Big Ten Player of the Year to make professional debut at 2007 NBA Summer League

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns announced today that they have signed rookie forward Alando Tucker, the 29^th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Tucker, the 2007 Big Ten Player of the Year and a First Team All-American by The Associated Press, averaged 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 36 games in his senior season with the Badgers. He was also one of four finalists for the Naismith Trophy given to the national player of the year, along with eventual winner Texas forward Kevin Durant (2^nd overall to Seattle), Texas A&M guard Acie Law IV (11^th overall to Atlanta) and North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough.

The 6-6, 205-pound forward finished as Wisconsin’s all-time leading scorer (2,217 points), surpassing former Suns draft pick Michael Finley (21^st overall in the 1995 NBA Draft). Tucker, 23, also holds seven other school records, including games played (134), games started (126), minutes played (4,297), field goals (798), free throws (520), free throw attempts (817) and offensive rebounds (314).

Tucker will make his Suns debut at the 2007 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada from July 6-15. The team’s first game is on Monday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m. versus the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Thomas & Mack Center.

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