want your name out there, you go to Vets Park."

Tucker became a park regular in the third grade, shortly after his family moved to Saginaw's east side and after he dumped baseball for basketball. As an eighth grader, right around the time he first started to dunk, Tucker got the call.

"There's a couple guys out there, we just call them Vets Park legends, they're older cats," Tucker explained. "They were like, 'C'mon to this court. Play with us.'

"I had to show I could play with the big kids, too."

He's been doing it ever since.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Tucker is growing up fast at DePaul. He's the team's second-leading scorer (13.5 ppg) and rebounder (5.4) despite ranking sixth in minutes played (21.5 per game).

Tucker is fourth among Big East rookies in scoring, averaging 15.8 points in his last four league games. His electrifying style, typified by several dunks replayed on SportsCenter, has quickly made him DePaul's most popular player.

"They call him elevator man," Demons freshman center Mac Koshwal said.

"One fan had the big 'Dar' sign up there the other game," Tucker said. "I've never seen nothing like that. They're always like, 'Sick dunk.' I'm like, 'Thanks.'

"I just try to have fun out there. I want to win, but I also want the crowd to enjoy the game."

DePaul's 'lightning rod'

There's nothing subtle about Tucker, from his brash play on the court to his candor off it. Whether he's skying for an alley-oop or making freshman mistakes, there's never a hint of hesitation.

It's the Vets Park in him.

"You've got to have a swagger," Tucker said. "You've got to be like, 'You can't beat me.' If you don't, people are going to smell it, people are going to feel that you've got fear."

Tucker has shown no fear at DePaul despite his limited minutes.

He averages 11.3 shots per game and a shot for every 114 seconds of court time. Early on, he struggled with his shot selection, hitting just 16 of his first 45 attempts.

His decision-making has since improved, and Tucker is shooting 45.8 percent in Big East play. He ranks sixth nationally in scoring among nonstarters.

"His progress has been incredible," Blue Demons coach Jerry Wainwright said Friday as the team prepared for today's matchup with Rutgers (1 p.m., ESPNU). "He's really approached the conference season the way a young player should."

Tucker still shows his age at times. Last Saturday at St. John's, he scored a game-high 16 points, but his foul helped the Red Storm convert a 4-point play with 10 seconds left and DePaul comfortably in the lead.

"He does a lot of good things and then he does some things that in terms of decision-making aren't always the best, but he does them full-speed," Wainwright said. "I don't want to tone down his exuberance or his enthusiasm.

"He's a lightning rod."

Wainwright doesn't underplay his hopes for Tucker, whom he calls a "go-to guy." The coach marvels at his athleticism, noting Tucker can walk into the gym and do a 360-degree dunk in street clothes with ease.

"He's an athletic wonder," Wainwright said.

Yet Tucker remains DePaul's sixth man despite a growing clamor for increased minutes. He sat for much of the second half Wednesday as Villanova rallied past DePaul, leaving some to question why he can't take on a bigger role.

A starting spot awaits Tucker in the near future, but for now Wainwright will use the freshman in stretches.

"I look at him as kind of our sixth starter," Wainwright said. "It's like having a bullpen pitcher who can throw 100 miles an hour. His control isn't great yet, but he's going to throw 100 miles an hour every time. … Are there games where he could get 30 plus minutes? Absolutely. But right now, his productivity and our team's productivity is pretty high. I don't necessarily want to change that."

Chicago's own

Wainwright likens Tucker to DePaul's last above-the-rim star, Wilson Chandler, another top-50 recruit from Michigan (Benton Harbor) who spurned state schools for the big city.

Tucker signed a letter of intent with DePaul in November 2006, but Internet rumors persisted throughout the spring that he would end up elsewhere, possibly at Michigan State.

"It was a little frustrating," Tucker said. "Not saying DePaul is terrible or nothing, but a lot of people expected me to go to the name school. They were like, 'What? Listen, man, you should go here, this and that. I guess the rumor got out there.' But I've got to make plans for my future.

"I signed the papers, I'm coming here."

Tucker is still adjusting to Chicago after growing up in Saginaw, where he "could walk to most places." But he recognizes the springboard that the city presents.

"You can market yourself here," he said. "And (home isn't) that far. It's only four hours away."

Tucker plans to be back in Saginaw this summer, playing pickup ball with the older cats again. Asked if he's a Vets Park legend, Tucker flashes a wide smile.

Not yet.

His legacy at DePaul is just beginning.

"He's going to be one of the best guards in this league, if not the country," Wainwright said. "He has that kind of ability. He has absolutely no clue how good he is."

Rutgers (8-10, 0-5) at DePaul (7-9, 3-2)

When: 1 p.m. at Allstate Arena

TV: ESPNU

Radio: WSCR 670-AM

The skinny: DePaul has been here before, needing to bounce back from a loss in which it blew a sizable lead. The Blue Demons can't afford a UIC-like hangover against the Big East's only winless team. Coach Jerry Wainwright said rebounding cost DePaul against Villanova, and a better effort is crucial against a Scarlet Knights front line of JR Inman (14.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and Hamady Ndiaye (6.1 rpg, 3.3 bpg). Demons freshman Mac Koshwal practiced Friday but is still feeling the effects of an illness that limited him against Villanova. "He's had a really bad respiratory situation," Wainwright said. "I hope he has his motor back." DePaul held Rutgers to 37 points in last year's win on the road.

-- Adam Rittenberg