NC State men's basketball head coach Mark Gottfried announced the signing of guard Thomas Allen to a national letter of intent Wednesday. Allen will join the Wolfpack basketball program in 2017.
“I’m very excited,” Gottfried said. “Thomas is a guy we have watched for a long time. He is an excellent shooter, and he has a tremendous feel for the game. We believe he can play either guard spot for us. He is a product of two great programs in Garner High School and now Brewster Academy, and he is a young man that knows how to win.”
Allen is ranked as a four-star recruit by ESPN, 247sports.com and Scout.com. He made the list of the top-150 recruits in the class of 2017 on both 247sports.com and Rivals.com.
A three-year player at Garner High School, Allen led the Trojans to the North Carolina 4A State Championship as a sophomore. Allen averaged 18 points a game as Garner won its first boys basketball state championship. As a junior last season, Allen averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game as the Trojans won a school-record 29 games and advanced to the North Carolina Eastern Region Championship. Following his junior year, Allen was named the Greater Neuse River Conference Player of the Year and was a second-team North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association selection.
“It means a lot for me to sign with NC State,” Allen said. “I’m from 10 minutes down the road. I’ve been coming to games at NC State since I was 10 years old and Sidney Lowe was the head coach. I believe I’m a good fit for the program. I think I can come in and provide energy, show leadership, score and have the ability to play either guard spot.”
The Raleigh native transferred to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N. H., for his senior season. Former Pack great and 2014 ACC Player of the Year T.J. Warren also attended Brewster Academy for his senior year of high school.
Allen played for the Garner Road AAU program coached by Dwayne West. Warren and current redshirt senior Terry Henderson also played for the Garner Road AAU team.
“I’m very excited,” Gottfried said. “Thomas is a guy we have watched for a long time. He is an excellent shooter, and he has a tremendous feel for the game. We believe he can play either guard spot for us. He is a product of two great programs in Garner High School and now Brewster Academy, and he is a young man that knows how to win.”
Allen is ranked as a four-star recruit by ESPN, 247sports.com and Scout.com. He made the list of the top-150 recruits in the class of 2017 on both 247sports.com and Rivals.com.
A three-year player at Garner High School, Allen led the Trojans to the North Carolina 4A State Championship as a sophomore. Allen averaged 18 points a game as Garner won its first boys basketball state championship. As a junior last season, Allen averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game as the Trojans won a school-record 29 games and advanced to the North Carolina Eastern Region Championship. Following his junior year, Allen was named the Greater Neuse River Conference Player of the Year and was a second-team North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association selection.
“It means a lot for me to sign with NC State,” Allen said. “I’m from 10 minutes down the road. I’ve been coming to games at NC State since I was 10 years old and Sidney Lowe was the head coach. I believe I’m a good fit for the program. I think I can come in and provide energy, show leadership, score and have the ability to play either guard spot.”
The Raleigh native transferred to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N. H., for his senior season. Former Pack great and 2014 ACC Player of the Year T.J. Warren also attended Brewster Academy for his senior year of high school.
Allen played for the Garner Road AAU program coached by Dwayne West. Warren and current redshirt senior Terry Henderson also played for the Garner Road AAU team.
