Lavoy Allen

At 35 years old, Lavoy Allen has this physical status:

Lavoy Allen (born February 4, 1989) is an American professional basketball player.

He was selected in the second round, 50th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Allen is the son of a truck driver, and did not play much basketball until eighth grade.

He attended Pennsbury High School, where he was coached by Frank Sciolla.

Rivals.com ranked him the 14th best center in his class, and Scout.com named him the 110th overall prospect.

Allen committed to Temple University and coach Fran Dunphy. Temple reached the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons that Allen played there.

He was a three-time All-Atlantic 10 Defensive Team honoree and a two-time All-Atlantic 10 First Team recipient.

In his junior year, he became the first Temple player to average a double-double since Ollie Johnson accomplished the feat in 1970-71.

Allen declared for early entry in the 2010 NBA draft, but withdrew prior to the May 8 deadline.

As a senior, Allen surpassed Johnny Baum as the all-time leading rebounder in Temple history.

He was the recipient of the Robert V. Geasey Trophy honoring the Philadelphia Big Five Player of the Year.

Dunphy has said that Allen "might be the smartest player I've ever coached."

Early life

Allen was born in Auckland, New Zealand on February 4, 1989. His mother is Paula Allen and his father, Dave Allen, is a truck driver. When he was nine years old, Lavoy moved to Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and struggled to make friends in his new surroundings. He did not play much organized basketball until eighth grade. In an interview, Allen admitted he was not very good in the beginning, and focused on passing the ball to a better teammate. His initial motivation was how schoolchildren mocked him for his height yet not being able to dunk. "I could barely jump over the Sunday paper," he said.

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High school career

He attended Pennsbury High School, where Frank Sciolla taught him. Dalton Pepper, a former Temple student, was his high school buddy. Allen, a ninth grade student, decided he wanted to be the best in the world and put in a lot more practice time. In his sophomore year, he was a starter on the varsity team. He averaged 12 points and nine rebounds per game as a junior, and Hoop Scoop named him a Top 150 player in his class.

Allen's senior season featured per-game averages of 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, and 2 steals. Pennsbury reached the second round of the PIAA playoffs under Allen before losing to Harrisburg High School. At the end of the season, he was named to the Second Team all-Southeastern Pennsylvania. Allen tried out for the USA U-19 basketball team but didn't make the final cut. He was ranked 14th best center in his class by Rivals.com, and Scout.com named him the 110th best prospect in his class. He worked at a daycare center and earned enough money to bring his date to the senior prom. Allen committed to Temple on November 8, 2006, following the sponsorship bids from Rutgers, Saint Joseph's, and La Salle. Allen, along with Dayton's Chris Wright, was one of two ESPN 100 prospects in the 2008 class of 2008 to enroll in an Atlantic 10 program.

College career

Allen was voted to the Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Rookie Team as a rookie. He was seen as an explanation for Temple's revival and interior scoring struggles from the previous 12-18 seasons. Allen had eight points and grabbed nine rebounds in his first college basketball game against #7 Tennessee, defeating them by a score of 8. In six consecutive games from November 18 to December 9, he scored in double figures from November 18 to December 9, 2007. Allen's season-high 20 points led to Temple's 83-70 victory over the UMass Minutemen on February 10, 2008. Allen was ruled out of the game against Dayton on February 17 due to a missed study assignment.

The Owls made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001, receiving a 12 seed by the selection committee. They lost to fifth-seeded Michigan State 72-61 in the first round. Allen scored his first double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, as well as his first two collegiate three-pointers in the game. With a total of 52 blocks, he finished second in field goal percentage (.558), third in rebounds per game (5.7), and fourth in points per game (8.1). Allen was selected to the All-Atlantic 10 Rookie Team.

Allen, a sophomore, boosted his scoring average to 10.9 points per game, second on the team, and led the team in blocks with 1.56 per game. He shot a team-best.579 from the ground and his.618 field goal percentage in league games led the Atlantic 10. In addition, he commanded the team and finished third in the Atlantic 10 in rebounding with 9.0 rebounds per game. On the season, he had 14 double-doubles. Allen injured his thumb and was forced to miss the Owls' next game against Buffalo in the Owls' game against Lafayette. Allen had 13 rebounds on February 8, when the Owls defeated the Rhode Island Rams 68-62. He had a season-high 23 points on February 8, when the Owls defeated the Rhode Island Rams 68-62. Allen's first Philadelphia Big 5 player of the week award was announced the following day. Following a 20-point and season-high 18 rebound against St. Bonaventure, he will be named Big 5 Player of the Week on February 23.

Allen was selected to the All-Atlantic 10 Third Team and the All-Atlantic 10 Defensive Team at the end of the regular season. He was instrumental in Temple's second straight Atlantic 10 Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. Allen had 10 points and 14 rebounds in the championship game over Duquesne. In a 2009 NCAA tournament round of 64 loss, he scored ten points and 11 rebounds against Arizona State.

Allen was a Preseason All-Atlantic First Team pick in his junior year. He averaged 11.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, becoming the first Temple player to record a double-double since Ollie Johnson achieved the feat in 1970–71. Allen's 10.9 rebounds per game average in Atlantic 10 conference games was only beaten by Fordham's Chris Gaston and Damian Saunders of Duquesne. In addition,, he led Temple in field goal percentages at.536. In the Owls' upset of #3 Villanova on December 19, he scored ten points and snatched 17 rebounds. Allen scored 17 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a 65-53 victory over La Salle on February 28, 2010, a career high and the most by an Owl since Joe Newman pulled down 24 on February 5, 1973. Temple won the Philadelphia Big Five with a 4-0 record. Allen was the 46th Temple player to score 1,000 points in his career in a game against George Washington. For the week of March 7, he was named Atlantic 10 (co-)player of the week for the week.

Temple Led by Allen, an Atlantic 10 conference regular season championship with a 14-2 record, won a share of the Atlantic 10 conference regular season championship and a bid to the NCAA tournament for the third straight Atlantic 10 conference championship. Temple was seeded fifth and met up with 12 seed Cornell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Allen had 11 points, but his Owls were defeated by the Big Red 78-65. Allen was selected to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team and the All-Atlantic 10 Defensive Team at the start of the season. The National Association of Basketball Coaches selected him as an All-Fourth District first-team pick, making him eligible for the State Farm Division I All-America teams. Since the Atlantic 10 Conference was located in its own district, this is equivalent to being ranked first team All-Atlantic 10 by the NABC. Allen has been named by the United States Basketball Writers Association to the 10-man All-District II team that covers college basketball players in the states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware. Columbia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are among the Districts of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Allen briefly discussed the 2010 NBA draft. He was responsible for the early entry in the draft but did not employ an agent. Allen was asked to return to school to work on his offensive game after one workout with the Portland Trail Blazers. Allen officially dropped his name from consideration for the draft on May 8. He did so on the last day allowed by the NCAA to ensure collegiate recognition.

Allen was drafted into the 20-man USA Select team, which competed with and against the USA National team from July 19-24. He was on the preseason John R. Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year watchlists prior to his senior campaign. He was a preseason All-Atlantic 10 First Team and Defensive Team pick. Allen was named Atlantic 10 co-player of the week on Tuesday after posting back-to-back double-doubles against Central Michigan and Maryland, both Temple victories. In a game against Fordham on February 9, 2011, he strained his ankle and was forced to miss the following game against the Dayton Flyers. Allen became Temple's all-time rebounds leader in February 20 against Saint Joseph's. Allen snatched 12 boards to beat Temple radio analyst Johnny Baum's career of 1,042 rebounds. For the week of February 28, he was named conference player of the week. Allen earned him Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honors on March 6 after scoring a career-high 24 points to top La Salle in the regular season finale.

Temple finished with a 26–8 record in Allen's senior season, earning a spot in the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. They beat Penn State in the round of 64 before falling to San Diego State in double overtime this time. In his last game as a Temple Owl, Allen had 12 points and 11 rebounds. At the conclusion of the regular season, he was named to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team and Defensive Team. Allen was the recipient of the Robert V. Geasey Trophy in honor of the Philadelphia Big Five Player of the Year.

Allen finished second in conference rebounding average with an 8.4 average, and fifth in the Atlantic 10 in blocks, behind Chris Gaston of Fordham. In addition, he averaged 11.6 points per game, ranking second on the team. He took down 1,147 rebounds and scored 1,421 points, his highest score in Temple history. Allen "could be the smartest player I've ever coached in terms of positioning and learning the game," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. "It's just his knowledge."

Professional career

Allen was involved in the 2011 Reese's College All-Star Game at the Reliant Center in Houston, Texas, on April 1, 2011. As his East team lost to the West 113-108, he had 11 points and eight rebounds. Allen was the 99th best prospect in the 2011 NBA draft, according to ESPN's Chad Ford. Allen strained his ankle during a workout with his hometown Philadelphia 76ers and was pushed to cancel his next workout with the New Jersey Nets. Since they drafted him in the second round with the 50th pick on June 23, the Sixers were not concerned about the injury. Allen was the 32nd Temple product to be drafted and the first since the New York Knicks selected Mardy Collins with the 29th pick in 2006.

