Elijah Tucker Commits to Xavier

[nuts4xu]

https://twitter.com/tuckerelijah4/status/1294236078191378432?s=21

https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/18/790/9790018.jpg?fit=bounds&crop=620:320,offset-y0.50&width=620&height=320

[XUGRAD80]

Welcome! Great news!

[Xville]

Does this mean holt is not coming or do they have two different games?

[nuts4xu]

Does this mean holt is not coming or do they have two different games?

Xavier will continue to pursue Jusuan Holt, as they look to add another wing to this class.

[XUGRAD80]

Does this mean holt is not coming or do they have two different games?

Who knows, but Snow says that Xavier WILL get one more commitment for 2021 and then leave the other scholly for a transfer possibility.

[bleedXblue]

Looks to be a bit of a project to me. 3 star and ranked around 150.

[Olsingledigit]

Looks to be a bit of a project to me. 3 star and ranked around 150.

Donny Downer there. Give it a rest. Trust in the coaches.

[Smails]

Looks to be a bit of a project to me. 3 star and ranked around 150.

Less of a project and more of a late bloomer. He's crazy young for his class and made a big jump from his Soph-Jr year. I wouldn't be surprised if he was a RS candidate given the depth we'll have when he gets to campus. Great family pedigree too. Mom was a D1 athlete and dad played in the NFL. No reason to believe he won't rise in the rankings next year.

[bleedXblue]

Donny Downer there. Give it a rest. Trust in the coaches.

Its called reality. He isn't an Odom or Naji Marshall who's going to play and contribute from Day 1. There were/are high impact Top 100 players.

We've had a lot of "project" guys come in and be huge part of the program.

[xu82]

Welcome to the Xavier family, Mr Tucker!

[throwbackmuskie]

Looks to be a bit of a project to me. 3 star and ranked around 150.

SMH. The rankings at this point are not a true indicator, no summer ball where moves in the rankings are made.

[nuts4xu]

Looks to be a bit of a project to me. 3 star and ranked around 150.

https://teachoutsidethebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Debbie-Downer-Negative-Nellies-Confront-them-isolate-them-or-cut-them-loose.jpg

[Xuperman]

A short video introduction.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HM6I9zKKiiw

[nuts4xu]

Its called reality. He isn't an Odom or Naji Marshall who's going to play and contribute from Day 1. There were/are high impact Top 100 players.



So any recruit that isn't ready to play from day 1 is a project? I am not sure I agree with that definition.

Travis has already discussed the possibility of a RS with Tucker his freshman year, but I wouldn't put him in the Darius Miles category of a project. He is young, much like Derrick Brown, and some physical development would be helpful before he starts his eligibility. He is more of a late bloomer, who has come on strong lately but it's tough to say how much development he needs without the normal evaluation periods.

[bleedXblue]

So any recruit that isn't ready to play from day 1 is a project? I am not sure I agree with that definition.

Travis has already discussed the possibility of a RS with Tucker his freshman year, but I wouldn't put him in the Darius Miles category of a project. He is young, much like Derrick Brown, and some physical development would be helpful before he starts his eligibility. He is more of a late bloomer, who has come on strong lately but it's tough to say how much development he needs without the normal evaluation periods.

Calling him a project was probably a stretch.......agreed.

I've read on a couple of recruiting sites where he needs some development, needs to add some weight/bulk. Possible RS.

[Xuperman]

Does this mean holt is not coming or do they have two different games?

For some reason many of the recruiting sites list Tucker as a Power Forward? I will be shocked if that ends up being an accurate description regardless of his physical development. What little video I've found shows him to be athletic and somewhat versatile offensively. Certainly willing to shoot the 3, although his form is a bit odd.

As far as Holt goes, no reason to think we don't have an edge in his recruitment just based on the Odom connection. Having won Championships together has got to be a factor in his decision process. I first thought he and Tucker had similar games but after a little research, Holt is really a Big Guard maybe closer to a Colby Jones.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JeAyA9_B71I

[Xuperman]

Calling him a project was probably a stretch.......agreed.

