Walter Sharpe Ned Dishman/NBAE/Getty Images

NEW YORK, January 2, 2009 – The Detroit Pistons today announced the assignment of Alex Acker and Walter Sharpe to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Acker and Sharpe are the 16th and 17th NBA players assigned to their NBA D-League affiliate this season.

Drafted by the Pistons with the 30th overall selection in the 2005 NBA Draft, Acker has played 16 career NBA games, scoring seven points and dishing out five assists. This season, Acker has appeared in five games, scoring seven points, grabbing two rebounds and amassing two steals in 15 minutes of action.

A 6-5 guard, Acker played 88 games for Pepperdine University in three seasons, where he averaged 14.5 points. During his junior year, his final at Pepperdine, he averaged 16.6 points and 3.7 assists, earning All-West Coast Conference honors.

During the 2005-06 season Acker was assigned to the Fayetteville Patriots where he averaged 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 17 games.

Sharpe, a 6-9 forward, was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. In three games with Detroit this season, Sharpe scored two points and recorded one block in seven minutes.

A transfer from Mississippi State, Sharpe played in one season at Alabama-Birmingham, where he averaged 9.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 40 games, 10 as a starter.

Acker and Sharpe are expected to be in uniform and available when Fort Wayne hosts the Iowa Energy at the Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne on Jan. 3. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.