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2019 JUCO SF Teddy Allen - WNCC - Signed


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Interesting article about Teddy's life up to his transfer to Wichita St found in the chat on West Virginia forum.  The article was pasted onto their board but I don't think I can do that here.  It was written while he was waiting to see if he might get a waiver to play immediately.  Here's a link to the forum page:  https://247sports.com/college/west-virginia/Board/103746/Contents/At-some-point-the-Huggins-way-is-going-to-cost-WVU-125912835/

 

Not sure if we want to risk a scholarship on him when we clearly need a lot of help and need every 'ship to count, but after reading this article I genuinely feel sorry for him and hope the best for him.  I'm rooting for him.


Cliffs:

  • 11 years old his dad starts beating his mom and Teddy stands up and gets beatings too.  Continues for a while before his dad is arrested and out of their life.
  • Suspended from school Sophomore year for beating up a kid who'd made inappropriate contact with his girlfriend.  Due to transfer rules can't play ball and gains a lot of weight and runs with the wrong crowd and starts smoking dope.
  • Diagnosed ADHD, depression, and bipolar.
  • Mom's new fiance gets him to Boys Town where he excels in structured environment.  Boys Town wasn't going to let him play Summer basketball but he's doing so well that they allow it and he blows up and gets recruited hard.
  • Signs with West Virginia as his mom is losing battle with cancer
  • Can't cope with her death without the dope, decides he has to leave West Virginia and get back to the structured, disciplined environment he had at Boys Town so comes back to Omaha to be near that support group.  Neither Nebraska nor Creighton are interested.
  • Gregg Marshall advised not to take the risk on him but meets him and gives him the chance and is overly impressed by his desire and leadership skills.
  • Optimistic about future with the team but this is obviously before the domestic violence incident that lead to him leaving Wichita St

On a side note, his brother Timmy is averaging just over 20+ points a game at Utah and was Pac-12 player of the week last week.

 

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36 minutes ago, RedKorn said:

Optimistic about future with the team but this is obviously before the domestic violence incident that lead to him leaving Wichita St

If I remember right, nothing ever came of that incident and his girlfriend put a statement out basically saying Teddy did nothing wrong and she regretted calling the cops on him.

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I want to believe in Teddy. I trust Fred in establishing who he wants and the culture he wants. I am not going to say sell out for Teddy, but I'm intrigued. Especially with the apparent wing need off there bench now next year

 

Anyone know if we've offered yet? 

 

Edit: just read the article from the athletic (called "this comes first : Teddy Allen wants to play basketball again, but he's at Wichita State for his mental health". By cj Moore). Really pulling for him. Seems like he has a good head on his shoulders and knows what he needs to do. Just needs help. 

 

 

 

Edited by thrasher31
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4 hours ago, RedKorn said:

Interesting article about Teddy's life up to his transfer to Wichita St found in the chat on West Virginia forum.  The article was pasted onto their board but I don't think I can do that here.  It was written while he was waiting to see if he might get a waiver to play immediately.  Here's a link to the forum page:  https://247sports.com/college/west-virginia/Board/103746/Contents/At-some-point-the-Huggins-way-is-going-to-cost-WVU-125912835/

 

Not sure if we want to risk a scholarship on him when we clearly need a lot of help and need every 'ship to count, but after reading this article I genuinely feel sorry for him and hope the best for him.  I'm rooting for him.


Cliffs:

  • 11 years old his dad starts beating his mom and Teddy stands up and gets beatings too.  Continues for a while before his dad is arrested and out of their life.
  • Suspended from school Sophomore year for beating up a kid who'd made inappropriate contact with his girlfriend.  Due to transfer rules can't play ball and gains a lot of weight and runs with the wrong crowd and starts smoking dope.
  • Diagnosed ADHD, depression, and bipolar.
  • Mom's new fiance gets him to Boys Town where he excels in structured environment.  Boys Town wasn't going to let him play Summer basketball but he's doing so well that they allow it and he blows up and gets recruited hard.
  • Signs with West Virginia as his mom is losing battle with cancer
  • Can't cope with her death without the dope, decides he has to leave West Virginia and get back to the structured, disciplined environment he had at Boys Town so comes back to Omaha to be near that support group.  Neither Nebraska nor Creighton are interested.
  • Gregg Marshall advised not to take the risk on him but meets him and gives him the chance and is overly impressed by his desire and leadership skills.
  • Optimistic about future with the team but this is obviously before the domestic violence incident that lead to him leaving Wichita St

On a side note, his brother Timmy is averaging just over 20+ points a game at Utah and was Pac-12 player of the week last week.

