NBA Comparison: Josh Howard
Alexander Kaftan – 1/17/2007
Weaknesses: At 6’5″, Alando is slightly undersized to play shooting guard and is very undersized to be an NBA small forward. But his length and athleticism help … He sometimes forces shots, not many, but some. This almost always happens near the baseline. I however doubt that this’ll be much of a problem in the NBA, as he won’t be called to carry the scoring load … He still does not catch and shoot, and oftentimes takes a bit of time before making his initial move. His shooting form may be a bit of a concern. Oftentimes, an ugly yet effective form, such as Leandro Barbosa’s, gets unfairly criticized. If a shot works, it works, and the form usually is exceptionally overrated. However, Tucker has a very low release point, potentially having his shot vulnerable to getting blocked. This may not be a problem, since it has not stopped other awkward shooters, like Shawn Marion … Alando still has excellent tools to become a great defender, but he seems to not try as hard as he used to. This may be because he tries to conserve energy for the increased scoring load he carries. In the NBA, he’ll have to play with intensity on the defensive side, as that’ll likely be his calling card.
Notes: He is a redshirt senior, and you can tell by his incredibly high basketball IQ. He lead the Big Ten in scoring last year, and is on pace to do so this year as well. He’s almost a lock for Big Ten Player of the Year, and he’ll likely be an All-American and maybe the NCAA Player of the Year. His game has improved to the point where he’s a true superstar on the college level. Tucker started the season 0-9 from three, but hit three huge threes against Marquette. Since then, he has gone 8-16 from downtown and has risen his 3-pt percentage to 36% on the year.




Matthew Maurer – 2/13/2007
Weaknesses: Defensively Tucker could stand to improve on his intensity Doesnt seem to possess great anticipation skills nor the awareness to play the passing lanes Ball handling, while improved, still isnt great Perimeter shooting remains prone to streakiness Not a great shooter coming off screens Solid three point shooter when his feet are set but struggles to hit with regularity due in part to his slow release Despite being a great athlete, Tucker rarely explodes off the dribble due to his average first step Doesnt always use the mid-range jumper to his advantage, often hell slash to the basket or shoot the three From a position standpoint there is concern about what position he will play in the NBA While blessed with athleticism, he may struggle to shoot consistently enough to play shooting guard and his height might be a detriment at small forward While his game has progressed considerably over the past 5 years, one has to wonder how much more he can improve Below average free throw shooting limits his ability to take full advantage of the contact he creates