Jordan Tucker looks for an open move during a game this season. The junior announced he will enter the NBA Draft process on March 26. Xan Korman / Collegian file photo.
CHRIS BROWN | SPORTS EDITOR | cbbrown@butler.edu
Butler junior Jordan Tucker announced on Twitter on March 26 that he will enter the NBA Draft process.
All Love💙 pic.twitter.com/LNqBbiYCoT
— Jordan Tucker (@1jtucker) March 26, 2020
“After much considerations and thought with my family, I plan to enter the NBA draft process,” Tucker wrote. “The last two years at Butler have been amazing and I thank the Butler community for taking a chance on a kid looking for a new family. I’ve not only become a better player, but a better person. Being able to play in the NBA has been my dream since I was a kid and I am excited to take this next step toward reaching it.”
Tucker, who didn’t specify whether or not he intended to hire an agent for the process, made no indication that he would consider a return to Butler, thanking his teammates and coaches of the last few seasons.
“I personally want to thank Coach LaVall Jordan and the entire coaching staff, my academic advisors, the faculty and friends I’ve developed relationships with off the court and most importantly, my TEAMMATES for their support and friendship over the last few seasons,” he wrote.
The announcement came less than a week after freshman guard Khalif Battle announced he would transfer from Butler, and, if Tucker does not return, opens up a second scholarship for the 2020-21 season.
Tucker, a former four-star prospect who began his college career at Duke, is coming off a season in which he was a candidate for the Big East sixth man of the year award. The 6-foot, 7-inch forward made significant strides defensively and averaged just shy of nine points and four rebounds per game. He averaged 22.8 minutes per game, and 13 times scored in double figures.
Tucker’s best performance in a Butler uniform came in in January 2019 against St. John’s, when he scored 24 points on 6-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc. This season, 50 of Tucker’s 72 made field goals, or nearly 70%, came on 3-point shots.
