Former BYU-Hawaii basketball player Yuta Tabuse signed an NBA contract with the Denver Nuggets today. Tabuse, who played for the Seasiders during the 2001-02 season, becomes the first Japanese player to sign with an NBA franchise and the first BYU-Hawaii basketball player to sign an NBA contract.
Tabuse, a huge crowd favorite during his year with the Seasiders, averaged 7.6 points per game and led the Pacific West Conference in assists 6.5 per contest. He finished fourth in the conference in steals at 1.8 per game and sixth in free throw percentage at .782.
He helped lead the Seasiders to the championship of the PacWest and to the NCAA II Regional Tournament. With Tabuse dazzling the crowds with his passing and ball handling skills, the Seasiders also advanced to the championship game of the Yahoo! Sports Invitational Tournament against Division I competition. Tabuse was named to All-Tournament team after setting the tournament record for assists, including 13 during the semifinal win over New Mexico State.
Terms of the contract Tabuse signed with the Nuggets were not released per team policy, but Nuggets General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe said of Tabuse, "Yuta is an exciting young player. He can really play at a fast pace and knows how to get the ball into the hands of the right people."
Denver Assistant Coach Jarinn Akana, himself a former Seasider player and coach, said, "Yuta has worked really hard this summer to prepare for this opportunity and really deserves this chance to make the team."
Tabuse, 5-9 and 165 pounds, appeared in six games for the Dallas Mavericks at the Reebock Rocky Mountain Revue this past summer, averaging 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in just 13 minutes of playing time per game. He shot .625 (5-8) from three-point range in those contests.
Last season Tabuse played for Toyota Alvark of the Japanese Basketball Super League and was named Best Rookie. He has also played for the Japanese national team at the FIBA World Championship for Young Men and the 1999 Junior World Championship.
BYU-Hawaii Head Coach Ken Wagner was pleased with the news. "He's a great young man and it's nice to see him do well," Wagner said. "It's always been a dream of Yuta's to play in the NBA and I'm glad he's getting the chance."
Keith Roberts, vice-president for academics, who oversees the athletics program at BYU-Hawaii, was equally pleased.
"We were delighted to have Yuta on campus and were very much aware of his potential while he was here," Roberts said. "It was especially exciting to have him here because of the number of students we have from Japan and how it increased their interest in basketball. Yuta's style of unselfish play fit really well not only in our basketball program but also within the values of our campus."
Tabuse's chance to prove himself will come quickly as the Nuggets and the rest of the NBA open training camp on Tuesday.