The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/743343
126 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL T homas Allen kept his friends and fam‑ ily guessing for a while, but choosing NC State for college was an easy decision for him. The Raleigh native, who Rivals.com ranks No. 146 overall in the class of 2017, was able to have both his parents and sis‑ ter in attendance when he told head coach Mark Gottfried he was going to verbally commit to the Wolfpack following his of‑ ficial visit Oct. 2. Allen had always dreamed of playing in the ACC one day and had been attending camps at NC State for years, starting when former star point guard Sidney Lowe was coaching his alma mater. He picked NCSU over Nebraska and Saint Louis, and he had additional offers from Ohio State, Illinois and Virginia Tech, among others. Allen will officially sign with NC State during the early period Nov. 9‑16. "It still feels surreal a little bit," Allen said. "I was waiting to commit because I already knew I would commit. I wanted to take a few official visits like Saint Louis and Nebraska to see how it was like out there. I knew I was going to commit to NC State. The coaches reaction was good with a lot of love." Allen was able to attend NC State's Pri‑ metime With The Pack Oct. 21 at newly renovated Reynolds Coliseum. He could tell the difference in being a committed prospect and has embraced his role of try‑ ing to recruit others. "It was cool and kind of strange a little bit, in a way, because I was with the other recruits and had to convince them to com‑ mit," Allen said. "I talked to [senior tar‑ gets] Charles O'Bannon on the court and Nicolas Claxton, and we hung out Friday night and Saturday." The 6‑1, 165‑pound Allen played his first three years at Garner (N.C.) High, but he is spending his senior year at Wolfe‑ boro (N.H.) Brewster Academy. He is looking forward to playing point guard for the Wolfpack, and was able to watch a handful of practices between his official visit and follow‑up unofficial trip. "They were running the UCLA 1‑4 high type of offense," said Allen, who wants to major in sports management. "I like that because you come off screens a lot. "They'll be real strong this season." Allen said Wolfpack fans have been showering him with attention on Twitter or Instagram. He even got noticed for the first time in a place out of the norm. "I went to the mall, and they were say‑ ing stuff to me," Allen said. "That didn't really happen before." Allen's senior season at Brewster Acad‑ emy will begin Nov. 9, and he is looking forward to competing against some of the country's best players. "It's going to be fun to play against the top players in 2017 and 2018," he said. Allen helped lead Garner High to a NCHSAA 4A state title his sophomore year, establishing himself as a proven scorer for the Trojans. "That whole tournament changed my recruitment," Allen said. NC State started to jump in following his 40‑point outburst in a 91‑81 victory over Durham (N.C.) Voyager at the High‑ SchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational in late December of his junior year. NCSU coaches weren't able to attend that par‑ ■ BASKETBALL RECRUITING Thomas Allen Is Excited To Join His Hometown Program As a junior, Allen was named his conference player of the year and selected to The Raleigh News & Observer All-Metro team after averaging 21.3 points and 3.1 assists per game for Garner High. PHOTO BY JACEY ZEMBAL