Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Grayson Allen has ‘no regrets’ about returning for junior season

ACC Basketball Tournament - Quarterfinals

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils drives aginst Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Louisville Cardinals during the Quarterfinals of the ACC Basketball Tournament at the Barclays Center on March 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Getty Images

I shouldn’t have to tell you that Grayson allen’s junior season has not gone the way that he has planned.

One year removed from averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 boards and 3.5 assists while shooting 41.6 percent from three and just six months removed from being named the NBC Sports Preseason Player of the Year, Allen is now coming off the bench for the Blue Devils, averaging just 14.1 points and shooting 36 percent from three.

He went from being a potential top 20 pick in the 2016 draft to likely looking at a spot in the mid-second round this year.

“I knew with the decision I made, once I made it, I was going to live with it,” Allen told ESPN on Thursday. “Obviously, I haven’t had the season I’d like to have. A lot of things out of my control happened. I didn’t know I was going to get injured three games into the year, reinjured later and all stuff happen in the middle.”

Allen has dealt with a myriad of issues this year. He’s right about that. He’s had ankle and toe injuries. He tripped another player and was suspended from the team over christmas break, missing one game. He had every play that he was involved in during the month of January scrutinized by everyone with access to the internet.

It hasn’t been easy.

“For me, I’m making best of the situation,” Allen said. “I didn’t come back for personal goals, I came back to be in the spot I am right now and trying to make another run for a national championship, and I’m still able to do that.”

“So there’s no regrets there.”