 

 

This makes me really, really want him.  This story reminds me of a lot of kids that I've known from being involved with the foster care system.  Good kids that are dealt terrible situations deserve second (and third) chances, and I hope we are willing to give him that chance.

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I strongly agree with not giving up on him a person. The question of whether to offer him is different, especially in light of what's going on with football team. Does the university want to bring in somebody with his background after the publicity over Washington, Hunt and LeGrone? Teddy's situation may be completely different, but the perception matters to the university. He got another chance when he went to Wichita and likely received multiple chances there before he was dismissed. He was scholarship worthy in high school, and it's fair to say Miles passed because of the warning flags. Since then, he's had episodes with drug use and domestic violence.I don't think Tim would get involved with him now either, knowing the entire history. 

 

As I've said before, I trust Fred to make the right decision, but it's a very complicated situation and the choice might not be his.

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I actually think he was going to be a star at WV, his points per minute we’re real good if I remember. Saw him take over a few games as a freshman. Huggy limited his minutes to work on Def and shot selection I think. If he comes he will score a lot of points for us.

 

i think he might be at the game Sunday, will keep my eyes open as the recruits normally sit by us

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Allen averaged 7 points,  2.7 rebounds and .5 assists per game for a West Virginia team that got beat 90-78 in the Sweet 16 by eventual national champ Villanova. He averaged 11.9 minutes per game. I have no issues with him being a Husker but would believe he would be on a short leash for off court issues if they arose.

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I think we always assume that being part of a high major basketball program is the best outcome for a kid like Allen, but I’m not sure that’s going to be the best situation for him going forward. I’m not sure that putting him another fish bowl situation is going to lead to good things. 

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52 minutes ago, khoock said:

Worth pondering, if we get Teddy Allen does that make Donovan Williams start looking else where?

 

They both seem to be 6'5ish scoring guards. I have clearly stated I am no talent scout, does anyone with that expertise mine comparing their skill sets?

 

I see Donovan being more of a backcourt player and Teddy being more of a frontcourt guy who can step out and hit the three.

 

I've heard scuttlebutt that Xavier Betts might not sign an LOI because, if he does and then becomes an academic casualty, his clock starts running and he counts against our numbers even if he's out.  It makes me wonder -- given that Donovan was in the house last night -- if something similar might be going on with him. Just wondering.

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40 minutes ago, khoock said:

Worth pondering, if we get Teddy Allen does that make Donovan Williams start looking else where?

 

They both seem to be 6'5ish scoring guards. I have clearly stated I am no talent scout, does anyone with that expertise mine comparing their skill sets?


I think they’d compliment each other.  Teddy is a bruiser if he needs to be—he can play the 3 or 4 and has a great post and face up game while being extremely crafty around the rim.  He can also stretch the defense so he’s nearly impossible to guard 1on1.  He’s also going to be a junior if/when he comes in, so Donovan would be in a great spot as an understudy.  Donovan’s minutes next year would likely go to Burke, but I could see him starting at the 2 or 3 as a sophomore alongside Teddy.  I think Teddy could fill the Cheatham void next season.

 

8 man next year might be:  Mack (jr), Burke (sr) Thor (sr), Allen (jr), Banton (so), Stephenson (jr), Cross (so), Walker (jr), with spot/development minutes from Easley (so), Williams (fr), and Akol (so).   
 

That’s a tournament team in my mind if we keep playing at this level.  Green is worth mentioning too but I’m not holding my breath considering how much better we’ve been without him.  

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1 minute ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

Teddy Allen is more than 200#, is he not? Gotta be. He looks like he weighs as much as Shamiel Stevenson.


I don’t think he is but that’s one of the things that makes him such a strange matchup—he has a forward’s mentality but runs around like a guard. I don’t really have a player to compare him to—he’s that unorthodox offensively.  

