The Grayson Allen Effect...
Well, it wasn't that long ago (December 2013) I was on a short vacation in Myrtle Beach when I got word that then Duke commit Grayson Allen was going to be playing at the Myrtle Beach Ball Classic basketball tournament. I decided to go watch one of his games. He helped his team pull out the win dropping 30 points against Moeller High School that night. I caught up with him after the game and did a short interview (link below).
Well, it wasn't that long ago (December 2013) I was on a short vacation in Myrtle Beach when I got word that then Duke commit Grayson Allen was going to be playing at the Myrtle Beach Ball Classic basketball tournament. I decided to go watch one of his games. He helped his team pull out the win dropping 30 points against Moeller High School that night. I caught up with him after the game and did a short interview (link below).
I could tell from talking with Grayson that he was very excited to become a Blue Devil.
Fast forward 16 months later and I'm in the locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium just after Duke won its 5th national championship. Grayson Allen helped spark a comeback for Duke over Wisconsin with 16 points in 21 minutes off the bench. In the locker room, Grayson was swarmed by the media. Below is a short video I shot of Grayson talking to the media after Duke won its 5th national championship.
Grayson is a perfect example of a guy who waited for his turn. When he was needed the most... he delivered!
Grayson was a part of the #1 recruiting class that included stars Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, and Justise Winslow. For the 2014-2015 season Grayson averaged 9.2 minutes and 4.4 points. When Duke first played Wisconsin back in December, Grayson didn't log any minutes of play. Fast forward to April... Duke playing Wisconsin in the national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium with 13 minutes left in the game and Duke down 9 points. Okafor and Winslow are in foul trouble with 3 fouls each. It looked as if Duke was on its way to losing the game. The time came for Grayson Allen to deliver. And deliver is what he did! Whether it be the 3 pointer, the diving out of bounds play, the layup, or the foul he drawed to sink the free throws... Allen delivered! Grayson helped spark a comeback by the Blue Devils to help Coach K and Duke win a 5th national championship. In the locker room Grayson talked about how Coach K told him to stay ready for this year. Grayson being ready paid off big time for Duke. This made for a great sports story and an even better life lesson. That lesson is always be ready... you never know when your time will come... and it just might happen on the biggest stage there is!
We are now just a couple months away from the start of the 2015-2016 Duke Basketball Season. I think its safe to say everybody will know who Grayson Allen is when he steps on the court!
Grayson was a part of the #1 recruiting class that included stars Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, and Justise Winslow. For the 2014-2015 season Grayson averaged 9.2 minutes and 4.4 points. When Duke first played Wisconsin back in December, Grayson didn't log any minutes of play. Fast forward to April... Duke playing Wisconsin in the national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium with 13 minutes left in the game and Duke down 9 points. Okafor and Winslow are in foul trouble with 3 fouls each. It looked as if Duke was on its way to losing the game. The time came for Grayson Allen to deliver. And deliver is what he did! Whether it be the 3 pointer, the diving out of bounds play, the layup, or the foul he drawed to sink the free throws... Allen delivered! Grayson helped spark a comeback by the Blue Devils to help Coach K and Duke win a 5th national championship. In the locker room Grayson talked about how Coach K told him to stay ready for this year. Grayson being ready paid off big time for Duke. This made for a great sports story and an even better life lesson. That lesson is always be ready... you never know when your time will come... and it just might happen on the biggest stage there is!
We are now just a couple months away from the start of the 2015-2016 Duke Basketball Season. I think its safe to say everybody will know who Grayson Allen is when he steps on the court!
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