Alando Tucker

Tucker had a good game today statistically, and showed some nice tools, but this probably isn’t going to be the best game he has here in Las Vegas. He’s clearly improved the range on his jumper, but his consistency is still a work in progress. He did a good job working his way to rim, but didn’t do a great job finishing. While that may be due to how often he was fouled, Tucker just doesn’t have the explosiveness that would allow him to complete plays at the rim at a high rate. Though he didn’t have a glamorous game, it’s a good sign that he was both efficient and effective in a contest where he didn’t get into a rhythm.

Like Terry, Tucker was only here for the 2nd day of workouts--and from what it looked like, he must have accumulated some serious rust in the 3-4 days he missed. Tucker’s shot didn’t fall for him at all today, hitting probably less than half of his shots with his feet set, and considerably less while on the move. He has a fairly slow release on his shot and plenty of wasted motion, putting a little hop in his jumper that does not allow him to get a consistent release point since he often shoots it while on the way down.

On the positive side, his ball-handling skills looked a lot better than we recall at Wisconsin, although like in Young’s case, these are ball-handling drills we’re evaluating him off of, not a competitive setting.

Tucker is very athletic, with a good physique and an average wingspan. His credentials in college speak for themselves, so It’s not all that surprising that his agent decided not to let him play at the pre-draft camp in Orlando, since scouts should have seen everything they need to know already evaluating him over the past four years. He projects as a solid role-player in the pros, but it remains to be seen just how high he will get drafted at this point.

In one of the more baffling collapses in recent NCAA Tournament history, a Wisconsin team that was ranked #1 in the country and firing on all cylinders less than month ago will now be back in Madison watching the Sweet Sixteen, instead of participating in it. Many explanations have been given for the Badgers’ precipitous slide, but none that explain Wisconsin’s complete lack of interior toughness in this afternoon’s loss to UNLV. The Runnin’ Rebels dominated the glass, limiting Wisconsin’s garbage opportunities, and getting an excessive number of their own.

One of the major forces behind Wisconsin’s hard-nosed identity, over the past four years at least, has been “power wing” Alando Tucker. Tucker did most of his damage on the interior as a freshman, routinely making plays over much taller opponents due to his physical nature and explosiveness. He has finally emerged as a legitimate wing scorer in his senior year, but it appears that he lost some of that toughness that made him such an asset to Bo Ryan in the first place. It was UNLV’s Wendell White playing the role of “enforcer wing”, while Tucker floated around the perimeter looking for offensive opportunities and largely ignored any opportunity to crash the glass in the case of a miss.

After a quiet first half, the senior came out with a full head of steam to start the second. He made several nice passes and one crucial contested three pointer that gave the Badgers the momentum, and finally appeared to be taking over like a national player of the year candidate ought to in such a situation. But as soon as the Badgers regained the lead, old Tucker weaknesses began to shine through. He rushed several 3-point shots and missed them badly, reminding us that shooting range is still a major hole in his game. With all his teammates tensing up around him, Tucker tried to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket, but couldn’t create a high-quality shot for himself. Soon, the UNLV lead had ballooned back out to the comfortable margin it was at before the Wisconsin run.

In the past, Tucker wouldn’t have been held to such a high standard. But he also would have made up for an off shooting night with unmatchable intensity around the rim and in the lane. This afternoon, he was more apt to watch the action fifteen feet from the basket. Perhaps it was just an off game – a disappointing NCAA Tournament certainly doesn’t undo everything Tucker has accomplished this year, and he still managed to put up 17 and 7. But this weekend does give scouts an up close and personal reminder of everything he had clearly worked so hard to erase from their minds. It remains to be seen just where Tucker will fall in the upcoming draft, but today’s performance can’t be good for those NBA decision makers who weren’t entirely sold on Alando Tucker having left his “perimeter polish” issues in the past.

As was the case with the rest of his teammates, Tucker struggled through a slow start to the game against 15 seed Texas A&M Corpus Christi. He went the first 10 minutes of the game without scoring, and Wisconsin found themselves down by a score of 25-7. From this point on, Tucker provided the Badgers with the spark they needed to get back the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Early on, Tucker was rushing shots inside, and forcing up off balance mid-range jumpers off the dribble. He ended his scoring drought by attacking inside, and using a pump fake move with patience in the lane. This allowed him to draw contact inside, and get to the free throw line. In doing this, he also managed to put A&M Corpus Christi big man Chris Daniels on the bench with foul trouble for a couple possessions. Tucker also displayed his ability to score in transition by using his great vertical leaping ability and body control. He has been streaky with his shot all season, but he hit a 3 pointer today, and knocked in a very impressive 9 of his 10 free throw attempts.

At this point in the season, it’s pretty clear that Tucker has a load of talent, but a few key weaknesses that could hold him back at the next level. It would help his draft stock greatly if he continued to shoot the ball well in the NCAA tournament. 4-year college players who lead their teams deep into March are generally rewarded come draft day.

