The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1177236
46 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2019-20 THOMAS ALLEN 5 Jr. • Raleigh • 6-1 • 180 G ANALYSIS Allen has come full circle to find himself in a Wolfpack uniform. He originally signed with NC State in the fall of 2016, but received a release from his letter of intent the following spring and ended up at Nebraska. After two years with the Cornhuskers, he trans- ferred to NC State this offseason. He will sit out this year per NCAA transfer rules. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Became a regular starter at Nebraska as a sophomore and scored a career-high 18 points in a home win over Creighton and a road loss to Purdue, the latter during which he made 5 of 6 three-point- ers … Scored 11 points and matched his personal best with five assists in a late-season loss at Penn State … Grabbed a career-high nine boards in a home win over Minnesota and swiped five steals in a victory over Missouri State on a neutral floor … Finished eighth in the Big Ten with 1.3 steals per game … Scored in double figures twice as a freshman, including 13 points in a home loss to Kansas in which he made 3 of 4 three-point attempts … Averaged 18.0 points per game as a senior at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., helping his team go 33-0 and win a National Prep title … Made 11 threes and scored 50 points in a game that year … Before Brewster, he played at Garner (N.C.) High where he averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game as a junior and was named the conference's player of the year. PERSONAL: Son of Clarence and Tonya Simmons … Birthday is Oct. 21 … One of four siblings. STATISTICS Year G-GS MPG PPG RPG APG FG% 3FG% FT% 2017-18* 32-0 9.9 3.2 1.0 0.5 39.5 35.4 80.0 2018-19* 29-25 30.2 8.7 2.8 2.0 43.6 36.4 86.2 * at Nebraska 83.7 Allen made 83.7 per- cent (41 of 49) of his free throw attempts in two seasons at Nebraska. At NC State, that would be tied with Scooter Sherrill (2001-04) for the fifth high- est free throw percentage ever, although NC State's record books only includes players who attempted at least 100 shots. Since Allen did not make at least two free throws per game last year, he would not have qualified for the single-season mark. However, his 86.2 percent mark at the line (25 of 29) as a sophomore would have been just outside the top 10 in school his - tory. Joe Serdich's 86.7-percent mark in 1968-69 ranks 10th. MEET THE PACK A Closer Look At The 2019-20 NC State Men's Basketball Team PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN