A year ago Wednesday, Grayson Allen poured in 16 points to help the Blue Devils storm back to beat Wisconsin and win their fifth national championship.
After one of the best seasons by a Blue Devil sophomore in program history, he could have left for the NBA to join former classmates Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones.
But instead, Allen will return for his junior season, Duke announced in a press release Wednesday. The Blue Devil guard was a first team All-ACC pick last season after posting a meteoric rise in scoring, averaging a team-high 21.6 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest.
Allen could have opted to test the NBA waters and still return to Durham, but instead decided that he was not ready to leave the Duke program.
“I talked with my parents and prayed about this decision, and I had the feeling that it was right,” Allen said in the release. “I love Duke and I’ve made relationships with my teammates that will last forever. Coming back next season to play with them is important to me. Earning a Duke degree has always been a dream of mine, so I’ll also be working to get closer to that goal.”
Allen's 17.2 point per game increase in scoring from his freshman to sophomore seasons set a new ACC record. He topped 20 points in 19 of Duke's 36 games—including four efforts of more than 30 points—and was held to fewer than 10 points just twice.
“We are thrilled that Grayson will be back with us next season,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in the release. “Following the season, he put a lot of thought into an important decision that will impact the rest of his life. In the end, he chose to remain at Duke, where he will pursue an undergraduate degree and develop even more as a man and basketball player. Grayson’s passion and commitment to our school and his teammates have been very apparent in our discussions with him."
Allen helped Duke capture the national championship with a breakout performance in the title game against the Badgers. The Jacksonville, Fla., native should have an excellent chance to get back to the Final Four next season, joining Amile Jefferson—expected to return under a medical hardship waiver for a fifth season—and a highly-touted incoming class that includes No. 1 recruit Harry Giles and No. 2 recruit Jayson Tatum.
Allen's aggressive style of play helped him get to the free-throw line often last season, where he shot 83.7 percent. His relentless drives to the basket drew the ire of opposing fans, which only escalated after the 6-foot-5 guard was issued a reprimand by the ACC in late February for tripping Florida State's Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
“On the court, Grayson is a warrior, as I’ve said many times,” Krzyzewski said. “He has untapped potential, both on and off the basketball court. I have loved coaching Grayson and I’m going to love coaching him next season.”
Freshman Brandon Ingram—Duke's second-leading scorer last season—announced Monday that he would enter the NBA draft.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.