Allen embraces role on defense for Longhorns
AUSTIN — Texas forward Timmy Allen considered the question for a few seconds, his emotions branching off into two directions.
“Man, it’s brutal,” the fifth-year Longhorn said of stacking wins in the grueling Big 12. Then, Allen twinkled.
“It’s so fun, though,” he added following Monday’s 88-80 loss to No. 9 Kansas at ear-splitting Allen Fieldhouse. “I’m out there having the time of my life, I swear to God. Like I’m playing defense, I’m so submerged in the game and it’s so fun. This league is so fun. You know you’re gonna have to earn it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Allen was asked about the fifth-ranked Longhorns’ recent schedule, not his defense. But that was top of the mind for the former All-Pac-12 import from Utah, a key member of former Texas coach Chris Beard’s first transfer-heavy roster.
While Beard is gone, fired for cause Jan. 5 and currently awaiting a March 1 court hearing for a felony domestic violence charge, Allen remains part of the Longhorns’ nucleus. Always a reliable scorer and playmaker, he’s emerged this year as a passionate defender, the everengaged stopper interim coach Rodney Terry often sets upon the opponent’s No. 1 scoring option.
Over Texas’ past three games, Allen has dedicated the bulk of his court time to stopping Kansas redshirt junior Jalen Wilson (20.7 points per game), Kansas State senior Keyontae Johnson (18.0) and Baylor freshman Keyonte George (17.5), the Big 12’s first, third and fourth-leading scorer, respectively.
George scored 17 points but shot 5-for-18 with three turnovers and a minus-10 on-court point differential. Johnson finished with 16 points on 60 percent shooting,
but he contributed only three points over the final 10 minutes and was minus-9 in 24 total minutes. And Wilson’s streak of sixstraight 20-point game screeched to a halt — KU’s star finished with a seasonlow two points on 14.3 percent shooting with three turnovers.
Texas managed a 2-1 showing during that grueling three-game stretch. Allen finished with a positive plus/minus each game; he was plus-15 in 98 total minutes, including a team-best plus-7 in the loss to Kansas.
“The one thing we challenged Timmy to do when he joined our program was to be a complete player,” Terry said Friday. “We know what you’ve done offensively over the course of your career. Now you also want to be seen as a guy that’s a two-way player, You want to be able to compete at the highest level defensively. And I think he’s taken a lot of ownership in that.”
After leading Texas in scoring last year, Allen ceded that role to graduate guard Marcus Carr.
The 6-foot-6 forward still ranks third in scoring (11.2), first in rebounding (5.0) and second in assists (3.3), and he’s making a legitimate case for inclusion to the Big 12 all-defensive team. That’s not exactly why Allen returned for a fifth and final college season, but he’s not opposed to doing some lobbying — both for himself and graduate guard Sir’Jabari Rice.
“I’m trying to make it clear as day,” said Allen, an All-Big 12 second team selection last season. “I’m a guy who plays with a lot of energy, a lot of effort. I want to be a stopper. I take pride in guarding the best player between me and Rice. Me and Jabari really take that head on and just try to hang our hat on defense.”
After playing four straight top-11 teams over a 10-day span, Allen and first-place Texas (19-5, 8-3 Big 12) get surging West Virginia (15-9, 4-7) at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Moody Center.
WVU has bolstered its NCAA Tournament résumé of late, cruising to a 9361 win over Oklahoma before beating No. 11 Iowa State Wednesday. Leading scorer Erik Stevenson went off for a season-high 34 in the romp over OU. Forward Emmitt Matthews Jr and guard Kedrian Johnson combined for 44 points to help the Mountaineers upset the Cyclones.
Allen will likely spend time guarding each of those scorers Saturday. And if some less-heralded Mountaineer starts getting a little too comfortable on offense, well, Terry knows exactly where to turn.
“There have been times where he’s been in a huddle or he’s come into games or into practice and says, ‘Hey, I want to guard the best guy,’” Terry said of Allen. “That’s all about wanting to win and making a sacrifice. And it’s spread course of our team to have other guys want to make that same sacrifice.”