Tucker named co-Big Ten Player of the Week

MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin senior forward Alando Tucker was named the Big Ten Co-Men's Basketball Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday. Tucker, who averaged 22.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the Badgers' two wins last week, became the 24th player in league history to score at least 2,000 career points against Iowa.

The honor is Tucker's third this season and fifth of his career. Those marks both tie UW school records. Kirk Penney earned five Player of the Week awards in his career, including three in 2001-02. During Devin Harris' Big Ten Player of the Year season of 2003-04, he also earned three POW honors. Purdue's Carl Landry is the only other Big Ten player to be named Player of the Week three times this season.

Tucker began the week with 24 points and eight rebounds in UW's 71-58 win at Penn State. He became the seventh Badger to eclipse the 700-rebound plateau for his career. Against Iowa at home on Saturday, Tucker recorded 21 points and seven rebounds to lead Wisconsin to a 74-62 victory. With his first basket in that game, Tucker became the second player in UW history and 24th in Big Ten annals to score 2,000 points in his career.

Tucker, who shared this week's award with Ohio State's Mike Conley Jr., is second in the Big Ten in scoring at 20.0 points per game. He has scored in double figures in every game this season and has scored at least 20 points in five consecutive games. Over those five games he is averaging 23.0 points and 6.6 rebounds.

Wisconsin is 24-2 this season and tied with Ohio State for first place in the Big Ten at 10-1. UW's 24 wins and .923 winning percentage are the best in the country. The Badgers travel to Minneapolis to take on Minnesota on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CST.