By Kim Meyer-Webb | Photography by Dero Sanford
After nearly four decades, Ray Tucker has become synonymous with UA Little Rock Trojans basketball. He returned to Little Rock – after working with the Memphis Tigers and the Oklahoma State Cowboys – to join KTHV-Channel 11, where he was formally introduced to Trojan athletics. Ray remembers, “Station Owner & General Manager Bob Brown chose to roll the dice and get involved with UA Little Rock athletics. We carried the Trojans coaches show and aired games live.” And just like that – BOOYAH! – Ray’s love for the Capital City and its favorite team was solidified.
Ray, along with Stacey Johnson-Smith and Derin McMains, will be inducted into the UA Little Rock Trojan Athletic Hall of Fame later this month.
Ray joined 103.7 The Buzz with Randy Rainwater for the Trojan radio broadcast and remains one of the hosts of Drive Time Sports. He’s been the play-by-play radio voice for the Trojans since 2000, and has shared some of the most memorable Trojan moments with alumni and fans – including the NCAA tournament appearances and Sunbelt Championships. He reflects, “A special moment was, with the odds stacked against us, winning four games in four days to capture the Sunbelt post-season tournament and automatically qualifying for the NCAA tournament.”
UA Little Rock Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Christian O’Neal endorses Ray’s nomination as a UA Little Rock Trojan Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. “Since the glittering gold days of the Trojans in Motion dance team and equally flashy antics of Coach Mike Newell, one constant remains: The Voice of the Trojans Ray Tucker. Coaches and players have come and gone, but Ray’s reliable broadcast is as precise today as it was in the 1980s.” The UA Little Rock Trojan Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes alumni, coaches, teams, administrators and friends of the university who demonstrate exceptional athletic and personal achievements with contributions that advance the UA Little Rock athletics. Ray has been recognized as Sportscaster of the Year in Arkansas and served as executive director for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Christian adds, “He has the heart of a Trojan. To Ray, Trojans are his family and Ray is family to us.”
