Alando Tucker facts for kids
Tucker in 2014 with the Lukoil-Akademik Bulgaria.
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 11, 1984 Joliet, Illinois, U.S. |
| High school | Lockport Township (Lockport, Illinois) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Wisconsin (2002–2007) |
| NBA Draft | 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 29th overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Pro career | 2007–2017 |
| Coaching career | 2019–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 2007–2009 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2007–2008 | →Albuquerque Thunderbirds |
| 2008–2009 | →Iowa Energy |
| 2009–2010 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2010 | Gallitos de Isabela |
| 2010–2011 | Lokomotiv Kuban |
| 2011 | Gran Canaria |
| 2012 | Texas Legends |
| 2013 | Inter Bratislava |
| 2013–2014 | Lukoil Academic |
| 2014–2015 | SOMB Boulogne-sur-Mer |
| 2015 | SLUC Nancy |
| 2015–2016 | Maccabi Kiryat Gat |
| 2016–2017 | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| 2017 | Hapoel Eilat |
| As coach: | |
| 2019–2021 | Wisconsin (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Alando Forest Tucker (born February 11, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player and college coach. He is famous for his amazing college basketball career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He became their all-time leading scorer with 2,217 points! After college, he played for NBA teams like the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves. Later, he coached basketball at his old college.
Alando played professional basketball for 10 years, from 2007 to 2017. His last team was the Hapoel Eilat in Israel. In 2019, he became an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at the University of Wisconsin. He held this job until April 2021.
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High School Basketball
Alando Tucker went to Lockport Township High School in Lockport, Illinois. As a junior, he scored about 21.6 points and grabbed seven rebounds per game. He was one of the best junior players in the area.
In his senior year, Alando was named an all-state player. He averaged 22.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. He even scored 35 points in one game against the top-ranked team in the state.
College Basketball Career
Alando started his college basketball journey in 2002. As a freshman, he started 27 out of 32 games. He averaged 12.0 points and 5.9 rebounds. His play helped the Badgers win 24 games and a Big Ten title. They even reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
In 2003–04, Alando played only four games because of a foot injury. He received a medical redshirt, which means he could play an extra year later.
During the 2004–05 season, Alando started 30 out of 31 games. He led the Badgers in scoring with 15.2 points per game. He also averaged 6.1 rebounds. By the end of the 2006–07 season, he was averaging 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.
For the 2006–07 season, Alando and the Badgers won 30 games. They even earned their first-ever number one ranking in school history! On February 10, 2007, Alando reached 2,000 points in his college career. He was only the second Wisconsin Badger to do this.
On March 10, 2007, Alando broke the all-time scoring record for Wisconsin. The record was previously held by Michael Finley. Alando also broke Finley's vertical jump record at UW.
Alando's college career ended on March 18, 2007. The Badgers lost to the UNLV Runnin' Rebels in the NCAA Tournament. Alando finished that game with 17 points and seven rebounds.
In his final season, he won many awards. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year and a First Team All-American. He also received the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. He set school records for games played (134) and overall points scored (2,217).
Alando graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison on May 19, 2007. He earned a degree in Life Sciences Communication. In 2018, he was added to the UW Athletic's Hall of Fame for his basketball achievements.
Professional Basketball Career
NBA Career
The Phoenix Suns picked Alando 29th overall in the first round of the 2007 NBA draft.
Alando also played for the Suns' NBA Development League (now G League) team, the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. He had some great games there. For example, he scored 40 points in one game and 42 points in another! He also played for the Iowa Energy, another D-League team.
On December 29, 2009, Alando was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played for them before being waived in March 2010.
In November 2011, Alando was picked by the Texas Legends in the NBA D-League Draft. However, he decided to play in Spain instead. In October 2012, he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks but was later waived.
International Career
After his time in the NBA, Alando played for many teams around the world:
- In April 2010, he played for Gallitos de Isabela in Puerto Rico.
- In August 2010, he signed with Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia.
- In November 2011, Alando signed with CB Gran Canaria in Spain.
- In February 2013, he joined BK Inter Bratislava in Slovakia and won a championship there.
- In September 2013, he signed with Lukoil Academic in Bulgaria. He averaged 16.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
- In November 2014, he signed with SOMB Boulogne-sur-Mer in France.
- In July 2015, he joined SLUC Nancy, also in France.
- In November 2015, Alando signed with Maccabi Kiryat Gat in the Israeli Premier League.
- In June 2016, he signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel. He became the first American captain in the team's 80-year history!
- In August 2017, Alando signed with Hapoel Eilat for the 2017–18 season. He was released in November 2017 after playing six games.
Achievements and Awards
Alando Tucker achieved many great things in his basketball career:
- He broke Michael Finley's record to become UW's All-Time Leading Scorer with 2,217 points.
- He broke Devin Harris's UW record for most points in a single season.
- He broke Michael Finley's UW record for vertical leap as a freshman, jumping 38 inches.
- In 2002–03, he set a UW record for offensive rebounds (86) for a freshman.
- He was named to the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman Team in 2002–03.
- He was part of the Big Ten and Syracuse Regional all-tournament teams in 2004–05.
- He was a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2004–05.
- He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2005–06 and 2006–07.
- He was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2006–07.
- He was a First Team All-American in 2006–07 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and The Sporting News.
- He received the Senior CLASS Award in 2006–07.
Coaching Career
University of Wisconsin–Madison
In February 2017, Alando was invited back to UW–Madison. He became the Director of Student-Athlete Engagement. In this role, he helped oversee health and safety for athletes and staff.
After two years, on July 31, 2019, he became an interim assistant coach for the Badgers. He took over for Howard Moore, who had a serious car accident. Alando was known for building strong relationships with the players. Because of this, he stayed as interim assistant coach through the 2020–21 season. Players and fans really liked him.
He finished his two years of coaching with a Big Ten Conference Championship in 2019. The team's record during his time was 39 wins and 23 losses.
Personal Life
When Alando played for Hapoel Tel Aviv, he worked with a non-profit group called "Hoops for Kids International." He gave speeches, ran basketball clinics, and mentored children in the Middle East. He still loves helping others and giving back to the community.
Alando lives in Chicago with his wife, Krystal, and their three sons. He is also a board member for the local Special Olympics committee.
See also
In Spanish: Alando Tucker para niños
