BRYON ALLEN: UNHERALDED PROSPECT WITH GREAT POTENTIAL

March 2, 2009

by Matt Whitfield


When Bryon Allen committed to West Virginia this past January, it left many people scrambling to find out more on this relatively unknown prospect. Overshadowed at the Oak Hill Academy basketball factory by mega-recruits such as Doron Lamb, Keith 'Tiny' Gallon and Lamont 'MoMo' Jones, many familiar with the prep scene didn’t know Allen very well. For West Virginia Head Coach Bob Huggins, this is a good thing as Huggins has had a long line of successful stories of taking the unheralded prospect and making him a star.

A self-described combo guard that goes to the basket pretty strong, rebounds and boxes out, Allen has started to turn heads. In the recently completed 2009 Primetime Shootout, the event’s marquee match-up featured Oak Hill and St. Patrick’s. Down the stretch, when things were tense and the game was on the line, Allen willed his team to victory. Up three with two minutes left, Allen took it upon himself to take the ball down court, drive it into the lane where St. Patrick’s defense had been stingy all night and Allen went for the momentum changer as he dunked on 6’8 Michael Ghilchrst, the player that had kept the Irish in the game all night long. Oak Hill got the ball back after a failed St. Patrick’s possession and Allen iced the game with a put-in sealing the Oak Hill victory. Allen was named his teams MVP with 17 points in the win.

Watching the game courtside was Allen’s future coach, Mountaineer Head Coach Bob Huggins. Allen told NBE, “[I] liked their style of play, the way they get it up and down the court,” as to why he choose to commit early to West Virginia. Allen, who stated to NBE he also had offers from Maryland, Georgetown, Clemson, and Xavier, should don the Blue and Gold in the fall of 2010. Until then, Allen said he would like to work on his ball-handling and three-point shot.

Allen who called himself a hard worker and someone that hated to lose should be a great addition to a 2010 recruiting class that is now already three deep for WVU with Mountain State Academy guard Noah Cottrill and Ohio big man Storm Stanley.

As Allen put it, “[I just] try and be the best player I can be,” and this is the type of player Huggins will continue to do wonders with.