Charles ‘Cha Cha’ Tucker sought advice from Mateen Cleaves, Steve Smith before transferring
September 11, 2012 in High School
A favorite for the 2013 Michigan Mr. Basketball Award is no longer in the running after Lansing Eastern point guard Charles ‘Cha Cha’ Tucker has enrolled at Montrose Christian, a prep school in Maryland.
Tucker told Dick Hoekstra of the Lansing State Journal that the decision was not an easy one:
“It wasn’t anything against Eastern, and anything I planned on,” Tucker said. “It was a great opportunity that came through a friend of mine who was on the USA (Under 16) team with me. I had to look into it as quickly as possible, took a visit, really liked it and stayed in constant contact with coaches.”
Besides Vetter and Eastern coach Rod Watts, Tucker talked with former Michigan State stars Steve Smith and Mateen Cleaves.
“Everybody said, after doing their research, that they were impressed with the academics, and it was up to me,” Tucker said. “I decided on it to prepare me spiritually, academically and athletically for college.”
Tucker has been a major prospect in Michigan since his freshman season, and he’s heading to a powerhouse prep school. As Hoekstra noted, Montrose Christian beat Oak Hill Academy to win the 2011 ESPN Rise national tournament. The school also just so happens to count NBA MVP candidate Kevin Durant among its notable recent alums.
If the school is able to help Tucker prepare academically and end up at a big-time college program, then it’s understandable why he’d take that chance and transfer there. Tucker is the second notable 2013 player to leave the state — Flint Northern’s Richie Lewis transferred to Flora MacDonald Academy in Virginia.
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