Tucker DeVries doesn’t have to think too hard about the most common question he’s asked.
“What’s it like playing for your dad?”
Of course, playing major college basketball for your father will lead to that. But DeVries admits that it’s something that he wouldn’t have done any differently and has enjoyed the fact it has happened.
“Wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s been a blast to be able to do it together,” he said.
The elder DeVries obviously shares that same opinion.
"That's the joy of being where we're at is being able to celebrate those moments together and being able to enjoy when you play well and also some bad days, too. I think we have a great relationship in that regard," DeVries said.
DeVries isn’t just any player on the roster though as he was the back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year prior to making the move with his father Darian to West Virginia.
Last season, DeVries averaged 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists as the Drake offensive centerpiece while shooting 44-percent from the field and 36-percent from three. But like with anything there are good days and bad days of playing for your father.
While he tends to focus on the positive, the good includes winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament twice and now being able to spend his last year in college in the rugged Big 12 Conference.
The trick has been for both to keep basketball at the gym and everything else away from it. There are certainly some times when there is crossover, but it’s been key to keep things balanced.
But on the floor, DeVries understands that he is held to higher expectations when it comes to setting the standard and being somebody that his head coach can rely on to be in the right spot and do the right things.
“There’s constantly going to be eyes on you to make sure you’re always doing the right thing,” he said.
But there’s always that understanding between them.
“I think we both just have mutual respect for how hard we’re trying to work to be successful, it doesn’t really cause many issues even when it doesn’t go well,” DeVries said.
His father believes that Tucker has a good feel for the game and does a good job relaying what he is seeing on the floor to his teammates. That has allowed him to have a voice and input in order to make better decisions.
But through it all the younger DeVries certainly understands not only what it means now but what it will in the future as well.
“I think when we get older and look back at it, it’ll be really cool and really special to look back on,” he said.
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