Alando Tucker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alando Tucker

Tucker in 2014 with the Lukoil-Akademik Bulgaria.
Personal information
Born	(1984-02-11) February 11, 1984 (age 41) 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
Consensus first-team All-American (2007) Big Ten Player of the Year (2007) 2× First-team All-Big Ten (2006, 2007) Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2003) Senior CLASS Award (2007)

Alando Forest Tucker (born February 11, 1984) is an American who used to be a professional basketball player and a college basketball coach. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He became their all-time leading scorer with 2,217 points.

Alando Tucker had a 10-year career playing professional basketball from 2007 to 2017. During this time, he played for NBA teams like the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves. His last team was Hapoel Eilat in Israel in 2017, after which he retired from playing.

In 2019, he became an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at the University of Wisconsin, his old college. He held this coaching position until April 2021.

High School Basketball Journey

Alando Tucker went to Lockport Township High School in Lockport, Illinois. In his junior year, he scored about 21.6 points and grabbed seven rebounds per game. He was one of only two juniors chosen for the Herald News AA all-area team.

As a senior, Tucker earned special honors for his great playing. He averaged 22.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. He even scored 35 points in one game against Joliet Township, which was the top-ranked team in the state.

Alando and his older brother Antonio made a promise to each other. They decided to stay healthy and focused on their goals.

College Basketball Career

Tucker began his college basketball career in the 2002–03 season. As a freshman, he started in 27 out of 32 games. He averaged 12.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. His play helped the Badgers win 24 games and a Big Ten title. They also reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

In the 2003–04 season, Tucker played in only four games. This was because of an injury to his right foot. He was later given a medical redshirt, which meant he could play an extra year of college basketball.

During the 2004–05 season, Tucker started 30 out of 31 games. He was the top scorer for the Badgers, averaging 15.2 points. He also averaged 6.1 rebounds. By the end of the 2006–07 regular season, Tucker was averaging 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.

Setting Records at Wisconsin

For the 2006–07 season, Tucker and the Badgers won 30 games. They also earned their first-ever number one ranking in the school's history. On February 10, 2007, Tucker reached 2,000 points in his college career during a game against Iowa. He was only the second Wisconsin Badger to do this, after Michael Finley.

On March 10, 2007, Tucker broke the all-time scoring record for the Wisconsin team. The previous record of 2,147 points was held by Michael Finley. Tucker also broke Finley's record for the highest vertical jump at UW.

Tucker's college career ended on March 18, 2007. The Badgers lost to the UNLV Runnin' Rebels 74–68 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Tucker scored 17 points and had seven rebounds in that game.

In his final season, he was named Big Ten Player of the Year. He was also chosen as an NCAA 1st Team All-American. He received the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award as well. He set school records for games played (134), starts (126), and total points scored (2,217).

Tucker 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 amazing basketball achievements.

Professional Basketball Career

NBA Experience

Alando Tucker was chosen as the 29th pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns.

Playing in the NBA Development League

After playing in two games for the Phoenix Suns, Tucker was sent to their minor league team, the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. This happened on November 27, 2007. He played very well there, scoring 25 points and getting 12 rebounds in one game. In another game, he scored 40 points. The Suns called him back to their team on December 18.

He was sent to Albuquerque two more times in 2008. During these times, he continued to have strong performances. He scored 33 points and 10 rebounds in one game, and 39 points in another. In total, he averaged 27.7 points per game in 21 games with the Thunderbirds. He even scored a season-high 42 points in a game on March 16.

Tucker was also assigned to the Suns' new minor league team, the Iowa Energy, on December 26, 2008. He played two games with them before being called back to the Suns on January 2, 2009.

Moving to Minnesota

On December 29, 2009, Tucker was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played for them until March 22, 2010, when he was released from the team.

Other NBA Teams

In November 2011, Tucker was picked by the Texas Legends in the NBA D-League Draft. However, he decided to play basketball in Spain instead. On October 1, 2012, Tucker signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, but he was released later that month.

Playing Around the World

After his time in the NBA, Alando Tucker played for many teams in different countries.

• In April 2010, he signed with a professional team called Gallitos de Isabela in Puerto Rico.
• On August 11, 2010, he signed with the Russian club Lokomotiv Kuban from Krasnodar, Russia.
• In November 2011, Tucker signed with CB Gran Canaria in Spain.
• In February 2013, Tucker signed with BK Inter Bratislava in Slovakia. He helped them win a championship that same year.
• In September 2013, he signed with Lukoil Academic. He averaged 16.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game there.
• On November 28, 2014, he signed with the French club SOMB Boulogne-sur-Mer.
• On July 7, 2015, he signed with LNB Pro A team SLUC Nancy. He averaged 10.9 points in 7 games before moving to Israel.
• On November 11, 2015, Tucker signed with Maccabi Kiryat Gat in the Israeli Premier League.
• On June 23, 2016, Tucker signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League. He became the first American captain in the team's 80-year history.
• On August 2, 2017, Tucker signed with Hapoel Eilat for the 2017–18 season. However, he left the team on November 14, 2017, after playing in six games.

Achievements and Awards

Alando Tucker earned many awards and set several records during his basketball career:

• He broke Michael Finley's school record at UW for the All-Time Leading Scorer with 2,217 points.
• He broke Devin Harris's UW school record for the most points scored in a single season.
• He broke Michael Finley's UW school record for vertical leap as a freshman, jumping 38 inches.
• 2002–03 – Set a UW record for offensive rebounds (86) as a freshman.
• 2002–03 – Named to the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman Team.
• 2004–05 – Chosen for the Big Ten and Syracuse Regional all-tournament teams.
• 2004–05 – Selected as a third-team All-Big Ten player.
• 2005–06 – Named a first-team All-Big Ten player.
• 2006–07 – Chosen as a first-team All-Big Ten player.
• 2006–07 – Named Big Ten Player of the Year.
• 2006–07 – Selected as a First Team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
• 2006–07 – Chosen as a First Team All-American by The Sporting News.
• 2006–07 – Received the Senior CLASS Award.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Coaching Career

Coaching at the University of Wisconsin–Madison

In February 2017, Alando Tucker was first invited to join UW–Madison as the Director of Student-Athlete Engagement. In this role, he helped make sure athletes and staff were healthy and safe. After two years, on July 31, 2019, he became an interim assistant coach for the Badgers for the 2019–20 season.

Head coach Greg Gard hired him to fill the spot of Howard Moore. Coach Moore had to leave his position after a serious car accident. Tucker was known for building strong relationships with the players. Because of this, he stayed on as interim assistant coach through the 2020–21 season. Players and fans really liked him.

After the 2020–21 season ended, Tucker applied to become a full-time assistant coach. However, Wisconsin officials decided to go in a different direction. He finished his two years of coaching with a Big Ten Conference Championship for the 2019 regular season. The team's record during his time was 39 wins and 23 losses.

Personal Life and Community Work

When Alando Tucker played for Hapoel Tel Aviv, he worked with a non-profit group called "Hoops for Kids International." He gave talks, held basketball clinics, and mentored children in need across the Middle East. He really cares about helping others and giving back to the community.

Today, he lives with his wife, Krystal, and their three sons in Chicago. He is also a member of the board of directors for the local committee of the Special Olympics.

See also

In Spanish: Alando Tucker para niños