BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Alando Tucker needs no introduction. And, then, again, maybe he does.
A reintroduction would be timely since Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer has returned to the University of Wisconsin campus in his new role as the Director for Student-Athlete Engagement.
After a decade in professional basketball — including three years in the NBA and stints in Russia, Spain, Slovakia, Bulgaria, France and Israel — Tucker has finally walked away from the game as a player.
"I was able to retire on my own terms," he stressed. "It's a testament to the opportunities I was given at Wisconsin to finish my degree and not solely have to rely on the sport to take care of my life.
"This was a well-thought out plan to end my career and come back here … to be pro-active … to use my influences and things I've created in the past and continue to create for myself."
Throughout his pro career, Tucker has been growing his brand. Since 2015, it has been as the founder and CEO of a successful non-profit (Arcitec Basketball) that specializes in life skills development.
"Arcitec is an ideology that I've created; it's self-empowerment," he said. "I have always had a vision to create something. And I always felt that my story was bigger than sports."
Tucker has a unique story to tell with a starting point that is most telling.
When he was 12, he made a pact with his older brother, Antonio (now a police officer). They made a handful of promises. Never drink. Never smoke. Never do drugs. Never tattoo their bodies.
"It stemmed," Tucker recalled, "from some of the negative things that we saw in our environment — alcohol, drugs, gang activity — things that we were around growing up."
As a youngster, he was exposed to street violence, including murders, one of which — a gang member was shot and killed in a car at a stop sign — he witnessed while playing outside with friends.
Nightly gun fire would routinely chase the Tuckers to seek cover on the second floor of their home in Joliet, Illinois (30 miles southwest of Chicago) to avoid the random bullets.
When one of those stray bullets entered the front door, nearly striking his mother, it was the last straw for Lisa Tucker who moved her five kids to the neighboring community of Lockport.
"We wanted to completely eliminate ourselves from that environment, we didn't want to succumb," Alando Tucker said. "My whole life has been based off that pact with my brother.
"It created discipline and dedication from an early age."
It was tested when his brother left for the Army. Antonio had been a father figure for Alando. And, now, as a seventh grader, Alando was the man of the house for a younger brother and two sisters.
When his mom was working, he helped take care of his oldest sister, Alisha, who's autistic. "She was always very special," he said. "She has always been very inspirational and so close to my heart."
Developing his basketball skills at Lockport's Fairmont Community Center, a major upgrade from the pickup games on the backyard court in Joliet, Tucker learned how to compete with the older boys.
Even though they were much bigger, he could jump out of his sneakers; a 38-inch vertical is a great equalizer. And it was on display throughout his prep career at Lockport Township High School.
College recruiters saw unlimited potential in the undersized, but athletic 6-foot-5 Tucker who signed with the Badgers after striking up a bond with Tony Bennett, a Bo Ryan assistant coach.
The rest is history, school history. Tucker supplanted Michael Finley as the career scoring leader (2,217 points), a title that he still holds today, 11 years removed from his final game as a collegian.
Whenever Tucker walks into the Kohl Center, he can't help but feel nostalgic.
"The standout moment for me was probably the UNLV game as a freshman because that was my first career start," he said. "That game set the tone for the rest of my career."
On Dec. 7, 2002, Tucker played 37 minutes in his starting debut and had 24 points and 18 rebounds, the most by a UW player since Rashard Griffith had 18 in 1995.
"I always had a chip on my shoulder, I always played that way," Tucker said. "In that game I was able to show Coach Ryan that he could trust me, even as a freshman. That propelled my confidence.
"I came in as a blue-collar, hard-worker and with the mindset I wanted to prove something. Coach Ryan made a point of rooming me with Kirk Penney because he was so knowledgeable."
Penney was a wily senior. Freddie Owens also mentored Tucker whose resiliency was challenged during his sophomore year when he missed all but four games with a foot injury.
But he bounced back to average 15, 19 and 20 points over the next three seasons culminating with a conference scoring title, the first for the Badgers since Don Rehfeldt in 1950.
As a senior, he also was the Big Ten Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American, a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith Awards and a first-round draft pick of the Phoenix Suns.
"It's a great fit for him and an unbelievable fit for us when you can bring back one of the school's all-time greats," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said of Tucker's new administrative role.
"In talking to him through this whole process on what he wanted to do — life after basketball — it's a huge benefit for our whole department to have him help mentor and assist our student-athletes."
UW athletic director Barry Alvarez feels the same way.
"He's someone who has a history here and understands the university," Alvarez said. "He has a very interesting background and a unique perspective on things, academically and athletically.
"What really stood out about him is that he cares, he really cares. He has an interest in helping our kids. He can identify with them. And he will really be able to relate to our student-athletes."
Tucker will work with incoming student-athletes and their families to enhance how they acclimate to life at UW and in the community, in addition to learning about and using UW resources available throughout their collegiate careers. As a former student-athlete himself, he's looking forward to getting started.
"I'm super excited about this opportunity," said Tucker, who will be 34 on Sunday. "I always wanted to come back to the university in some capacity … I thought this would be a perfect fit for me."
For Doug Tiedt, the senior associate athletic director student services, it is Tucker's breadth of understanding that make him a great addition to the UW staff.
"After 15 years of experience in intercollegiate and professional athletics as a student-athlete, professional athlete and founder and CEO of a student-centered nonprofit, Alando has provided opportunities of professional development to students, athletes, and parents in communities domestically and internationally," Tiedt shared.
"He will be a tremendous asset and resource to not only UW Athletics, but to the greater campus and community."
When he opted to retire, Tucker was still playing at a competitive level in Israel. A year ago, in fact, he was the first American in Hapoel Tel Aviv's 80-year history to be named captain of the team.
"My oldest son is 8 (Amir) and I decided it was about time for me to come home and be around more for him and my youngest (Asaiah, 9 months)," said Tucker who met his wife Krystal at the UW.
"Since I had created a brand for myself off the court, I didn't have to rely anymore on playing basketball — I didn't have to wait for injuries to retire."
Having walked-the-walk as a Badger student-athlete, Tucker is anxious to get started on creating initiatives and programming that will assist others. In addition, he wants to get his master's degree.
"Whatever I do," he said with relish, "I look at setting precedent and doing innovative things."
