Link Tochigi Brex point guard Yuta Tabuse is second in the JBL in assists (5.0 per game) and third in steals (2.13), according to the latest statistics released by the league on Saturday.
Tabuse, the first Japanese to play in the NBA, is also scoring 8.0 points per game for the Brex (2-6), who return to the hardwood to face the Toyota Motors Alvark (4-4) on Monday. Alvark forward Charles O'Bannon, a former UCLA standout, is the league's leading scorer at 20.6 ppg. Tabuse played for Toyota before moving on to the ABA in 2003.
After spending the past few years playing in NBA Development League, Tabuse struggled to hit his long-range shots for Tochigi, making 2 of 13 3-pointers to date. He is 26-for-58 on shots from inside the 3-point arc.