Saturday night, junior forward Alando Tucker scored a career-high 38 points and had 10 rebounds, helping the Badgers defeat Eastern Kentucky 95-89 in the second round of the Paradise Jam tournament.
Tucker is the only returning regular starter for Wisconsin. He entered this season with 913 career points, only the second player in UW history to score at least 900 points prior to his junior season. Only 10 juniors in the country have more career points than Tucker entering this season. He was voted preseason all-Big Ten, and is close to becoming the 30th player in school history to score 1,000 points.
Courtside took some time to get to know more about one of the most explosive players in college basketball and found out a lot about the rising star. Behind the skilled basketball player is a smart and friendly guy who has a lot to say about his love for the game.
Courtside: What is your first memory of basketball?
Alando Tucker: My first memory of basketball is from when I was young. My mother had a rim put up on our garage, and I remember just me and my brother stepping out there and shooting a ball. I had to be like five years old.
CS: Why did you begin playing?
AT: My brother is four years older than me; he's 25, and I was always a follower of him. I looked up to him and he played a lot a sports. He's pretty much the main reason I play basketball. I was pretty good when I was younger and he told me that could be a way for me to succeed and get ahead in life.
I came from a real bad neighborhood and I knew that basketball was going to be an opportunity for me to go ahead and further my education, as well as get up out of my situation.
CS: What brought you to UW?
AT: It was coach [Bo] Ryan's first recruiting class and I saw his past records, past teams and the success that he had and that was just one of the things. We had great players at the time. We had Kirk Penney and Devin Harris, Mike Wilkinson, so I figured if I came here we'd have a pretty good team.
CS: What does basketball mean to you?
AT: It's everything. When I walk, I walk basketball. I talk basketball, I breathe basketball; it's everything to me.
CS: What is your greatest memory of UW basketball?
AT: Obviously my freshman year, we won the Big Ten outright, that's one of them. After that experience, the NCAA tournament for the first time, to experience the atmosphere and go to the Sweet 16, that's one of the biggest memories because it was my first year.
CS: What is your worst memory of UW basketball?
AT: My right foot injury. That's by far the worst memory I have.
CS: What are your plans for the future?
AT: I definitely want to go further'play professionally'no matter what level professional it's on, I definitely want to continue basketball. It's my major career option.
CS: Any mottos you live by?
Alando Tucker: 'Do today what others won't, and do tomorrow what others can't.' Another one is, 'Work hard now.' That's one of the things I stick by, it makes me work hard now because I figure if I'm doing things other people aren't doing right now, I'll be advanced and be ready to do things when the challenge comes ahead.
CS: How do you feel about the 2005-'06 season?
AT: I figure we have a lot of upside. Looking at our schedule, looking at our players and the energy that every guy brings, I think we'll go as far as we want to go.
