The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1306549
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 ■ 25 2020-2021 MEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW It took longer than originally anticipated, but Raleigh native and redshirt junior guard Thomas Allen will finally get to put on a NC State uniform, and when he does, Wolfpack fans can expect him to score in bunches. Allen's prowess as a scorer was documented when he originally was a NC State recruit in the 2017 class. He spent three years at Garner (N.C.) High and averaged 21.5 points per game as a junior. Then Allen decided to test himself at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., once the home of NC State legend and prolific NBA scorer T.J. Warren. While helping Brewster go 33-0 and win the National Prep title, Allen averaged 18 points per game and shot 48.0 percent from three-point range (115 of 239). He sank a school-record 11 threes in a 50-point effort. During the national championship game, Allen helped lead Brewster to victory by scoring 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting. A coaching change in Raleigh led the 6-1, 180-pounder to instead enroll at Nebraska. Now, after two seasons in the heartland, Allen is back to his roots. Perhaps because he sat out last season, Allen has flown under the radar. Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts hopes it stays that way as long as possible. Keatts noted that Allen's scoring reminds him of former NBA star Vinnie Johnson, who garnered the nickname "The Microwave" during his playing days. Johnson was the sixth man on the Detroit Pistons teams that won back-to-back NBA titles in 1989-90 and averaged 12.0 points per game in his 14-year career in the pros. "What makes him unique is his ability to score the basketball," Keatts said of Allen. "A lot of people are going to look at him as a shooter. I look at him as a guy that can score at all different levels. "I am excited about him. I hope people don't talk about him. He can make shots. He's a guy that can get hot in a quick moment." Allen could not play in games last season per NCAA transfer rules, but he was still able to prac - tice. In that setting, his teammates quickly gained an appr eciation for Allen's penchant for scoring. "He can shoot the lights out, and he's super quick and crafty with the ball. He's got a good handle for it," fifth-year senior forward DJ Funderburk noted. "He's going to be pretty good when we play in the ACC." "It just seems like it comes pretty natural for him," senior guard Braxton Beverly added. Coming out of high school, Allen was rated by Rivals.com as a four-star prospect and the No. 103 player nationally. He was the headliner in the Corn - huskers' three-player class and the only one of them to break into the regular rotation his freshman sea- son. He averaged 3.2 points per game in 32 contests, including a 13-point performance against nationally ranked Kansas in which he made three three-pointers. As a sophomore, Allen upped his production to 8.7 points per contest while starting 25 of 29 contests before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. He was also eighth in the Big Ten in steals, averaging 1.3 per game. Allen scored in double digits 12 times, including 18-point performances against Creighton and Purdue, the latter on the road during which he made 5 of 6 three-pointers. Keatts quickly cautions, however, against assuming that Allen is coming to NC State just to be a scorer. The coach noted that the player is more of a combo guard, and that he played some point guard at Ne - braska. "He 'll play different roles for us," Keatts said. "You are going to see him play some one, and you are going to see him play some two. I like that because he is older, he also brings some leadership to the table." — Matt Carter named his county's co-Player of the Year. He was also named to the GISA All-State team after helping Heritage repeat its title. "Think of a younger Manny Bates — he blocks shots," Keatts noted. "He's a physical presence with a nice body, can score around the basket, and is going to be really good." Other options in the frontcourt include a pair of skilled, versatile forwards. Junior Jericole Hellems was one of NC State's most improved players a year ago and fin- ished the season averaging 9.5 points per game. He notched a career-high 23 points in a crucial early season win at home over Wisconsin, and reached double figures in 10 ACC games. "That kid has gotten better pretty much every year," Keatts said. "He's the way you want a guy to progress throughout the years. He got better as a sophomore, and we're hoping to have a really good breakthrough year as a junior." The newcomer to the mix is freshman Nick Farrar, who averaged 21.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for nearby Apex (N.C.) Friendship High as a senior. The 6-6, 260-pounder had a breakout perfor- mance on the national scene when he erupted for 35 points against the then-No. 1-ranked class of 2021 prospect in the country, Jonathan Kuminga, at the John Wall Holiday Invitational. Farrar finished that event with 98 points, tied for ninth all time at the prestigious tournament. "Nick Farrar is going to be really good with his size. He's going to play a little four and then possibly some three. He's a guy that's had to get in great shape," Keatts explained. "One of the things with him is making sure that he can play to our style by getting in great shape, watching what he's eating and changing his entire body. "He's going to be a really good basketball player for us." ■ " I am excited about him. … He can make shots. He's a guy that can get hot in a quick moment. " Head coach Kevin Keatts on Allen Allen sat out last season after transferring in from Nebraska, where he averaged 8.7 points per game and shot 44 percent overall and 36 percent from three-point range as a sophomore. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Newcomer To Watch Thomas Allen Ready To Bring Scoring Punch To Wolfpack