Senior Day is right around the corner for the Duke Blue Devils. The only senior on the roster this season is none other than Grayson Allen. It’s been an up and down four years for Allen filled with a National Championship, meltdowns, big shots and rim rattling dunks. Here are my five favorite moments from his time in Durham.
“The Rivalry” UNC @ Duke-February 9th 2017:
The first meeting between Duke and Carolina in 2017. Grayson Allen was in the midst of a tough season with the media scrutiny, the injuries, and the down shooting year. Although it was a tough year, Grayson was going through one of his best stretches of the season posting back to back 21 point games. All week long, I recall the media continuing to question whether or not the Duke freshman understood the magnitude of this rivalry. Grayson Allen came out lightning it up from the field, and sending Cameron into a craze. Sports-Reference tallied it down as his most made 3-pointers in a game in 2017, as he went 7 for 12 from deep. Grayson continued to show up when Duke needed him the most, against UNC.
“Grayson’s National Coming Out Party” Duke vs. Michigan State-April 4th 2015 (Final Four):
What I like to think of as the national coming out party for Grayson. The 2015 National Semi-Final saw a freshman who was averaging just over 8 minutes per game in the NCAA Tournament, play 17 minutes (sports-reference). Now, he only scored 9 points that game, but with a national TV audience, people outside of us Duke fans became familiar with the name, Grayson Allen. My biggest memory from this game was when Grayson missed a 3-pointer in the corner, but grabbed his own rebound and went up for a 1-handed dunk. After the dunk, Grayson then flexed and yelled towards his own bench (but in the face of a Michigan State player). Welcome to Bull City, Grayson Allen.
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“Bank’s Open” Virginia @ Duke-February 13th 2016:
Duke who had recently lost 4 of 5, had fallen out of the top-25, but was beginning to turn it around winning their two games before this one. Duke was coming to a tough stretch once again, where they had to play a Virginia team in the top 10, then had UNC right after. Down by 1, inbounding the ball just past half court, Grayson Allen passed it in, then got it right back. As we know, Virginia is known as a tough defense team, and this possession was no different. Allen tried to come off a ball screen going left, but the center forced him back right. Grayson crossed back to the left, and got inside the three point line. He then was forced to throw up an off balanced, one-handed shot that he banked in at the buzzer. A win that Duke desperately needed, and their All-American Sophomore hit one of the biggest shots of his career.
“A Career Night in the Windy City” Duke vs. Michigan State-November 14th 2017:
This would be the last time that I got to see Grayson Allen play, for Duke, in person. In front of an abundance of NBA scouts at the United Center, and without Marvin Bagley III for virtually the entire game, Grayson turned in a career high 37 points. Coming out of the gates this season, Allen was on fire from 3 point range, and this night in Chicago was no different. Those 37 points were highlighted by a dagger 3-pointer from the top, over Michigan State guard Matt McQuaid, as #1 Duke took down #2 Michigan State.
“The Hero” Duke vs. Wisconsin-April 6th 2015 (National Championship):
This was far and away the best Grayson Allen game in my opinion, and I am assuming many people would agree with me. The kid that Coach K deemed as his “8th man off the bench” came in and stunned Wisconsin. Allen poured in 16 points as Duke went on to win its 5th National Championship (sports-reference). Tyus Jones was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, but Coach K called Grayson, “the hero” of the 2015 National Championship. Allen had many key moments in this game. His layup and the foul is one that many remember, but the one that sticks out for me (and it sticks out to Coach K when he talks about the game) is when Allen deflected a pass away and was fouled by Traevon Jackson fighting for the loose ball. Grayson then screamed “Let’s Go!” towards the Duke bench which ignited the Devils who trailed by 6 at that point. That game, that moment, will go down as my favorite Grayson Allen moment of all-time.