Duke’s Allen making most of final NCAA run
DURHAM, N.C. » Grayson Allen wants to make the most of his final run through the NCAA Tournament.
It hasn’t exactly been a smooth four years for the Duke senior who won a national title in 2015 before becoming one of the sport’smost polarizing figures amid a series of tripping incidents.
But he’s evolved into the elder statesman on a team full of freshmen, and he has No. 2 seed Duke (287) preparing for a rematch with 11th-seeded Syracuse (23-13) on Friday night in Omaha, Nebraska, in the Midwest Regional semifinals.
“There’s obviously no way I’m going to hold any words back or anything like that,” Allen said Tuesday. “And I think it really helps with this team.
“It speaks to the maturity level of our team, and everyone’s secure in their role on the team,” he added. “Me, by being that secure leader and telling these guys and themeither following or becoming a leader in their own right. ... Everyone is speaking up right now and it helps with our togetherness.”
Part of his willingness to speak up, of course, is because this is his last shot at a national championship. But it’s also a reflection of how he has grown more comfortable in leading through not just action but by words.
“He’s just grown into being a leader,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He’s not a vocal guy, so just learning about that and still playing his game, it’s an evolution. He’s a much better player now than he’s ever been because he’s learned all these things.”
He can certainly draw upon plenty of the experiences — good and bad — of his previous three years.
His hustle plays against Wisconsin in the 2015 national championship game sparked Duke to its most recent NCAA title.