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2 minutes ago, LK1 said:


I think they’d compliment each other.  Teddy is a bruiser if he needs to be—he can play the 3 or 4 and has a great post and face up game while being extremely crafty around the rim.  He can also stretch the defense so he’s nearly impossible to guard 1on1.  He’s also going to be a junior if/when he comes in, so Donovan would be in a great spot as an understudy.  Donovan’s minutes next year would likely go to Burke, but I could see him starting at the 2 or 3 as a sophomore alongside Teddy.  I think Teddy could fill the Cheatham void next season.

 

8 man next year might be:  Mack (jr), Burke (sr) Thor (sr), Allen (jr), Banton (so), Stephenson (jr), Cross (so), Walker (jr), with spot/development minutes from Easley (so), Williams (fr), and Akol (so).   
 

That’s a tournament team in my mind if we keep playing at this level.  Green is worth mentioning too but I’m not holding my breath considering how much better we’ve been without him.  

 

I'd encourage caution on drawing conclusions about Green. Correlation is not causation. We've been better perhaps for other reasons than being without him. We've been better because of the intense film session following the Creighton loss, for one thing.

 

As far as being a tournament team next year, I'd still like to have another legit big, a defensive shot-blocker who wipes the glass on both ends. Added bonus if he can score more than putbacks and dumps.

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7 minutes ago, LK1 said:


I don’t think he is but that’s one of the things that makes him such a strange matchup—he has a forward’s mentality but runs around like a guard. I don’t really have a player to compare him to—he’s that unorthodox offensively.  

 

I agree with @millerhusker. Not only from his film, but also from seeing him talking with Abdelmassih last night, Teddy has a much bigger body than a guy who just weighs 200#. I'm thinking 225-230#.

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48 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

I'd encourage caution on drawing conclusions about Green. Correlation is not causation. We've been better perhaps for other reasons than being without him. We've been better because of the intense film session following the Creighton loss, for one thing.

 

As far as being a tournament team next year, I'd still like to have another legit big, a defensive shot-blocker who wipes the glass on both ends. Added bonus if he can score more than putbacks and dumps.


It’s not Green’s talent, but his skill set that makes me question whether or not he works as a guard in Fred’s system.  He’s an iso player with an unreliable outside shot.  He’s a good on ball defender and not a good help defender.  There is no way he’s more valuable than Thor in this system now that Thor can shoot.  I think Green would’ve been tremendous under Miles.

 

That said, I think Green could still be a very valuable bench scorer similar to what we have in Cross.  I just don’t like him with Cam AND Burke.  Haanif and Thor are too valuable on both ends and in the passing game to mess with Green going back in the starting lineup now.  
 

Correlation is, indeed, not causation, but hopefully I’ve provided enough variables for a decent multiple regression to take hold :)

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9 minutes ago, LK1 said:


It’s not Green’s talent, but his skill set that makes me question whether or not he works as a guard in Fred’s system.  He’s an iso player with an unreliable outside shot.  He’s a good on ball defender and not a good help defender.  There is no way he’s more valuable than Thor in this system now that Thor can shoot.  I think Green would’ve been tremendous under Miles.

 

That said, I think Green could still be a very valuable bench scorer similar to what we have in Cross.  I just don’t like him with Cam AND Burke.  Haanif and Thor are too valuable on both ends and in the passing game to mess with Green going back in the starting lineup now.  
 

Correlation is, indeed, not causation, but hopefully I’ve provided enough variables for a decent multiple regression to take hold :)

 

I actually love the idea of Green coming off the bench to spare Thor/Burke if needed.  I also think that Charlie should continue to get a few opportunities even when Green comes back.  When we get down to the nitty, gritty come the middle of February, those are going to be valuable minutes that Charlie could provide off the bench for a breather.

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11 hours ago, LK1 said:


I don’t think he is but that’s one of the things that makes him such a strange matchup—he has a forward’s mentality but runs around like a guard. I don’t really have a player to compare him to—he’s that unorthodox offensively.  

To me that sounds a bit like both Gordon and Tucker for the Houston Rockets.

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