I've read on a couple of recruiting sites where he needs some development, needs to add some weight/bulk. Possible RS.

Not a stretch at all especially in the context of where he is physically....I think he's 16. By looking at what little video that I found, he's a long way from being BEast ready IMO.

[XUGRAD80]

Personally I’ll be very happy when X gets to the point where it’s upper classes are so well experienced and talented that we aren’t expecting the freshman to be immediate impact players. They might well be in that situation right now if they hadn’t had such poor classes back to back a few years ago.

[paulxu]

Was he a "priority" recruit?

(asking for a friend)

[xavierj]

Was he a "priority" recruit?

(asking for a friend)

I would imagine since they have other guys they are waiting on. If he wasn’t they wouldn’t have pushed for a commitment.

[XU 87]

When I think of a "Project", I think of a recruit who has some skills but will really need to develop other skills to be able to play at a certain level. In short, the guy has upside, but we're not sure if he's ever gong to reach that upside, and if he does, it will take a few years. So I don't think Tucker is a "project" using that definition.

That said, I think Bleed is accurate to the extent that he's probably not ready to play next year. Tucker needs to develop and get stronger before he can play at this level. That's why he's probably going to red shirt next year.

P.S. I think "Project" means- "We think he has the potential to be good, but we're just not sure. We'll see how he develops." Tucker is more- "We expect him to be good, but he probably needs another year to develop before he gets to that level."

So, I 'm now glad that I have defined the word "Project".

[xukeith]

Recruiting is putting together pieces of a puzzle with different talents and roles. This kid is long and in the mold of a 3/4 Naji Marshall type player. Athleticism and good defense he has.
With X recruiting in 2021, X is among 8 BE schools ranked #26 or higher with recruits. Clearly BE schools are hanging with the ACC and B12 gathering talent.
Connecticut is really doing well in recruiting. UCONN looks to be the 2nd team in talent in BE behind Nova. Looks like X and UConn will fight the talent wars. DePaul surprisingly has some great talent coming in(2 top 75 players).
We really need a bang in the NCAA tourney to keep the talent coming in. One more big guard and X looks solid.
I am hoping Odum leads X to a superb team in 21/22.

[GIMMFD]

Another thing to consider is P5 offers, looks like offers from Clemson, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Northwestern, St. John's, and Virginia Tech. Sure, not absolute powerhouses by any stretch of the imagination, but it's good to see that type of P5 interest. Looks like he could work on his body a bit, get some muscle, and get in the gym, but I like it none the less. Our staff's recruiting has been pretty good, so I'll continue to trust them until they give reason not to trust them.

[nuts4xu]

When I think of a "Project", I think of a recruit who has some skills but will really need to develop other skills to be able to play at a certain level. In short, the guy has upside, but we're not sure if he's ever gong to reach that upside, and if he does, it will take a few years.

Yes, me too. Kentrevious Jones comes to mind when I think of a "project". When we offered him a scholarship, he was the definition of a "project".

[XUGRAD80]

Yes, me too. Kentrevious Jones comes to mind when I think of a "project". When we offered him a scholarship, he was the definition of a "project".

I have a feeling that it might be a long while before another player of his physical type gets an offer from X. Travis seems to value speed and mobility over bulk, in his interior players.

[sirthought]

Tucker's mom played at Tennessee, a top woman's program, so he's likely had much advice from someone who had good coaching.

Few people start college contributing big stats from day one. Most every freshman is a project, so I don't think the term is too offensive to use. Tucker seems like a project to me more than others, from a body standpoint. I'm really curious, though, how Snow felt okay bringing up the red shirt option already at this stage.

