NEW ORLEANS — Late last week, Jazz rookie Morris Almond blogged on NBA.com that he didn't "know if I'll get re-assigned or not (knock on wood)" to the NBA Development League's Utah Flash.

Almond apparently didn't knock hard enough.

The rookie shooting guard from Rice did not accompany the Jazz on their two-game trip that opens tonight in New Orleans.

The Jazz instead assigned their 2007 first-round draft choice back to the D-League on Monday, in time for the Flash's game Monday night against Idaho.

Almond led the Flash with 31 points in Utah's 119-117 loss to the Stampede last night. The Flash fell to 23-24.

He is expected to remain with the Flash until the end of their season, which concludes with Saturday night's game against Los Angeles, then rejoin the Jazz for the rest of their regular season and the NBA playoffs.

Almond set the D-League scoring record with 53 points in a game against Bakersfield earlier this season.

Yet he was shown little love Sunday by D-League coaches who — despite watching him lead the league in scoring for virtually the season — voted him only to their all-league third team.

D-League coaches did not name any shooting guards, in fact, to the first team, which included ex-Jazz point guard Randy Livingston and Weber State product/NBA journeyman Eddie Gill, who played last July on the Jazz's Rocky Mountain Revue summer league team.

Second-team selections included former Jazz second-round draft choice Kaniel Dickens and Lance Allred, the East High/Weber State product who once worked out for the Jazz and now is with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com