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Shooting guard Thomas Allen was committed to NC State in 2016 but opted to explore his options after Mark Gottfried was fired and ended up landing at Nebraska. Now, amid the coaching change in Lincoln, Allen is coming home.
After talking with my family, I’ve decided to transfer to NC State to finish out my education and basketball career. Want to thank @CoachKeattsNCSU for the opportunity. Let’s Go! #WPN pic.twitter.com/Y86AhdtsbO
— Thomas Allen (@ThomasAllen12__) April 5, 2019
The Garner-native’s return to the fold is big news for NC State, and indeed for college basketball itself. Look at what Sports Illustrated ran this evening:
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No that’s definitely not a crummy photoshop that I threw together in two minutes, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Ahem.
Allen has two years of eligibility remaining and will sit out the upcoming season as an undergraduate transfer. I guess it’s possible that a waiver claim for immediate eligibility could be made because of the coaching change at Nebraska, but I’d be surprised to see that.
Allen averaged 8.7 points, 2.8 boards, and 2.0 assists for the Huskers this season. Oddly enough, he shot exactly 35.4% from three-point range in both of his seasons at Nebraska. He’s also a career 49% shooter inside the arc to go with 83% free throw shooting.