There hasn’t been a requisite Cliff Tucker post in about a week, so here goes.
The sophomore clearly was out of sorts in Wednesday’s loss to Duke, picking up two early fouls and never entirely figuring out how to play with the omnipresent possibility of more serious problems developing.
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Remember that fast break-turned-off-balance airballed pull-up jumper? A great example of playing tentative.
While it’s tough to be entirely sure, that might have been the first time Tucker played in a significant game and encountered foul trouble in his career. So it was a learning experience.
It was also an example of how players can thrive against certain opponents. Tucker had just helped foil up-tempo North Carolina a few days earlier, but against a more defense-oriented foe he struggled.
“The only thing I knew about Cliff going into the UNC game was that he played well down there,” coach Gary Williams said. “He had good memories of that game, and I thought he might do the same. But you never know. Some guys play better against certain types of defenses. I’m aware of that with our team. You try to make it a good fit with who have out there on the court.”
Fearless forecast: Tucker, with his affinity for an up-tempo game, might just have a decent performance in him when Wake Forest visits Comcast Center on Tuesday.
—- Patrick Stevens
