Allen, 21, was a second-team AP All American last year. It’s been his antics this year that have garnered more attention than Duke’s quest for a second National Championship in three years.
Allen has been reprimanded by both the NCAA and Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski for tripping opposing players. Three times since February 2016 Allen has been caught tripping opponents during play. He was suspended by Krzyzewski for a game earlier this season, and stripped of his team captaincy following the latest incident on December 21 against Elon.
Winning their 25th Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship in a 75-68 win over Notre Dame, the 14th ranked Blue Devils are even garnering consideration to be on the “One Line” when the pairings for March Madness are announced later this afternoon. Duke (27-8) would undoubtedly be placed in the least favorable region, and certainly would have to match up with one of the three beasts in the Pac 12 (Arizona, Oregon, or UCLA) if making a deep run in their region.
Allen is not the lone option for the Blue Devils, as their comeback victory was sparked by small forward Jayson Tatum. Tatum’s 19 points and eight rebounds were nice, but it was his put back dunk that woke Duke up from a slumber that put them down double-digits well into the second half. Allen was listed as a bench player in the official box score, and only put up 10 points in the Blue Devils biggest game of the season.
Allen has an ACC-high four technical fouls against him this season. The most evident was in Duke’s ACC tourney opener against Clemson. After picking up his second personal foul late in the first half, Allen spiked the ball into the court, and shouted an obscenity that every microphone in the building could pick up live on the air. The technical was more about the obscenity (directed more so at himself than the official) than the spike. Players spike the ball into the court a lot, even when fouls aren’t called. This was Allen’s emotional demons creeping up at the worst time for the Blue Devils.
Already drawing comparisons to Christian Laettner, Allen is completely capable of putting Duke on his back when the tournament starts Thursday afternoon. The question is how short of a leash can Coach K have with his season on the line? Allen is a top-notch talent, but is more Hyde than Jeckyl in the trenches. Allen had the potential this year to be in the running for Naismith Player-of-the-Year (an award that should go hands-down to UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball). Now, he’s the guy Duke is hoping doesn’t explode when they need a basket or a rebound late in the game.
For those of you who hate Duke--which I used to be until my grandfather passed away, and then I switched from the “Dark Side”--you hope they go out in the first round, regardless of where seeded. When his emotions are in check, Allen may be the most consistent player on the floor in the nation...including Ball.
Three of the four top seeds are basically set, with Kansas, Villanova, and Arizona all set to be playing home games next weekend, after breezing through the opening two rounds this coming weekend. Should the fourth #1 be Duke? Could Oregon make a claim? Has Gonzaga done enough playing in an inferior conference to grab their brass ring?
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are the best playoffs in sports. March Madness is easily the most entertaining.
For Duke, it all rests with Allen as to how good their seats to watch it will be.
-JC24