University of San Francisco Athletics

Stockton native Tiara Tucker has announced her intentions to play college basketball at the University of San Francisco, under the tutelage of head coach Jennifer Azzi.
 
"Tiara continues our run of getting top players in our own backyard. It is a priority to keep the best Bay Area talent at home," Azzi said of the latest woman to ink with the Dons. "She's been here a few times, she's local and the team loves her. There was definitely chemistry with her and the rest of the team and that's a big deal. She's a great fit for the program, and we are excited to add her to the USF basketball family."
 
The 5-6 point guard/shooting guard will play her senior season at McNair High School, transferring from Brookside Christian. She enters the year ranked No. 53 in the state by Max Preps after amassing one of the most impressive scoring lines Northern California has ever seen.
 
Tucker's maturity on the court blossomed to end her junior season, and she went on a scoring spree in the month of January for Brookside Christian. Tucker scored 63 points in a 108-10 win over Merced-Stone Ridge Christian. The next week she posted 73 points in a 105-17 victory over Millennium, and then added 51 in a 96-18 win over Modesto-Big Valley Christian. In those three games alone, Tucker herself outscored the opponents, 187-45.
 
Her 73-point outing is good for the NorCal state record and is fourth on the all-time state scoring list, only trailing Cheryl Miller and Lisa Leslie for the single-game scoring record.
 
Her scoring prowess went beyond three games, however, as the junior averaged 29.6 points per game, a mark that was fourth in the state for offensive output. She added 4.3 steals, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game as Brookside Christian went 26-5 on the season.
 
As a freshman, she scored 968 total points, averaging more than 30 points per game. Continuing her high output her sophomore season, Tucker led the Knights to the CIF State Division V championship as the squad posted a 30-4 overall record. She averaged 25.3 points, 5.3 steals, 3.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds a night, racking up 810 total points while shooting 52 percent from the field.
 
Tucker has received numerous awards in her high school career, including three-straight San Joaquin County first-team awards. She was tapped as all-state sophomore second team by Cal-Hi Sports, and was honored as the 2012 Girls Basketball Player of the Year by the Record for her efforts on the court. Max Preps named her the Division V most valuable player in 2012-13.
 
To date, she has scored 2,519 points in her three-year prep career, which stands 33rd in California state history with one season remaining. If she maintains her pace through her senior season, Tucker needs 827 points to pass Courtney Paris for fourth on the all-time scoring list, ahead of phenoms such as WNBA standouts Candice Wiggins and Diana Taurasi, to name a few.
 
The addition of Tucker to the Dons' lineup is sure to be a boost to the USF offensive production, but will also prove to be an important addition in all facets of the game.
 
"She's a heck of a scorer and that's kind of what people talk about, but her ability to bring pressure, to handle the ball, to be a facilitator, to be a passer is outstanding," Azzi remarked. "As much as she has the ability to score, she can also really attack the defense and look to set other players up as well. She's one of the best ball handlers I've seen. And coming from her previous high school, Brookside Christian, and her former coach, Coach K, really did a lot of skill work with them, a lot of ball handling, a lot of defensive footwork so she comes in with a pretty solid skill set."
 
USF welcomes Tucker to the Hilltop to join a youthful roster that has but one senior. The Dons will have their core intact as Tucker arrives to wear the Green and Gold in 2014-15.