Tucker isn't starting to practice with the team next month even. He's still got a whole year to continue to grow, gain strength and weight, work on his confidence and shooting. We already know he's got natural height and speed, which is still a bonus to get at this level. Maybe coaches told him that was an option. Maybe Tucker said they were considering it. Who knows? I'm guessing that now that his recruiting is wrapped up he's going to work on some areas with a lot of focus this year.

I trust he'll get stronger, but with his body type I really hope Steele isn't counting on him to play at power forward. I didn't like it with Marshall or Bluiett either. He seems much more of a small forward to me for college, and that's a spot X needs more talent at. If Tucker can improve his outside shot, I'd say a shooter with his height out there could make a real difference. If this kid becomes a Brandon Ingram-type of inside/outside finesse guy, then I'll shut my mouth. Otherwise, I'd rather have a bit more muscle over speed when it comes to inside players.

Tucker looks like he could be a four-year player, which I believe is ultimately useful, even if he's not gunning out of the gate.

[MADXSTER]

He's young for his grade. He could probably more comparable to an incoming Junior than a Senior age wise. He's hit a growth spurt and it wouldn't surprise anyone if he is still growing.

[xudash]

I trust in Steele.

From the Enquirer:

“He’ll be good against Big East competition,” Kvam said. “He’s not afraid, and it’ll be good for him to be with older, better players. He’s got a lot of upside just blossoming in terms of his potential.”

Xavier's coaches see similarities between Tucker and former Xavier forward Naji Marshall, who declared for the NBA Draft following the 2019-20 season. Both players are long, athletic forwards who can drive the lane, post up and shoot threes. And both players can defend multiple positions.

Steele and Xavier's other coaches often compared him to Marshall when they spoke over the phone.

[GoMuskies]

I hope he doesn't shoot three-pointers like Naji Marshall shot three pointers. I hope he can slash like Naji could slash!

[xudash]

I hope he doesn't shoot three-pointers like Naji Marshall shot three pointers. I hope he can slash like Naji could slash!

Agreed.

As most people are saying about him, he has time to work on his game. I hope he is solid between the ears - - seems like he should be, given his upbringing and athletic parents.

Overall, a nice piece of news, during the dog days of August.

[XUGRAD80]

Agreed.

As most people are saying about him, he has time to work on his game. I hope he is solid between the ears - - seems like he should be, given his upbringing and athletic parents.

Overall, a nice piece of news, during the dog days of August.

Supposedly he is an excellent student.

[noteggs]

Agree with others on upside and very excited to see him commit. Funny, there was time when we were doing back flips on getting a guy ranked 144. Add in Kunkel, this class is a far cry from Mack’s 2018 and seemingly a darn good on paper.

Welcome Mr. Tucker!

[xufan02]

I think Tucker has Sadiq Bey upside. Similar size and skill set.

[JTG]

If Elijah's bball IQ is even 50 on a scale of 100, he'll be an upgrade from Marshall. Marshall was a phenom athletic, but his bball IQ barely cracked double digits.

[Lloyd Braun]

There is so little video on him... he has a nice stroke, and while he can apparently score inside effectively I think he is perfect size for 3 and D wing.

[xukeith]

Supposedly he is an excellent student.

Wasn't Elias Harden and Dahmir Bishop similar guards with good heads but for whatever reason didn't feel like a good fit ? Tucker might have more opportunities to play only being behind Stanley.

[xuphan]

Wasn't Elias Harden and Dahmir Bishop similar guards with good heads but for whatever reason didn't feel like a good fit ? Tucker might have more opportunities to play only being behind Stanley.

I wish there was more video on him. Based on what I have seen of him, he is going to need a couple of years to become stronger and work on the funky shot of his. I hope he is willing to be patient for playing time. Should be a good player for us as an upperclassman.

[sirthought]

According to Twitter posting, he made it official official.

[UCGRAD4X]

Welcome young man of X to the best decision of your life (so far). You are about to be part of a revolution.

Now go be excellent.