• Number: 2
• Position: Guard
• Height: 6'3“
• Weight: 185 lbs
• Birthday: July 17, 1992
• Hometown: Madison, WI
• High School: Madison Memorial H.S.
• AAU Team: Illinois Warriors

Consensus top-40 prospect according to the national recruiting outlets, including a ranking of 24th among players in the 2010 class by Rivals.com … Ranked 34th by Scout.com, 27th by HoopScoopOnline.com, 31st in the ESPNU Top 100 and 35th by Hoopmasters.com … Concluded his career at Madison Memorial High School ranked third all-time in scoring (1,269 points), second in assists (211) and first in steals (179) … Program claimed a trio of regional and sectional titles during his tenure and posted an overall record of 72-9 … Led team to the state title game in 2009-10, posting season averages of 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game … Spartans finished 23-5 overall … Claimed second-straight appearance on Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division I All-State Team, earning a unanimous selection … All-conference honoree … Helped the Spartans to the state title in 2008-09 under head coach Steve Collins … Averaged 17.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game en route to all-conference and all-state accolades … The Spartans concluded the campaign 26-1 and Blue's 458 points were the sixth-best single-season total in school history … Averaged 13.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per outing as a sophomore and helped the team to the state championship game … Named to the all-city squad and also earned a spot on the all-league roster … Second on the roster in steals and blocked shots.

• Scout Profile: (#27 Overall, #4 SG)
• Rivals Profile: (#22 Overall, #6 PG)
• ESPN Profile: (#31 Overall, #7 SG)

Member of USA Basketball U18 National Team … Competed in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in San Antonio, Texas … Led Team USA to the gold medal with an 81-78 victory over Brazil in the title game … Scored personal tourney-best 13 points in the championship game … Started all five games and averaged 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game … Finished second on the roster and eighth among all tourney participants in steals … Team also earned a berth in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship in Latvia.

On Sunday, October 18, 2009, Vander committed to Marquette University by calling Buzz Williams around 10 A.M. only two days after attending Marquette Madness.

Consensus top-40 prospect according to the national recruiting outlets, including a ranking of 24th among players in the 2010 class by Rivals.com … Ranked 34th by Scout.com, 27th by HoopScoopOnline.com, 31st in the ESPNU Top 100 and 35th by Hoopmasters.com … Concluded his career at Madison Memorial High School ranked third all-time in scoring (1,269 points), second in assists (211) and first in steals (179) … Program claimed a trio of regional and sectional titles during his tenure and posted an overall record of 72-9 … Led team to the state title game in 2009-10, posting season averages of 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game … Spartans finished 23-5 overall … Claimed second-straight appearance on Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division I All-State Team, earning a unanimous selection … All-conference honoree … Helped the Spartans to the state title in 2008-09 under head coach Steve Collins … Averaged 17.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game en route to all-conference and all-state accolades … The Spartans concluded the campaign 26-1 and Blue's 458 points were the sixth-best single-season total in school history … Averaged 13.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per outing as a sophomore and helped the team to the state championship game … Named to the all-city squad and also earned a spot on the all-league roster … Second on the roster in steals and blocked shots.

Member of USA Basketball U18 National Team … Competed in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in San Antonio, Texas … Led Team USA to the gold medal with an 81-78 victory over Brazil in the title game … Scored personal tourney-best 13 points in the championship game … Started all five games and averaged 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game … Finished second on the roster and eighth among all tourney participants in steals … Team also earned a berth in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship in Latvia.

Earned his first collegiate start in MU's season-opening win over Prairie View A&M (Nov. 12), contributing seven points, seven rebounds, five assists and a team-high three blocks and four steals … Tallied five of his eight points during MU's 24-0 run against Bucknell (Nov. 14), including a 3-pointer with 6:35 left in the second half to pull MU within one at 57-56 after trailing by as many as 13 points … Recorded 14 points on 70.0 percent shooting (7-of-10) vs. Green Bay (Nov. 17) … Handed out a career-high six assists vs. South Dakota (Nov. 20) … Pitched in five points, four rebounds and a pair of steals vs. Duke (Nov. 22) … Went 4-of-4 from the free throw line and was 4-of-8 from the field, scoring 12 points vs. Longwood (Dec. 4) … Shot 9-of-13 from the floor en route to scoring a game- and career-high 21 points vs. Texas A&M-CC (Dec. 7) with four assists, three steals and a game-high two blocks … Named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week (Dec. 13) … Went 8-of-10 from the field while posting team-highs in points (16) and assists (5) in addition to a career-high nine rebounds vs. Centenary (Dec. 18) … Went 9-of-11 from the free throw line and had 15 points, three steals, five assists and a team-high two blocks vs. Mississippi Valley State (Dec. 21) … Scored nine of his 10 points, including all four field goals, in the second half vs. Vanderbilt (Dec. 29) … Shot 5-of-6 from the floor and finished with 12 points vs. DePaul (Jan. 18) … Tied Jimmy Butler with a team-high six rebounds vs. USF (Feb. 9) in his first BIG EAST start … Had a team-high five rebounds vs. Seton Hall (Mar. 5) … Grabbed seven rebounds while chipping in four points in 16 minutes of action in opening-round win over Providence (Mar. 8) at the BIG EAST Championship.

Scored 10 points in the season-opening win over Mount St. Mary's (Nov. 11), all in the second half, while shooting 5-of-8 field; added four assists and a team-best four steals, matching a career-high … Had 14 points and six assists vs. Norfolk State (Nov. 14) … Posted a career-]high 26 points vs. Winthrop (Nov. 18) while shooting 7-of-9 from the field including 2-of-2 from 3-point range and 10-of-13 shooting from the foul line …. Had a game-high four steals vs. Mississippi (Nov. 20), tying a personal career high … Tallied a career high seven assists and matched career highs with nine rebounds and four steals in win over Jacksonsville (Nov. 28) … Played a career-high 33 minutes at Wisconsin (Dec. 3) and finished with nine points and a game-high eight rebounds … Chipped in 11 points and led MU with two steals in win over Washington (Dec. 6) … Led the MU backcourt with 14 points and seven rebounds vs. Green Bay (Dec. 10) while adding four assists and three steals … Scored 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and was 8-of-11 from the free throw line vs. Northern Colorado (Dec. 17) … Recorded seven points, seven rebounds and four assists vs. Villanova (Jan. 1) … Dished out a game-high six assists with just one turnover in 31 minutes of action vs. Georgetown (Jan. 4) … Posted five assists, nine points and seven rebounds at Syracuse (Jan. 7) … Tallied nine points and six rebounds in just 16 minutes of action at Villanova (Jan. 28) and sank four free throws in the final 34 seconds remaining to help preserve the come-from-behind victory … Shot 7-of-10 from the field and finished with 16 points and eight rebounds vs. Seton Hall (Jan. 31), including five of the team's eight offensive boards in the win over the Pirates … Posted 12 points and seven rebounds, both team highs, in loss at Notre Dame (Feb. 4) … Scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half at DePaul (Feb. 6), including 6-of-6 shooting from the foul line in the final stanza … Chipped in 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 shooting from the foul line vs. Cincinnati (Feb. 11) in addition to a team-high seven rebounds and four assists … One of three MU players to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points vs. Rutgers (Feb. 22) … Led MU bench with 10 points, six rebounds and a game-high three steals while going a perfect 4-of-4 from the foul line in the second half at West Virginia (Feb. 24) … Pitched in seven points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal at Cincinnati (Feb. 29) … Tallied 13 points and was 7-of-9 from the foul line vs. Georgetown (Mar. 3) … Scored eight points and grabbed five boards vs. BYU (Mar. 15) … Brought down a team-high eight rebounds and chipped in four points against Florida (Mar. 22).

