Tucker honored by Hall induction

Thursday, March 23, 2017
Al Tucker gives his induction speech on Wednesday night for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Banner Graphic/Joey Bennett

'Four Fs’ provide guidance

INDIANAPOLIS – Al Tucker became Putnam County’s newest member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday night, being inducted as part of the 12-member Class of 2017.

Tucker’s induction came four years after his son, Chad, was enshrined into the Hall of Fame.

Over a 17-year span as head coach at Cloverdale, his teams established consistent success – winning 256 games, seven sectional championships, one regional title and five 20-plus winning seasons.

Hired as JV coach at Cloverdale in 1964, he was on staff with Hall of Fame coach Jim Miller for the school’s 1965 regional champion and 1966 state finalist teams before taking over the program in 1967.

During his induction speech, Tucker questioned his sanity at taking over the program at such heights – calling himself the “village idiot” – when Miller departed.

“Who would take over a varsity job in Indiana, when the two previous seasons you were undefeated, ranked in the top 10 all season and picked to win the state tournament?” Tucker asked.

Tucker thanked the Hall of Fame committee for his inclusion in the 2017 class, also encouraging the crowd of 1,100 that packed the Primo Banquet Center on the south side of Indianapolis to visit the Hall of Fame in New Castle if they had not already done so.

“Until you do, you are not a basketball fan,” Tucker said. “Get it done. There is no way I can adequately describe my emotional high for my inclusion in this memorable event.”

Tucker also thanked the Cloverdale community, which was represented by several dozen members at the induction ceremony – including current Clover coaches Patrick Rady and Greg Thomas, current players such as Cooper Neese, Jake Kelley and Jarren Rossok, former players such as Rick Ford and loyal supporters like Bill Henson.

“I thank Cloverdale for providing me the opportunity to work, play and raise my family there for the past 50 years,” he said. “A special thanks to everyone who is attending this evening to support me and the Clovers. I have been able to survive an entire career in one school system.”

Tucker recalls that he was the “second-place candidate” to get his first job at Cloverdale, and he was fortunate to get a call in August when the person originally hired decided to take another job.

“I had a memorable 21-year run at Cloverdale,” he said. “Hopefully for all you younger players and fans in attendance, my career can be defined as firm, fair, consistent and – most of all – demanding. I do not apologize for that.”

Tucker said the “ultimate honor” was bestowed upon him two years ago when Cloverdale named its basketball floor as “Tucker Court”.

He also outlined the four “F” factors that have influenced his life:

• Faith – “My faith in God was deeply instilled by my mother and father, and my faith has served me well. In my opinion, it is the single most important factor to pass on to the next generation.”

• Family – “My family has inspired me to live life to the fullest. A special thanks to my wife, JoAnn. If we make it until November it will be 56 years. She’s my MVP, my spouse and mother of Brad, Dawn and Chad. Our grandsons (Wade, Trevor and Brady) have provided JoAnn and I with a lifetime of memories.”

• Friends – “You can never have too many friends. After 54 years in Cloverdale, I continue to cultivate new friendships – which is a blessing.”

• Fortune – “My fortune has nothing to do with the almighty dollar. My fortune is deeply rooted in the relationships developed between the multitudes of people I have known over the years. My life journey is a direct result of my faith, family, friends and the fortune of my ongoing relationships. My sincere thanks to all, and may God continue to bless us all.”

Tucker offered final thanks to his “Cloverdale family” in attendance and – looking upward – to his late son, Chad.

“Thanks for the memories,” he said.

Tucker was a 1957 graduate of Patricksburg High School (now Owen Valley), and served in the U.S. Navy before enrolling as a student at Indiana State University.

He led his team to the 1982 Hall of Fame Classic and coached Indiana All-Stars Rick Ford and Chad Tucker.

An agent with State Farm Insurance for 23 years, he has been recognized by Indiana State University as a recipient of its “Coaching Alumnus of the Year” award.

Other inductees included former Gary Roosevelt and Purdue star Glenn Robinson and former Brebeuf Prep and Indiana University standout Alan Henderson, both of whom had lengthy careers in the National Basketball Association.

Robinson and Henderson, both 1991 high school graduates who met in the state championship game that year, were both inducted in their first year of eligibility.

