Tucker DeVries explained

Tucker DeVries
Team:West Virginia Mountaineers
Number:12
Position:Shooting guard / small forward
League:Big 12 Conference
Height Ft:6
Height In:7
Weight Lb:210
Birth Date:7 December 2002
Birth Place:Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
High School:
College:Drake (2021–2024)
West Virginia (2024–present)
Highlights:

Tucker Dale DeVries (born December 7, 2002) is an American college basketball player for the West Virginia Mountaineers of the Big 12 Conference.

Early life and high school career

DeVries grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and initially attended Elkhorn South High School. After his freshman year he moved with his family to Waukee, Iowa and enrolled at Waukee High School after his father, Darian DeVries, was hired as the head men's basketball coach at Drake University.[1] He played alongside future Iowa commits Payton Sandfort and Pryce Sandfort, and Iowa State commit Omaha Biliew. As a senior, DeVries was named Iowa Mr. Basketball after he averaged 18.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.9 steals per game.[2] He was rated a four-star recruit and the best overall recruit from his class in the state of Iowa.[3] [4] DeVries committed to playing for his father at Drake over offers from Iowa State, Oregon, and Creighton.[5]

College career

DeVries became a starter at small forward for the Drake Bulldogs early in his freshman season. He finished his freshman season averaging 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game and was named the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Freshman of the Year and second team all-conference.[6] DeVries was named the preseason MVC Player of the Year entering his sophomore season.[7] [8] [9]

At the conclusion of the 2022–23 season, DeVries was named MVC Player of the Year.[10] He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament after scoring 22 points in the final against Bradley.[11] The following year, DeVries' junior campaign, he repeated as the MVC Player of the Year after averaging 21.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals during the regular season.[12] He joined Lewis Lloyd as Drake players to pick up MVC Player of the Year status for two straight seasons.[12] DeVries repeated as the MVP of the MVC Conference tournament after scoring 27 points with seven rebounds and five assists in a 84-80 win over Indiana State in the 2024 championship game.[13]

Just three days after the conclusion of the 2024 season, it was announced that Drake head coach and Tucker's father Darian DeVries would fill the vacant position at West Virginia. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Tucker would follow his father to the new program.[14]

Career statistics

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22| style="text-align:left;"| Drake| 36 || 29 || 29.8 || .416 || .339 || .775 || 4.6 || 2.1 || 1.0 || .8 || 13.9|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23| style="text-align:left;"| Drake| 34 || 34 || 32.9 || .446 || .373 || .838 || 5.7 || 1.8 || 1.1 || .2 || 18.6|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24| style="text-align:left;"| Drake| 34 || 34 || 35.5 || .444 || .363 || .813 || 6.7 || 3.7 || 1.6 || .3 || 21.6|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career| 104 || 97 || 32.7 || .437 || .359 || .812 || 5.6 || 2.5 || 1.2 || .5 || 18.0

Personal life

Devries’ father, Darian, played college basketball at Northern Iowa and was an assistant coach at Creighton for 18 years before becoming the head coach at Drake and then West Virginia.[15] [16] [17] His uncle, Jared, was an All-American defensive end at Iowa and played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions.[18]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tucker DeVries received the offer he's 'always dreamed of' from Greg McDermott, Creighton. Omaha World-Herald. November 6, 2019. October 25, 2022.
  2. Web site: DeVries named Iowa's Mr. Basketball; IPSWA names All-State basketball teams. Carroll Daily Times Herald. March 16, 2021. October 25, 2022.
  3. Web site: College basketball: In Tucker DeVries, Drake lands its best recruit, maybe ever. The Des Moines Register. October 12, 2020. October 25, 2022.
  4. Web site: On a lot of people's radars': Waukee wings Payton Sandfort, Tucker DeVries poised for Division I futures. The Des Moines Register. December 13, 2019. October 25, 2022.
  5. Web site: Tucker DeVries: Here's why I'm committing to Drake basketball. The Des Moines Register. October 12, 2020. October 25, 2022.
  6. Web site: BenFred: Biggest free throws of his life secure budding MVC star DeVries an Arch Madness championship chance against Loyola. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 5, 2022. October 25, 2022.
  7. Web site: Tucker DeVries named MVC preseason player of the year, Drake picked to win MVC. KCCI.com. October 19, 2022. October 25, 2022.
  8. Web site: Drake basketball's Tucker DeVries hopes offseason work helps in MVC. The Des Moines Register. October 28, 2022. October 28, 2022.
  9. Web site: Illinois State picked to finish 10th in MVC men's basketball preseason poll; Drake, Tucker DeVries lead way. The Pantagraph. October 19, 2022. October 31, 2022.
  10. Tucker DeVries Earns 2023 MVC Larry Bird Trophy. . March 1, 2023 . March 2, 2023.
  11. Web site: DeVries leads Drake past Bradley for MVC title, NCAA berth. CBS Sports. Associated Press. March 5, 2023. March 6, 2023.
  12. Web site: DeVries Repeats as Larry Bird Trophy Winner . . March 6, 2024 . GoDrakeBulldogs.com . . March 6, 2024.
  13. Web site: Tucker DeVries, Drake top Indiana State for MVC tournament title. ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 10, 2024. March 12, 2024.
  14. Web site: Conference Player of the Year Expected to Join DeVries at WVU. 247sports.com. 247sports. March 24, 2024. March 25, 2024.
  15. Web site: Drake basketball's Tucker DeVries draws rave reviews before season. The Des Moines Register. October 19, 2021. October 26, 2022.
  16. Web site: Tucker DeVries, son of ex-Creighton coach, commits to play for dad at Drake. Omaha World-Herald. October 12, 2020. October 25, 2022.
  17. Web site: Drake-UNI more than an MVC showdown. The Gazette. January 21, 2022. October 25, 2022.
  18. Web site: Rising senior Tucker DeVries may have a tough choice to make. Eric. Bossi. Rivals.com. July 22, 2020. October 25, 2022.