The athletic ability Tucker possesses should be apparent to anybody that has seen him play this season. In addition to an explosive vertical leap, he runs the floor very well, and changes directions very quickly. Tucker puts his athleticism to use on the basketball court, as he elevates quickly when shooting a jumper. In addition, he absorbs contact well, has the ability to adjust and finish after taking the initial foul. In terms of 3-point shooting, his percentage has increased by 7% compared to last season. Tucker has also displayed the ability to make difficult shots off the dribble from 12-17 feet. He uses the glass well from a lot of different angles, and pulls off some very difficult shots at times. Tucker moves well looking for the open spot off the ball, and scores a lot of points from just being active with his athleticism inside.

Measurements before the draft will be very important for Tucker, who’s listed at 6’6,” but may be more than an inch shorter. Despite an improvement in percentage, his 3-point shooting is quite inconsistent at this point. Tucker has a flat release on his shot, meaning he has to shoot it perfectly to get it in the hoop. He has improved his perimeter game, but at this point a great deal of his points still come from the power type game from inside 12 feet. His back to the basket game works very effectively at the college level, as his combination of power and athleticism inside wreaks havoc on opposing defenses. This type of scoring should work well against smaller defenders in the NBA, but Tucker may struggle to translate that against some of the bigger, more powerfully built small forwards in the NBA.

Wisconsin has one game remaining against Michigan State before moving on to the Big 10 tournament, and then the NCAA tournament. It will be important for Alando Tucker to bounce back strong from his struggles over the past two games, particularly with starting center Brian Butch out for an extended period. Tucker can best help his draft stock by regaining the terrific form he enjoyed earlier in the season from behind the three point line, as well as by leading Wisconsin through at least a couple round of the big dance. Despite his limitations, Tucker has done nearly everything in his power to help himself and his team to a great season, and could make an NBA team very happy in the second half of the first round of the draft.

Player of the Year: Alando Tucker, 6-5, Senior, SF, Wisconsin

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Wisconsin may not have been able to overcome the immense talent of the Thad 5 to take the Big Ten crown, but Badger star Alando Tucker was without a doubt the premier player in the conference. He still isn’t a finished product in terms of his NBA future on the perimeter, but Tucker’s vastly improved offensive game makes him a legitimate NPOY candidate.

Tucker has always been known as an explosive leaper with a power forward’s game and a small forward’s body. If his game against Marquette was any indication, he may have the tools to be effective at the small forward position in the NBA. Tucker created many of his shots off the dribble, and knows how to finish against defenders of all sizes inside, thanks to explosive leaping ability and good knowledge of how to use different angles of the backboard. Tucker’s jumping ability combined with good body control give him a chance to finish inside after taking the contact of a foul. His mid-range jumper looked very good as well, and he created a lot of very nice looks from the 12-15 foot range. Off the dribble, Tucker is deceptive with a series of head-fakes and speed changes he uses to get away from the defender. Tucker started his career playing mostly inside, and still has the ability to score on defenders with his back to the basket.

Tucker’s handle is still sloppy at times, though much improved. There were a few occasions where he lost control of the ball while slashing to the basket in traffic. His first step is pretty average, and he doesn’t have great quickness off the dribble, but his ability to change speeds helps him create a lot of separation. Though his jumper is improved, Tucker still is not a consistent threat to hit the three pointer. Tucker’s free throw stroke is streaky as well, though it has been better of late. It will be important for him to become consistent from the line, because he is getting there over 6 times per game this season. Some times he looks like a player who has played small forward his entire life, but on other occasions he leaves you wondering if he is going to be able to complete the transition to the 3.

Alando Tucker is starting to receive a lot of attention at the national level, and Wisconsin will go as far as he carries them this season. To best help his draft stock, Tucker will need to prove himself against teams who can put an athletic perimeter defender with good size against him. If Tucker keeps making progress with his ability off the dribble, and can become more consistent from behind the three point line, there is a chance he could be drafted in the first round in 2007.

Tucker is a very athletic forward who has led the Badgers this season at 19 ppg. In college, he is a mismatch due to his combination of outstanding athleticism and his ability to finish around the rim. To best help his draft stock, Alando needs to develop more of a perimeter game, especially his jump shot as well as his shooting from the free throw line. He currently gets to the line 7 times per game, which is a very good rate, but Tucker currently shoots a measly 54% from the free throw line. To play in the NBA, he will also have to develop his ball handling skills to the point where he can comfortably get by defenders and make his way to the hoop. Right now Tucker is a tremendous college player who appears to be very far away from finding a true NBA position.

In the NCAA tournament, he will have to be a consistent scoring threat and hit big shots for his team. It would also help the Badgers if he could bring his three point shooting back to where it was last season. This year, Tucker has made only 16 of his 67 three point attempts. If the Badgers are to make a run during the tournament, Tucker will be the guy who needs to step up and lead them, and if he can improve his perimeter skills during the off season, he could possibly work himself into the first round of the 2007 draft.