"HOT ROD" ON NBA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM WHILE PLAYING IN MOTOWN!

Eagle Basketball standout is picked 15th by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Draft

A love affair that started long ago with the Detroit Pistons became a reality June 28, 2007, for former Eastern Washington University basketball standout Rodney Stuckey.

The National Basketball Association team selected Stuckey as the 15th pick overall in the draft, which took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

He was impressive as a rookie, earning second team NBA All-Rookie Team honors as selected by the league's head coaches. He finished his first season with averages of 19.8 minutes, 7.8 points and 2.9 assists per game as the Pistons advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where it lost to eventual NBA champion Boston. His minutes increased in the playoffs as he averaged 8.2 points and 3.4 assists, while making 87.9 percent of his free throws, in 17 playoff games.

He made his NBA debut in the 2007 Summer League in Las Vegas, Nev., helping the Pistons to a 4-1 record with averages of 30.6 minutes, 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. But he injured his hand during the preseason and missed the first 25 games of the regular season. He finally made his NBA debut on Dec. 21, 2007, and his first start in the NBA was on March 1, 2008, in a 103-73 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Stuckey is EWU's highest draft pick ever and just the second in school history, and is also the second-highest selection in the now 45-year history of the Big Sky Conference. He was even picked higher than Spokane's favorite son and NBA All-Star, John Stockton.

For Stuckey, who averaged 24 points per game in two spectacular seasons in an EWU uniform, it was a dream come true, but one that was hard to imagine for the player nicknamed "Hot Rod." He's now playing in the city nicknamed "Motown."

Stuckey is believed to be the second-highest local player ever selected, surpassed only by former Gonzaga star Adam Morrison who was the third pick in 2006 by the Charlotte Bobcats. Stockton, also a Gonzaga standout, was selected 16th by the Utah Jazz when he was drafted in 1984.

Eastern's only previous NBA draftee is Ron Cox, a sixth-round draft choice by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1977. Although he never played a game in the NBA, Cox is EWU's all-time leading scorer with 1,741 points as Stuckey finished fourth in school history with 1,438 points.

The only other first-round draft choice in the 44-year history of the Big Sky Conference was Michael Ray Richardson from Montana. He was the fourth pick overall by the New York Knickerbockers in 1978.

Stuckey was an All-American at Eastern - both athletically and academically - after averaging 24 points per game in each of his two seasons. He helped EWU win 30 games in two seasons and had a 3.34 grade point average.

A 2004 graduate of Kentwood High School in Kent, Wash., Stuckey was a NCAA non-qualifier and had to sit out the 2004-05 season at EWU.

Derek Risper, Rodney Stuckey and Paul Butorac are Eastern's latest additions to the professional basketball ranks. Here is a list of some of those players:

Name (Years Lettered at EWU) - Post-College Career (Country-League)

Paul Butorac (2004-05-06-07) - Colorado 14ers (USA-D-League)/SO Maritime Boulogne (France-N1)

Derek Risper (2006-07) - LTI Lich (Germany-ProA)

Marc Axton (2002-03-04-05) - Ourense Grupo Juanes (Spain-LEB Silver)/CB Penas Huesca (Spain-LEB Silver)/Pussihukat (Finland-Korisliiga)/Joensuun Kataja (Finland-Korisliiga)/Beirasar Rosalia (Spain-LEB Gold)
• Axton was also selected to the Jersey Shore Invitational all-star team in April 2005.

Jeremy McCulloch (2002-03-04-05) - TV Langen (Germany-ProA)/BC Energie Zwickau (Germany-Regionalliga)

Alvin Snow (2001-02-03-04) - Helios Domzale (Slovenia-Liga UPC)/New Jersey (USA-USBL)/Apoel (Cyprus-A1)/Elitzur Ashkelon (Israel-Premier League)/Trier (Germany-1.Bundesliga)/Pinar Karsiyaka (Turkey-TBL)/Metras De Santiago (Dominican Rep.-LIDOBA)/ Skk Kotwica Kolobrzeg (Poland-DBE)
• Snow also attended mini-camps with the Portland Trailblazers and Atlanta Hawks, and was drafted by the Idaho Stampede in the second round (15th pick overall) of the Continental Basketball Association draft. He then was selected to play in the National Basketball Developmental League.

Brendon Merritt (2003-04) - BBC Nyon (Switzerland-LNA)/Stockholm (Sweden-Basketligan)

Josh Barnard (2004) - Tacoma (USA-IBL)

Chris Hester (2002-03) - Team Componenta Karkkila (Finland-Korisliiga)/SG Braunschwieg (Germany-2.Bundesliga North)/Porvoon Tarmo (Finland-Korisliiga)

T.J. Williams (2002-03) - Bellingham Slam (USA-ABA)

Aaron Olson (2000-01) - Auckland Stars (New Zealand-NBL)/New Zealand Breakers (Australia-ABA)

• In October 2006 he played in his 100th-straight game for the Breakers.
• He scored 40 points in one game during the 2004-05 season.
• Olson represented New Zealand in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Chris White (1998-99-00-01) - Prato (Italy-D13)/Inchon ET (Korea-KBL)/KCC Egis (Korea-KBL)/Phoenix Flame (USA-IBL)
• Played in the 2003 Korean KBL All-Star Game after averaging 13.9 points and 8.3 rebounds

Deon Williams (1998-99-00) - Sporting Feytroun (Lebanon-Div.A)/Al Maseerah (Saudi Arabia-D1)/Los Paisas Cabo San Lucas (Mexico-CIBACOPA)/Al Hurriya (Syria-D1)/Sporting Feytroun (Lebanon-Div.A)/Al Shabab (United Arab Emirates-D1)

• Averaged 6.5 assists in both the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons in Lebanon.
• In 2002 he averaged 37.5 points (high of 66), eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals in Mexico.

Will Levy (1999-00) - Adana Bilfen Koleji (Turkey-D2 Group B)/Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs (USA-USBL)/Los Paisas Los Cabo San Lucas (Mexico-CIBACOPA)/Oakland Slammers (USA-IBL)

Alex Carcamo (1999) - San Martin Corrientes (Argentina-TNA)/Reales De La Vega (Dom. Republic-LIDOBA)/Maccabi Petah Tikva (Israel-National League)/Rishon Le-Zion (Israel-National League)/Anyang SBS Stars (Korea-KBL)/76ers spring workouts/U.S. Summer Pro Leagues/University of Belize/Hapoel Holon (Israel-National League)/Maccabi Ashdod (Israel-National League)/Guaros De Lara (Venezuela-LPB)
• Also played for the Belize National Team and the Harlem Globetrotters

Shannon Taylor (1998-99) - Tijuana (Mexico-ABA)/Fresno Heat Wave (USA-ABA)/Buffalo City Thunder (USA-MBA)/Yakima Sun Kings(USA-CBA)

Karim Scott (1997-98) - Kern County (USA-XBL)

Luke Egan (1994-95-96-97) - Hume City (Australia-ABA Big V)/Melbourne (Australia-ABA Big V)/Werribee Western Devils (AUS-ABA Big V)

Ronn McMahon (1989-90) - Yakima Sun Kings (USA-CBA)/Canadian National Team

Greg Trygstad (1990) - Bochum (Germany-Regionalliga)