Only nine men all-time have previously been inducted as first-year eligible players – Steve Alford, Damon Bailey, Kent Benson, Larry Bird, Dave Colescott, Kyle Macy, George McGinnis, Rick Mount and Oscar Robertson.

Putnam County members of Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

• Frank Barnes, player at Roachdale (inducted 1970)

• Jeff Blue, player at Bainbridge (inducted 1999)

• Archie Chadd, player at Bainbridge (inducted 1963)

• Marion Crawley, coach at Greencastle (inducted 1964)

• Richard Cummins, coach at Bainbridge (inducted 2002)

• Tom Goldsberry, coach at Greencastle (inducted in 1984)

• Del Harris, coach at Roachdale (inducted 1992)

• Jerry Lewis, player at Reelsville and coach at Roachdale (inducted 2015)

• Jess McAnally, coach at Greencastle (inducted 1972)

• Jim Miller, coach at Cloverdale (inducted 2004)

• Pat Rady, player at Roachdale and coach at Bainbridge/Cloverdale (inducted 2002)

• Larry Steele, player at Bainbridge (inducted 2003)

• Al Tucker, coach at Cloverdale (inducted 2017)

• Chad Tucker, player at Cloverdale (inducted 2013)

Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2017

Edward “Jingles” Engelhart – Leading scorer on the Washington Hatchets’ 1930 state championship team and their 1929 state finalist squad.

Bill Hampton – Senior starter on Crispus Attucks’ 30-1 1955 state championship squad under HOF coach Ray Crowe.

Alan Henderson – Scored 2,419 career points for Brebeuf Prep, graduated as the all-time leading scorer in Marion County history and 5th in IHSAA history. In a record-breaking career at Indiana University, he set the career blocks record (213) and remains the program’s all-time leading rebounder (1,091).

Phil Isenbarger – Averaged 19.8 points and 18 rebounds per game as a senior at Muncie North High School, earning a scholarship to Indiana University.

Jim Lyttle – Four-sport athlete at North Dearborn High School (now East Central), scored a school-record 1,072 career points, leading the Vikings to a 57-13 record and three sectional championships.

Herb McPherson – A standout at Mississinewa, scored 1,736 points for a career scoring average of 21.2 points per game.

Bob Reinhart – Second leading scorer for the Dale Golden Aces’ 1956 and 1957 sectional champions. Coached high school teams in Decatur, Ga., before moving to a spot on the Atlanta Hawks bench under Mike Fratello. Took over the head coaching position at Georgia State in 1986. Has been an NBA scout for six teams, currently with the Miami Heat since 2008.

Steve Risley – Averaged 24.4 points and 12.4 rebounds for the Lawrence Central sectional champions as a junior and averaged 24.5 points and 12.1 rebounds as a senior. Following selection as a 1977 Indiana All-Star, he enrolled at Indiana University, where he was part of two Big Ten Conference champions, three NCAA tournament teams, the 1979 NIT champions and 1981 NCAA National Championship team.

Glenn Robinson – The 1991 Indiana Mr. Basketball after leading Gary Roosevelt to a state championship victory, he was a two-year 1st team all-state selection after scoring 1,710 career points (21.6 career HS ppg). Scoring another 1,706 points in just two seasons at Purdue, he set the Big Ten single-season scoring record with 1,030 points leading the Boilers to the NCAA Elite Eight as a sophomore (30.3 ppg), winning numerous national player of the year awards. The #1 draft pick of the 1994 NBA Draft to the Milwaukee Bucks, Robinson scored more than 14,000 points in an 11-year career.

Dave Sanders – The Hamilton County scoring champ his senior year at Sheridan, averaging 24.2 points and 13.9 rebounds per game. At Butler, he averaged 15.4 points and 7.9 rebounds as a junior and capped his career with averages of 20.6 points and 8.9 rebounds as a senior, setting Butler records for single-season scoring (536) and single-season field goals made (228) and totaling 1,103 career points.

Al Tucker – Coached at Cloverdale for 17 years, winning 256 games, seven sectional championships, one regional title and five 20-plus win seasons.

Matt Waddell – Set 12 school records at Tipton including 1,677 career points, 674 assists, 576 rebounds and 332 steals. Chosen as a 1990 Indiana All-Star. Helped the Purdue Boilermakers to two Big Ten titles.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: