The curious case of Duke’s Grayson Allen continues.
When Allen fouled and then tripped an Elon player Wednesday night, the flagrant technical and temper tantrum that followed made national headlines and became a You Tube sensation. His coach, Mike Krzyzewski, had no choice but to suspend him indefinitely, although Coach K says he never listens to what the media and fans say about any of his players.
Allen, the junior from Jacksonville, Florida, was a landslide pick for ACC Player of the Year, despite two prior tripping fouls that have turned him into the latest Devil With a Blue Dress On. He will need a remarkable comeback against media sentiment to win the award even if he doesrecover from a slow start this season, that’s how troubling his latest episode has become.
Krzyzewski went on the Dan Patrick Show Thursday morning and insisted this was a teaching moment for him and would not return Allen to playing status unless he was satisfied the kid’s really bad habit of using a leg whip will stop. Like a bully who can’t keep his hands to himself, Allen seems to react to physical contact by flailing his legs out and tripping opponents.
Duke probably needs a sports psychologist to hypnotize Allen and get him to recognize that impulse and force himself to stop when the same instinct occurs again. Some basketball players are known for their rough play, like Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, but no one else to my knowledge has a pet move that looks like he is auditioning to be an ultimate fighter. In all three instances, Allen found himself in a position to extend his leg to trip a player and could not stop.
Obviously, Krzyzewski has finally recognized the gravity of such an urge and was shocked when he saw the replay of Allen’s tantrum on the bench that forced assistant coach JohnScheyer into using a strait jacket hold on Allen’s arms before doing bodily damage to himself. This has turned into a scary situation, folks, and Allen needs help and public sympathy, not the scorn he is bound to get from fans.
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