NCAA All-East Region Team member …All-BIG EAST Second Team selection … Recipient of program's Most Improved Player and Most Valuable Performers awards … Scored a team- and individual-season high 21 points in loss against Butler (Nov. 19) in Maui Invitational, includng 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range … Scored 18 points vs. Mississippi State (Nov. 20) on 8-of-14 shooting while adding three assists … Did not play against UMBC (Nov. 26) due to a knee injury suffered during the USC game (Nov. 21) … Named to all-tournament team of Maui Invitational … After missing one game, returned from knee injury to lead MU with 20 points at Florida (Nov. 29) … Recorded four of the team's nine steals vs. Wisconsin (Dec. 8), matching a career-high, while scoring 15 of his 17 points in the first half … Went 6-of-11 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from long range in the win over North Carolina Central (Dec. 29) and paced MU with 16 points … Was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll (Jan. 14) after leading MU past Pittsburgh (Jan. 12) in an overtime contest, scoring a team-high 22 points, including a season-best nine from the charity stripe in 40 minutes of action … Brought down a season-best eight boards and led MU with 19 points at Cincinnati (Jan. 19) … Connected on a career-high 13 field goals and shot 65.0 percent from the floor to set a new career-high 30 points in win vs. USF (Jan. 28), while also grabbing six rebounds … Had a 17-point showing at Louisville (Feb. 3) … Named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (Feb. 4) Led Marquette in scoring for the fourth-straight game, tallying 18 points, including a perfect 8-of-8 mark from the charity stripe, against DePaul (Feb. 9) … Shot .500-or-better for 13th time this season vs. Pittsburgh (Feb. 16), knocking down 7-of-8 (87.5 percent) from the field and leading MU with 19 points … Scored a team-best 19 points in MU's win at Seton Hall (Feb. 19) … Tallied a game-high 22 points at Rutgers (March 5) on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor and 5-of-5 from the foul line, while chipping in four rebounds, three assists and a steal … Tallied 16 points at St. John's (March 9), including the game-winning basket on a layup at the buzzer to help MU claim a share of the 2013 BIG EAST title; also added five rebounds … Also scored the game-winning basket with one second remaining in a 59-58 win over Davidson (March 21) in the NCAA Second Round, scoring 14 of his team-high 16 points in the second half … Poured in a game-high 29 points in Third-Round victory Butler (March 23); went 9-of-15 from the field (3-of-4 from 3-point range) and 8-of-8 from the foul line against the Bulldogs … Added 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field in Sweet 16 win over No. 2-seeded Miami (March 28) … Scored a team-high 14 points, including 6-of-7 mark from the free throw line, in Elite Eight loss to No. 4-seed Syracuse (March 30), while also bringing down five rebounds.

Vander's last second layup beats Davidson in the 2nd Round.

Vander decided to enter the NBA Draft on April 16, 2013.

Here is the Marquette Athletics article on his declaration:

Junior Guard Vander Blue Declares For Early Entry To NBA Draft; Madison native second team all-league in 2012-13
April 16, 2013
Junior guard Vander Blue of the Marquette University men's basketball team announced Tuesday morning that he will forgo his final season of eligibility and officially submit his name for the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft.
Blue, a 6-4, 200-pound guard, plans to sign with an agent.
“I've had three great years here and appreciate everything Marquette has done for me during that time to help me develop,” Blue said. “At this point I want to pursue my dream. I've prayed about it and discussed it with my family and think this is the right decision for me at this time.
“I really want to thank all of the coaches and staff at Marquette for helping me become a better player and a man,” Blue added. “I also loved and appreciate the support shown by Marquette fans across the country during my career, especially during home games at the Bradley Center.”
The Madison, Wis., native enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2012-13, earning All-BIG EAST Second Team accolades in the process. He concluded the year ranked 14th in the BIG EAST Conference in scoring (14.8 ppg.) and also topped the roster in that category. He shot 45.4 percent from the floor overall and 75.6 percent from the charity stripe.
“As a program, we are all very thankful for everything Vander has done to help our team over the last three years, but more importantly I admire the growth he has made off the floor as a person,” head coach Buzz Williams said. “He has had success in each role that he has played every year he has been here, and has continued to improve. We will always be grateful for his contributions and wish him nothing but the best in his professional career.”
Blue concludes his three-year career at Marquette with 80 starting assignments in 106 appearances. He owns career averages of 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per outing. He finishes with 982 points, narrowly missing becoming the 45th player in school history with 1,000 career points.\\ Junior Guard Vander Blue Declares for Early Entry to NBA Draft

After being left off the initial list, he was later invited to and participated in the NBA Draft Combine.

