Nuggets Sign Japanese Star Tabuse

“Yuta is an exciting young player,” said Vandeweghe. “He can really play at a fast pace and knows how to get the ball into the hands of the right people.”

Tabuse, 5-9, 165, appeared in six contests for the Dallas Mavericks at the Reebok Rocky Mountain Revue this past summer. In those games, he averaged 4.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg and 1.0 apg in 13.0 minutes, while shooting .625 (5-8) from three-point range.

Tabuse, who will turn 23 years old on Oct. 5, played at NCAA Division II BYU-Hawaii from 2000-02. Last year, he played for Toyota Alvark of the JBL Super League in Japan and earned Best Rookie honors.

The native of Japan has played for the Japanese national team at the 2001 FIBA World Championship for Young Men as well as the 1999 Junior World Championship.