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New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas announced today that guard/forward Ime Udoka [ee-may u-dok-a] has been signed to a contract for the remainder of the season.

Udoka, 6-6, 215-pounds, averaged 17.1 points (ninth in league), 6.2 rebounds (16th) and 1.82 steals (third) in 45 games for the regular-season champion Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League this season. He was chosen by D-League head coaches as a 2005-06 All-NBA D-League first team selection and was named the winner of the 2005-06 Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award. The 28-year-old Portland, OR-native becomes the first player called-up from the NBA D-League for the Knicks and the 17th this season in the NBA.

After his senior year at Portland State, Udoka participated in Trail Blazers training camp in 2000, played for Fargo-Moorhead in the IBA during 2000-01, appeared in four games for the L.A. Lakers during 2003-04, played in Spain and France during 2004-05 and participated in training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2005. He is a three-year NBA D-League veteran, playing for the Charleston Lowgators during 2002-03 and 2003-04.

InsideHoops.com Editor Says: He's a fill-in at small forward and the wing while Jalen Rose, Quentin Richardson and various swingmen heal up from injury. Knowing the way Larry Brown has coached this season, Udoka will initially barely play, and then start and get 35 minutes and be awful, get rewarded for being awful by starting again (at a different position from the first time, of course), have an amazing game, and then immediately be benched for the rest of the season while being insulted in the media.