He signed a deal with LNB Pro A in Strasbourg, France, on July 15, 2011. When the NBA decided to call a halt, the deal included an opt-out provision, which was set to end on January 30, 2012. Allen joined former Richmond rivals Kevin Anderson and Justin Harper in Strasbourg, IG. In a 77–74 victory over Cholet Basket, he made his debut on October 7, scoring 10 points and taking down four rebounds. He had a season-high 13 rebounds and also added 12 points in the following game against SLUC Nancy Basket. Allen's season-high 19 points came on November 10, when Strasbourg defeated Chorale Roanne Basket 93-80. Allen played 10.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in nine games.

Allen opted out of his French contract to sign a Philadelphia 76ers contract on December 9, the first day of training camp, when the NBA ended its lockout. Allen made his NBA debut against the Toronto Raptors on January 7, 2012, winning 97–62, and grabbed two rebounds. He appeared for the first time against the Washington Wizards on January 23 due to injuries to center Spencer Hawes and Nikola Vucevic. Allen responded by scoring ten points on 5-5 shooting and taking down six rebounds en route to a 103–83 victory. On February 1 against the Chicago Bulls and a season-high 12 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 25, he scored a season-high 15 points and a season-high 12 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 25. Allen averaged 4.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 41 regular season games and 15 as a starter.

Allen's averages in the playoffs have risen to 6.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. In the playoff opener against the Bulls, coach Doug Collins named him as the starting center. Allen strained his thumb in his first playoff game, but it wasn't serious. He almost scored a double double in Game 2 of the season, with 11 points and nine rebounds. In the conference semifinals, the 76ers advanced past the Bulls to face the Boston Celtics. Allen helped the 76ers beat the Celtics 82–81 in their second game of the season, with Allen's "shot of [his] life." Andre Iodala played the ball to Allen, who made a 22-foot jumper as the shot clock expired, with the score tied and four minutes remaining. He received his post-season minutes partially because of his ability to shield Celtics star Kevin Garnett. The Sixers pushed the series to seven games, but they lost to the Celtics.

Allen re-signed with the Philadelphia 76ers to a two-year, $6 million deal on July 11, 2012. He skipped two days of training camp to attend to his mother, who gave birth to his son Kai on October 4. Due to Andrew Bynum's absence, he started the majority of games for the 76ers in his sophomore season at center. In his second season with the 76ers, Allen averaged 5.8 points and 5.0 rebounds.

Allen canceled an exhibition game due to a knee injury. In October 2013, he was banned from attending a session due to oversleeping. During the season, he mainly served as a back-up power forward. Allen missed four games in January 2014 due to a tight right calf. Allen had an average of 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in 51 games.

Allen and Evan Turner were traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Danny Granger and a second-round draft pick on February 20, 2014. Allen averaged 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in eight minutes per game. Allen scored 13 points against the 76ers on March 14 and added 12 points and 11 rebounds to his first game of the regular season against the Orlando Magic. In the summer of 2014, he married in the summer of 2014.

Allen re-signed with the Pacers on July 11, 2014. He was most efficient earlier in the season due to injuries of other players. Due to a sore knee, he missed the Sacramento Kings' game against the Sacramento Kings on January 31, 2015. Allen spent his first full season with the Pacers, scoring 5.0 points and 5.1 rebounds. He was the Pacers' most offensive rebounder.

Allen re-signed with the Pacers on July 27, 2015.

Allen branded the Cavaliers' home court "go Pacers" in Game 2 of the 2017 NBA playoffs versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. Allen's $3.5 million team option, making him an unrestricted free agent, was rejected by the Pacers in June 2017.

Allen signed with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China in November 2017, but never joined the team. In February 2018, he was drafted by the Northern Arizona Suns of the NBA G League. Allen had 14 points and 12 rebounds in his second game on February 11. In the next game, he matched his previous appearance with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Allen averaged 9.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on the season, with the ball shooting 52% from the field.

Allen was selected by the Capital City Go-Gods of the G League in the 2018 expansion draft on August 22, 2018. Allen was signed by the Washington Wizards on September 20, 2018 for training camp. He was turned down by the Wizards on October 14, but the Capital City Go-Gots' G League affiliate was added to the Capital City Go-Goo's roster.

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