Bryon Allen says he's coming to George Mason

Last week I talked about the possibly of a former West Virginia commit and Oak Hill academy point guard Bryon Allen coming to George Mason. Allen announced today from St. Thomas More in Connecticut that he plans on committing to the Patriots in April when the signing period begins. He was also considering Siena, but as you know their head coach Fran McCaffery just fled to Iowa for a big payday. Allen is a local DC area kid who started out at Dematha in Maryland and then transferred to the national powerhouse Oak Hill academy. Once at Oak Hill he was able to make solid contributions on roster stacked with talent. He often went against teammate Brandon Jennings in practice who is currently playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. This the point where all the BCS school were all over him and he eventually accepted an offer from Bob Huggins and West Virginia.  Right before his senior year however the Mountaineers had to pull the scholarship offer to Allen because Joe Mazzulla was granted a medical redshirt and would be returning for the 2010-2011 season. This prompted him to take his game elsewhere to somewhere that he could prep his point guard skills and stand out more in a starring role. In an interview with Zagsblog.com he stated that he chose St. Thomas More because the league they played in used a shot clock and that would help him prepare more as a point guard for college basketball.

Let's break down what kind of impact this will have on the Patriots next season:

They lost a forward and now picked up another guard? Some of you might be scratching your head saying how can this team pick up another guard after losing forward Kevin Foster. The abrupt loss of Foster didn't leave the staff with many options if they wanted to fill the scholarship for next season. Most of the forwards they were looking at along with Jonathan Arledge were already committed to other schools. The Patriots were lucky in how this situation unfolded and obviously went after the best player available to them. A player who looks to be one of the most highly rated prospects ever brought in by this staff.  It also doesn't hurt that they have a roster full of shooting guards and no real point guard.  You can argue Cam Long and Andre Cornelius had their moments running the point last season but I don't think the coaching staff has faith in either one of them running the point next season if they bringing in a guy like Allen who can step in right away and play.

What kind of game does Allen have? At 6'3" 215 pounds Bryon Allen is a strong, physical guard who attacks the lane often. He is an excellent passer who also has a smart understanding of the game making him an all-around better player. His hard-nosed play has made him an excellent rebounder for a guard and solid on the ball defender as some scouting websites have mentioned. Here is a quote from ESPN/Scouts Inc. back in the winter of 2008:

"Allen is an extremely strong and physical guard that repeatedly attacks defenders off the dribble. He is a good athlete that can finish above the rim in transition. Allen is a good ball handler and passer as well. He can penetrate draw and kick but his main objective is score at the rim, where he can finish through contact with ease."

Some of you think he sounds like Sherrod Wright coming out of high school but let's not forget Wright didn't run the point in high school and didn't regularly play against the talent that Allen has seen in his high school career.  Also, Wright wasn't a stunning defensive prospect in any scouting report and as you can see from this past season it took him a little to get used to Coach L's system. As Wright is a big offensive threat Allen is more of a polished player and is much stronger and more prepared for college level in my opinion.  Well shall see though.



Will Allen come in and start right away? I think he will have his chance to earn a starting role right from the start because I don't see how he would have committed to playing for Mason if the staff didn't ensure him of this.  With the kind of talent he went against playing at Oak Hill and his senior year of polishing his skills in the New England prep leagues Allen could vary well earn a starting role early in the season.  It's been rare to see a freshmen start from the early goings under Larranaga and how this kid plays defense will be a huge factor in determining that. The question remains who is going to get less minutes on the current rotation if Allen ends up getting a lot of playing time. Isaiah Tate's days in the starting lineup could be numbered which would be a move no one would argue with.  I don't see how a lineup of Cam Long, Andre Cornelius, and Bryon Allen would work and let's not forget Sherrod Wright proved he deserves a bigger role next season. A realistic scenario at some point in the season as I see it would have Allen at the point along with Cam Long at the two and Cornelius coming off the bench. Sherrod Wright and Luke Hancock are possible starters for that third guard/small forward role along with Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison in the front court.

What role do you think he will have next season?

UPDATE: Some quotes from Zagsblog today:

“I felt it was the best program for me,” Allen said. “I felt real comfortable there.”

"Allen said he hopes to come in and battle for time at point guard."

“Coach [Jim Larranaga] said it’s up to me. I have to give it my all and show my leadership and skills and show what I can do,” he said.

Quotes from Scout.com:

"I visited George Mason two weeks ago,” Allen told Scout.com. “I was supposed to visit SMU this past weekend and I decided I was comfortable with my decision and I chose George Mason."

"The thing about George Mason was playing with Isaiah Tate, Rashad Whack and some of the guys I played against in high school … I enjoyed the team. It’s one big family and we can do damage."

"They see me being a point guard. I think I’m ready for that. This whole year I played point guard at St. Thomas More and that was the first time I played the whole year there. I think I did pretty good at it."