For even the most casual observer of Wisconsin basketball, it is hard not to pay attention to the seemingly continuous stream of preseason accolades bestowed upon senior forward Alando Tucker.
The media buzz surrounding Tucker started when cbssportsline.com named the veteran forward the top senior in the nation. Rivals.com followed by calling Tucker the best small forward in the country.
Then there was the 2006-'07 Athlon College Basketball Annual, which named Tucker a preseason second-team All-American. The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook followed suit, naming Tucker to its third team. And finally, to cap it all off, the Big Ten coaches named Tucker the conference's preseason Player of the Year.
But for all the individual attention that Tucker has gotten, there is at least one person who has not been paying attention, and that is Alando Tucker.
""I don't really pay attention to it,"" Tucker said. ""My teammates know that, and coach knows that. It doesn't affect my game. I'm always going to work hard, because when I step out on the court, that only puts a bigger target on my back.""
Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan is also confident Tucker will not let all the individual attention go to his head, and said his veteran leader's first priority is winning basketball games.
""He knows that it says ‘Alando Tucker [with] the University of Wisconsin' after it, and that's always good,"" Ryan said. ""He also knows we have 30-some games to play, and it's early.""
Tucker said he believes opponents' main focus will be slowing him down this season, and that is why he is trying to take his game to an even higher level. He spent the offseason working on his jump shot in an effort to improve on last season's 25 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Tucker wants to become more of a threat from the perimeter, which is a scary thought for a player who already led the Big Ten in scoring last season at 20 points per game and is one of just eight players in the country with more than 1,500 career points.
His new and improved shot was on display in the team's scrimmage in October, when Tucker hit 2 of 3 3-point shots. He managed to sink only 1 of 4 in the exhibition opener against UW-Stout, though he clearly had an arc on his shot that was absent last season.
""It's coming along well,"" Tucker said. ""I've been shooting it well with a lot of confidence. With the help of having all our big men back, I can afford to step out more and shoot more perimeter shots.""
In addition to his point production, Tucker will once again be looked upon for his strong leadership qualities. But that is nothing new for Tucker, who is in his fifth year in the program.
""Every year that I've been here, I've taken a role where I take the incoming freshmen under my wing and try to introduce them to how the Big Ten will be,"" Tucker said.
Tucker's leadership ability has not gone unnoticed among the newcomers in the program this year, who have been appreciative of his role.
""His leadership is tremendous,"" freshman guard Travon Hughes said. ""He just helps in every aspect: basketball, school work, weight-lifting and even being a friend. He's just there to help us do everything.""
With as much attention as Tucker has gotten individually, however, the Badgers are far from a one-man show. National pundits have taken notice, consistantly ranking the Badgers among the nation's top 10 teams. Tucker eagerly pointed out that this is the most talented team he has been a part of at UW, and if things go as he hopes, this could be a magical season for the Badgers.
""I want to win the Big Ten, and from there, I always want to go farther than I've gone in the NCAA tournament,"" Tucker said. ""I've been to the Elite Eight, so I definitely want to get farther than that.""
