Grayson Allen

Classroom

Grayson Allen is on track to graduate in May 2018 and has been an outstanding student. He is a three-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree and has been named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll three times. Allen earned Academic All-America honors in 2016 as well as a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. Allen was a member of the 2015-16 Duke team that was awarded the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ Team Academic Excellence Award. He also spent time this summer interning at Intersport, a media company in Chicago.

Character

Allen was selected as Duke’s sole captain for his senior season by a vote from his teammates. He was Duke’s representative at the ACC’s Operation Basketball this season, serving as a great ambassador for Duke Basketball. Allen has a strong faith, and is active in his church (Grace Lutheran) in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. Allen is one of the hardest workers on the team, as well as a mentor to the younger players.

From Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski: “College is supposed to be about learning, and about maturing. The embodiment of that experience is Grayson Allen. In his career, he played a critical role in winning a national championship as a freshman, and also has endured low points and public scrutiny like few others in the history of our sport.

“Grayson had the opportunity to depart school early for the NBA multiple times, but he returned to Duke. He wanted to be the leader of this basketball team, one that is loaded with freshmen who need a role model. He wanted to show he had learned his lessons; had matured and was able to lead in the way in which Duke captains are expected. He wants to win another national championship.

“In the two years leading up to the current season, Grayson was constantly humiliated, scrutinized and dissected by those outside of Duke Basketball. I know, and those of us inside this program know, the type of person he is. He cares deeply about his family, his teammates, children and his faith. He has a passion and a fire to get better every day – in all aspects of his life.

“He has learned from previous mistakes. I watched him grow to be a better teammate and leader and I’m proud to have Grayson as the sole captain of our 2017-18 team. On so many levels, he has earned it. He’s truly the epitome of this Senior CLASS Award. He’s faced his challenges, and hasn’t run from them.”

Community

Allen has routinely volunteered his time at the Duke Children’s Hospital and the Emily K Center, the mission of which is to inspire students to dream big, act with character and purpose and reach their potential as leaders in their communities. Allen and his teammates are involved with the Read with the Blue Devils program, which seeks to aid area teachers in encouraging children to read at an early age. Allen also has volunteered his time to youth basketball clinics, several of which were held in Jacksonville.

Competition

Entering his senior season, Allen was ranked 33rd on Duke’s career scoring list with 1,424 points and was just the sixth Duke player to earn All-America and Academic All-America honors in the same season (2016). This fall, Allen was named to the Preseason All-ACC team as well as to the Preseason Jerry West Watch List. Last season, Allen was named to the 2017 All-ACC Tournament Second Team after helping Duke become the first team to win four games in four days to capture the league tournament title. Allen’s 2016 was one of the best in Duke history as he was named a second-team All-American by The Sporting News and a third-team All-American by both the AP and the NABC. He was also a first-team All-ACC selection and the coaches’ ACC Co-Most Improved Player. He was just the ninth Duke player to lead the Blue Devils in both points and assists. During his tenure at Duke, Allen has helped the team to 88 victories, which included the 2015 NCAA Championship game.