Former Maryland basketball player Cliff Tucker, 29, died Monday morning in a one-vehicle accident in Texas while returning to his hometown of El Paso from San Antonio.
The news was announced by the Maryland athletics website, where Tucker played for four years.
Tucker played in 131 career games for Maryland from 2007-2011 and helped lead the Terps to the NCAA tournament in 2009 and 2010. He made 41 three-pointers as a senior, tops on the team.
According to a news release from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Tucker was one of three people who died in the accident, while four others were injured. The one-vehicle accident took place on Interstate 10 when the vehicle lost control and rolled when the tread on the right rear tire separated, according to DPS.
“He was one of those guys that when you coached them — he’d do stuff to make you mad, I think he did it on purpose,” former Maryland coach Gary Williams told The Baltimore Sun.
“But you couldn’t stay mad at him. He had that smile. ... Cliff could play, he was a legit guard in the ACC, and the ACC was really good that year."
Current Maryland basketball coach Mark Turgeon and others sent their condolences through social media.
Felix F. Chavez may be reached at 546-6167; fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter.