Duke Basketball: Grayson Allen ranked No. 1 in NCAA
By Stuart Gill
Duke Basketball’s Grayson Allen tops ESPN’s Top 25 NCAA Basketball players for the second straight season.
Ranking ahead of incoming Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr and fellow ACC stud Bonzie Colson, Grayson Allen is once again the most anticipated player of the upcoming college basketball season.
ESPN’s John Gasaway acknowledged that last year’s dubbing of Allen as the number one player in the NCAA didn’t hold true due to his behavioral incidents. Nonetheless, Gasaway is “go[ing] out on a limb [to] predict a suspension-free year” for the Duke star.
Gasaway expects Allen to have success in scoring in part due to the arrival of star point guard Trevon Duval, who is known for his passing ability. With the departures of Frank Jackson and Luke Kennard, Allen is poised to see as much playing time as he desires alongside Duval.
The ranking, while it is a blessing, could also be a curse for Allen. With the spotlight on him a year ago, Allen had moments of immaturity on the court that garnered him a remarkable amount of negative attention.
His storyline in the press, one could argue, made it hard for him to perform the way he would’ve liked. His NBA draft stock suffered while teammates enjoyed the best seasons of their lives. Duke’s season was derailed, and they failed to reach their potential when it mattered most.
This season figures to look very different for the Blue Devils, though. Last year, Allen shared Captainship with seniors Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones, before losing the position by tripping Elon’s Steven Santa Ana. This year, Allen is the only senior on the roster. He has the opportunity to prove that he has learned how to conduct himself as the leader of his team.
Needless to say, it is going to be interesting to watch Allen’s level of intensity as he attempts to make up for the underwhelming year Duke suffered a year ago. He has to compartmentalize — play with the same fire that allows him to dominate without letting his emotions get the best of him. If he is able to do that, Duke has the opportunity for a terrific season.
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Allen’s new teammates Wendell Carter and Duval also made the list, at numbers 10 and 14, respectively. Along with freshman Gary Trent Jr and sophomore Marques Bolden, they should prove to be a more than adequate supporting cast to Allen. Duke has the pieces, now they just need to handle the spotlight.