It's been a long time since former Eastern Washington University All-America basketball player Rodney Stuckey has played in the postseason.

But the Indiana Pacers guard is headed back to the National Basketball Association Playoffs for the first time in seven seasons when his seventh-seeded squad plays at No. 2 Toronto on Saturday (April 16) on ESPN in the first game of a best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series.

The Pacers finished the regular season 45-37, with Stuckey averaging 8.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his ninth NBA season. He played his first seven seasons with the Detroit Pistons, which made the playoffs in 2008 and 2009 in his first two seasons in the league. Stuckey has now played in 612 regular season NBA games in his career (302 as a starter), but just six additional games in the playoffs.

Stuckey, who missed 19 games in January and February with an ankle sprain, is coming off his lone start of the season in a 97-92 regular season-ending victory at Milwaukie.  He had 12 points, six assists and four rebounds in 23 minutes, as the Pacers rested most of their starters for the playoffs. He played in 58 regular season games in the 2015-16 season.

Earlier this season, he had season highs of 23 points (twice) and eight assists. His career highs for points (40 versus Chicago on Dec. 23, 2008) and assists (14, twice) came as a Piston. Last season for Indiana, he had a career-high 14 rebounds against Portland.

In 2014-15 – his eighth season as a pro and first with the Indiana Pacers – Stuckey averaged 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 0.8 steals per game in 71 games (36 starts). Following that campaign, Stuckey signed a new 3-year, $21 million contract with the Pacers on July 21, 2015.

A 2004 graduate of Kentwood High School in Kent, Wash., 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.

After leaving EWU following his sophomore season, he was drafted as the 15th pick overall by Detroit on June 28, 2007. He is EWU's highest draft pick ever (three through 2015-16), and at the time was the second-highest selection in the now more than 50-year history of the Big Sky Conference.

Eastern's only previous NBA draftee before Stuckey was Ron Cox, a sixth-round draft choice by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1977. Tyler Harvey was picked in the second round by Orlando in the 2015 draft (51st overall).

The only other previous first-round draft choice in the 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. In 2012, Damian Lillard of Weber State was drafted as the sixth pick overall by Portland.
 
 
 

Stuckey's 2007-16 Nine-Year NBA Totals . . .

 
Regular Season
G          GS       MPG     FG%     3P%     FT%     RPG     APG     SPG     PPG
612       302       28.1      .425      .298      .827      3.0        3.7        0.9        12.9
 
Playoffs (2008 & 2009)
G          GS       MPG     FG%     3P%     FT%     RPG     APG     SPG     PPG
21         6          24.2      .379      .133      .875      2.0        3.8        0.9        9.5
 
Career High Points: 40 Detroit vs. Chicago on Dec. 23, 2008.
Career High Rebounds: 14 Indiana vs. Portland on Dec. 13, 2014.
Career High Assists: 14 Detroit vs. Toronto on March 16, 2011 and Detroit vs. Cleveland on April 11, 2011.
Career High Steals: 5 Detroit at Cleveland on Dec. 23, 2013 and Detroit at Utah on Nov. 21, 2009.
Career High Minutes Played: 50 Detroit at Houston on March 19, 2009.
 
 
 

More Rodney Stuckey Superlatives . . .

 
• Former Eastern Washington University men's basketball All-American and current Detroit Piston Rodney Stuckey had his EWU jersey retired in ceremonies that took place on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2008, at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. The 2008-09 season would have been Stuckey's senior season at EWU had he played all four seasons.
 
• After being selected by the Detroit Pistons 15th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, he became EWU's highest draft pick ever and the second-highest in the history of the Big Sky Conference.
 
• All-American at Eastern – both athletically and academically – after averaging 24 points per game in his career. He helped EWU win 30 games.
 
• As a sophomore, he ranked seventh in NCAA Division I in scoring with an average of 24.6 points per game. He was eighth as a freshman with a 24.2 average.
 
• As both a freshman and sophomore, he was given honorable mention All-America honors by the Associated Press.
 
• With a 3.34 cumulative grade point average, he was a third team selection on the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team and twice received All-District VIII honors.
 
• In just two seasons, he broke 10 school records and scored a total of 1,438 points. He had nine games with at least 30 points (out of 59 career games).
 
• He was a preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award  in the 2006-07 season.
 
• In his freshman season, Collegeinsider.com voted Stuckey its National Freshman of the Year.
 
• Big Sky Conference MVP and Freshman of the Year in 2005-06.