Shyft Sports
Grayson Allen was ranked in the ESPN Top 60 2014 recruits. He had been recruited and offered scholarships by many great schools; Florida, NC State, Miami, Texas, and many more. He had been steadily improving his game but something was missing. On April 13th, the biggest goal of Grayson’s basketball life was fulfilled. Just 11 days later, Grayson Allen had committed to his favorite college, Duke.
Since his commitment to Duke, Grayson Allen has continued to rise in the ESPN 2014 recruiting ranks and is now up to number 27. He is ranked seventh among shooting guards, and second among Florida recruits. He hopes to be a part of a great Duke recruiting class, that has offers out to Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, Kevon Looney, Devin Booker, Goodluck Okonoboh, and Myles Turner. Duke has a chance to be a special recruiting class and Grayson Allen will be a huge part of that.
Allen and Duke appear to be a perfect fit in all aspects. He is a top student who will fit right in to Duke’s classrooms. He gets great grades at Providence High School while challenging himself in his classes. He is one of the top students in his school, while also acting as Vice President for his high school class. He is unlike many top sports recruits, where school and sports are just as important. That attitude will help him excel at Duke, on the court and in the classroom.
Grayson Allen is a fit in the classroom, but he appears to be a bigger fit on the court. Like most all Duke guards, Grayson has the ability to stretch the court with his great shooting ability. He also has immense athleticism, with the ability to jump out of the gym. This fits with what looks to be the new Duke model, where Duke has looked to run more athletic teams. He will fit right in on Duke’s wing, as a shooting guard or even an undersized small forward. He is still developing, but has the potential to be special for Duke.
Grayson’s best qualities on the court are his roles as a winner and a truly selfless player. In the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, these qualities were huge for E1T1 Elite as Grayson helped lead his team to the Championship. With two other talented guards on the team, Grayson took a bench role to help the team win. He also took a smaller scoring role, and impacted the game with his passing and defense. He can impact the game in so many ways and his will to win helps take over games.
Going into his senior season, Grayson will look to continue improving his game. If he continues to improve his shot, defense, and athleticism, he has a great shot at seeing minutes even during his freshman year. Whether he plays 30 or 5 minutes, Grayson will accept his role and fill it to the best of his ability. The fit could not be better, and I am excited to see a great young man go to the school of his dreams. No matter what Grayson’s future holds, he will be successful in all that he does.