Detroit Pistons: Anthony Tarke’s long, winding road to NBA camp
How Anthony Tarke made it from UTEP bench to Detroit Pistons training camp
Tarke played at Gaithersburg High School, just outside Washington D.C. and averaged 26.3 points his senior year. Pistons general manager Troy Weaver is from that area, so he has a lot of connections to check on players from there.
After high school, Tarke was a post-graduate student at Coastal Academy in Neptune, New Jersey. Tarke was there a year after the school got into some controversy, including the accusation a prostitute was at one of the home’s that housed players.
Tarke attracted the interest of nearby New Jersey Institute of Technology, a Division I program. He played two seasons for the Highlanders, making first team All-Atlantic Sun as a sophomore.
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Like many players doing well at low Division I programs nowadays, Tarke decided he wanted to try playing at a higher level, and transferred to Texas-El Paso. The Miners won the NCAA championship in 1966 and are part of Conference USA.
Things did not turn out well with the Miners. He sat out a year due to the transfer and then suffered through an injury-plagued junior season, where he did not fit in when he did play. In 14 games with two starts at UTEP, Tarke averaged 2.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and shot a mere 37.5 percent.
Tarke went back home to play at Coppin State in Maryland for his fourth season of college basketball. Things went very well, and, although he could have played another season at Coppin, declared for the NBA draft.
Weaver reportedly contacted Tarke on draft night. That led to summer league and the contract.