Junior college forward Andre Allen signs with ASU during visit

Sometimes in a recruiting process, high expectations can be fully met with reality. Andre Allen virtually made up his mind prior to an official visit to Tempe that he will sign with Arizona State. True to his word, he signed with the Sun Devils today as the newest member of the 2019 class.

“This was my first time visiting the school,” Allen said. “The main thing for me like I said (in a previous interview) was that I liked how the coaches here are high character guys. And that’s what they showed me on the visit. They showed their high level of interest in me…it’s all the cliché things but they are cliché for a reason and they were true.

“I’m just very happy to be here and part of the team. I’m really looking forward to my two years here and I’m all in.”

Allen was impressed by the campus and its “amazing” facilities. Yet ultimately Allen was going to pick his college destination first and foremost because of its coaching staff. This was another aspect where his anticipations came to fruition.

“I wanted to go to a school where I know the coaches will put me in the best position to compete,” Allen explained, “and develop as a player. Arizona State checks all those boxes. Yes, it’s a great city to live in, but it was important to me to know that these coaches are all great guys, and I’m looking forward to working with them to get better.

“Bobby Hurley is authentic and I saw that in the conversations we had on the visit. There’s not one thing he said that stuck out because it’s his entire vision for me and the program. I respect that a lot and I know I’m going into a great situation.

“He’s not throwing smoke in your face and he’s being transparent and honest. I have a lot of respect for that.”

The 6-9 210-pound forward averaged 13.3 ppg and 8.4 rpg for the 25-9 Matadors. Allen said in a previous interview that his versatility is one of his strongest traits and one that has been very appealing to the Sun Devil staff.

“They see me as an older guy that can bring experience to the roster,” Allen stated, “and they (ASU coaches) feel that that is something that is beneficial for them. I pride myself on my athleticism, my IQ for the game and my ability to defend multiple positions on the floor. They feel like I’m a playmaker and you can never go wrong with a playmaker and that’s the role I feel I can fill on the Arizona State roster.

“I’m a player that reads what the defense gives me on the scouting report. I can post up the smaller players, and if I’m going against a bigger, stronger player that is slow laterally and I have the ability to break him down from the wing. I really believe I can guard anyone on the court and play the 2-5 positions. I don’t think people see too much of that stuff and I’m excited for people to see that.”

Allen played his senior year at Balboa Prep in California following a few years at Westchester High School in Los Angeles. By his own admission, not taking his craft and studies seriously until much later in high school forced him to attend a junior college, yet also served as a valuable lesson and one that has ultimately benefitted his basketball career path.

“I didn’t get even one offer out of high school,” Allen recalled. “But everything worked out because I came into a great program at Arizona Western. Now, I really feel I’m ready to take at the next step at a Division I program.”

Being in Yuma, Ariz. for the last two years, Allen followed the ASU program fairly closely, and was impressed by the Sun Devils finishing second in the Pac-12 and earning an NCAA Tournament berth. He watched with great interest the post-season matchup between ASU and Buffalo, the school he committed to last September. Due to the fact that Bulls’ head coach, Nate Oats, left the program to the University of Alabama, Allen asked and received a release from his Letter of Intent.

Arizona Western head coach Charles Harral was naturally elated for his player signing with ASU, especially after going through the ordeal Allen had to endure being released from his Letter of Intent with the Bulls a few weeks back.

“Andre wasn't shocked, but he was disappointed that coach Oats left for Alabama,” Harral said. “But he knows that in this profession that happens. So, he just wanted to take his time, find the right fit for himself and looks like he found that in ASU. In his two years here we probably played 20 games in the Phoenix area so he’s very familiar with the city.

“It’s nice that it’s a school on the West Coast that’s close to his family in Los Angeles who can watch him play in a conference that will have a lot of games near home. I know he’s excited to be close to home.”

Harral said that Florida is one school that was recruiting Allen very hard and that even after the forward stated earlier in the week that he was likely to sign with ASU during his visit, several other schools still came calling. The Matadors’ head coach said that he was very impressed with how ASU handled itself during the recruiting process with Allen.

“I thought they were very professional,” Harral commented. “I spoke to their Associate Head Coach (Rashon Bruno) and he was very upfront to me about Andre and the recruiting process. I have nothing but positives to say about ASU. I always thought this is a program that is located in a great place and is a program that can win a lot of games and they have done that in recent years. Coach Hurley is doing a really good job.”

“I know Andre wanted to stay out west and this opportunity presented itself.”

Harral feels that in Allen the Sun Devils will be getting a very skilled forward who will be able to showcase the various aspects of his skill set.

“He’s a very good passer for a big man,” Harral described. “He’s a good pick-and-pop player and he can score around the basket. I feel that his offensive rebounding was solid. Defensively, like other players, in certain games, he was productive than others. But I know he can work on that and improve at the next level. But statically he got a lot of rebounds for us.

“He’s a great guy to talk to and very personable and respectful. He’s very liked on our campus and he can be a good leader around the team and around the community and he was one of several captains on our team.”

During his ASU visit, Allen met with current players Remy Martin and Romello White and didn’t rule out a pickup game with them in the near future. He was impressed with how much they and the rest of the team are invested in the program and that everyone on the team “is on the same accord.”

“That’s music to my ears,” Allen admitted. “I’m anxious for the season to get started and I’ll be working hard in the meantime to prepare for it.”

With the expected departures of forward Vitaly Shibel and center Uros Plavsic who both have already entered the transfer portal, Allen’s addition to the team fills an immediate need. ASU has room to sign one more player in the 2019 class and it’s expected that they will add another frontcourt player to the team.

Allen is ASU’s fifth signee in the 2019 class, joining guards Alonzo Verge, Jaelen House, and Caleb Christopher as well as forward Jalen Graham.

Allen is scheduled to receive his associate degree from Arizona Western in the next couple weeks and report to ASU in mid-June.