Blue tried out for the following teams prior to the NBA Draft: Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Indiana, Memphis, Milwaukee, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Utah.

He went undrafted.

Blue joined the Houston Rockets for the Orlando Summer League and the Memphis Grizzlies for the Las Vegas Summer League.

Here's the summary of his performance in Orlando by the Paint Touches blog:

“Even with point guard Isaiah Canaan resting an injured knee, the Rockets used Blue at shooting guard all 47 minutes. With Patrick Beverly and rookie Casper Ware running the point, Houston wanted to see its undrafted free agent off the ball, driving to the lane and running the break from the wing. And for the most part, he performed well.

His professional debut was stalled one game when he received a DNP-CD in the opener, but Blue quickly turned things around with a seven-point, five-rebound performance. Blue shot just 2-of-7 from the field on a pair of drives, the second of which came after he grabbed his own blocked shot and banked a 10-footer home. But more than that, Blue flashed some of his point-guard tendencies, handing out an assist on his first possession and constantly beating his man off the dribble. It didn’t always result in makes for him or his teammates — he finished with just the one helper — but in an unorganized setting such as the Summer League, results weren’t everything. Blue’s aggressiveness was apparent, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

That meant a start one day later (Wednesday) when Blue was dubbed the starting shooting guard. James Harden has nothing to worry about, but the Madison native saved his best for last. In 31 minutes he scored 16 points and added six rebounds in the Rockets’ win over the Celtics. Blue again was aggressive going to the basket, finishing once with a stellar left-handed layup coming from the right wing. He didn’t finish well in the paint, at time being overpowered by taller interior defenders, but the telling statistic from that win was his outside shooting. Blue made 2-of-5 shots from beyond the arc and made all four of his free throws.

For a player who likely made the decision to move to point guard to mask his lack of an outside shot, this was a great sign. The four offensive rebounds were also a nice touch.

Blue finished his three-game stint 20th in the Summer League in scoring (11.5) and was 16th in rebounding (5.5), the latter of which led all guards. Again, if you watched even a quarter of any Summer League game, you’ll notice the best players were the ones who stayed aggressive throughout. Shooting 32 percent from the field won’t turn any heads (you’re safe, Harden) but Blue’s mentality, on the wing, was exactly what he needed to do.” Paint Touches, 7/11/13

Cumulatively (Orlando and Las Vegas games), Blue played in six games and averaged 21.2 minutes; 11.0 points [22 for 55 (40%) FG; 6 for 16 (37.5%) 3FG; 16 for 21 (76.2%) FT]; 3.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.8 turnovers.

Blue played with the San Antonio Spurs NBA Summer League Team in Las Vegas.

“A much fuller-looking Blue played for the NBA champion Spurs this month, and he improved steadily as the summer went along. After two duds to open the league, Blue averaged a steady 11.6 points, 2.3 rebounds on 2.3 assists on 46 percent shooting in his last three contests. It ended with a full stat line (13/4/5 with four steals) in Saturday’s triple-overtime loss to the Wizards, and while there’s no room in San Antonio he should get an invite somewhere.” Paint Touches, 7/21/14

On October 30, 2013, Blue signed with Maccabi Rishon LeZion of the Israeli Super League after being waived by the 76ers.

On December 31, 2013, he was released by Maccabi.

On January 14, 2014, Blue was acquired by the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League.

After making his NBA debut during a ten-day contract, on January 31, 2014, he was assigned to the Maine Red Claws. He was subsequently not signed to a second 10-day contract after his first 10-day contract expired.

On February 1, 2014, he was re-acquired by the 87ers.

In March 2014, he was traded to the Idaho Stampede.

On May 14, 2014, ESPN Magazine wrote a story and produced an interview surrounding Blue's journey to the NBA involving eight teams and about 200 teammates.
ESPN, Vander Blue Has 200 Teammates
Vander Blue Has 200 teammates

Born July 17, 1992 in Milwaukee, Wis. … Son of Rita Blue … majoring in communication studies.

GoMarquette.com Student-Athlete of the Week:
December 13, 2010
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