When it comes to pure talent on the basketball court, there aren’t too many players more gifted than Grayson Allen, but it’s the extracurricular stuff that overshadows his skills.
Following a sensational sophomore year where Grayson Allen averaged 21.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, many believed the Jacksonville native was going to take his talents to the NBA. However, Allen decided to return to Durham for his junior campaign, which made Duke look super scary on paper.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski was already bringing in the top-ranked recruiting class, led by five-stars Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum. Both prospects are projected to be top 10 picks in the 2017 NBA Draft. So, when you combine that level of talent with someone of the ability of Allen, you have your favorites to cut down the nets in March.
However, things haven’t been so smooth for Allen over the past 12 months. Last season, the All-American was caught tripping opponents on two separate occasions. The first time he received a pass from media and fans alike for the most part, but after the second incident against Florida State, people were calling for some type of disciplinary action, which never occurred.
As we fast-forward to now, Allen pulled off the tripping act once again. In Duke’s matchup against Elon, Allen tripped Steven Santa Ann and he’s now been suspended indefinitely by Coach K. For some, it was long overdue, to say the least.
Following today’s disappointing upset loss at the hands of ACC foe Virginia Tech, Coach K created more shockwaves.
Coach K told reporters that Grayson Allen is no longer one of Duke's team captains.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) December 31, 2016
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At this point, no one quite knows when Allen will grace the hardwood again, but one thing for sure, if he hasn’t learned his lesson by now, he never will to be brutally honest. Not only is he suspended but he’s no longer a team captain.
Prime example of tough love.