Former Terp Seth Allen Explains Factors In Leaving

Mar 13, 2014; Greensboro, NC, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Seth Allen (4) fights for the ball with Florida State Seminoles guard Aaron Thomas (25) in the first half in the second round of the ACC college basketball tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Seth Allen, the former Maryland Terrapin, guard went on local radio yesterday to give an incredibly rare interview into the mind of a transfer player. Allen was the latest departure in a slew of offseason transfers that occurred under the program, and went on WNST Radio to set the record straight about a couple things. I’m not sure I can ever recall a time when an athlete went on the radio to explain the decision making behind his departure from a school, so it’s a pretty worthwhile listen.

The wound is still new, but it seems like there were three reasons why Allen left the program:

1.) He wasn’t going to be the point guard at the university of Maryland, and he felt he needed to.

"I am a combo guard naturally I’m a dynamic scorer and I can do so many things, but at the next level there’s no such thing as 6″ two-guard. So imma have to play the one and if you look at the NBA now there’s more scoring point guards. Every point guard can score, so at my height and my ability I have to be a one."

Allen knew with Melo Trimble coming in that he wasn’t going to be playing the role of primary ball handler for much longer. That much everyone acknowledged. Allen also knew that his draft stock had improved drastically from his low-profile billing coming out of high school, and that playing the shooting guard position wasn’t going to get him into the NBA.

On one hand, I totally get it. Allen is entirely in the right that individually, playing the shooting guard spot was going to effectively kill his ability to get drafted. Allen could average 20 points per game next year, but if he was doing it at the two-spot, he was going to be going the Terrell Stoglin route. From a future earnings standpoint, assuming Allen finds the right location for his needs, he made a very smart decision.

That doesn’t change the fact that it’s a selfish move, but that’s college hoops nowadays. Gone are the halcyon days of Hoosiers type sacrifices for the team; we left those a long time ago. Nowadays, basketball is a business decision and there’s just too much money on the line to make wrong decisions. Allen took a risk in leaving, but it was a calculated risk. The only person he’s hurting right now is the team; Allen technically stands to gain more here.

2.) Allen didn’t believe Maryland’s big men were capable of running the system Turgeon wants to run

"It was great my freshman year because sometimes the secondary break was just throw it to Alex and then Alex would just…you know? But you lose that low post scoring and, you know, not to knock our big guys, but Alex was great….I don’t know what Maryland’s going to do for the secondary break."

This one is a trickier, but Seth Allen was being politically correct when he was referring to the big men on Maryland’s roster and their ability to run the secondary break offense (or motion offense, or Carolina offense). The gist of it is that he missed a big man capable of scoring in the post like Alex Len was able to do for the Terps. Allen knew a lot of variables were needed for the Terps offense to function properly, and that perhaps they weren’t there right now. He also conceded that there’s no true point guard in the secondary break offense, which would further support the notion that the primary reason he’s leaving is because he won’t be playing the one.

That part is almost reassuring. You don’t want players on your team that don’t buy into a system, even if it’s just a little. It’s no secret that when everyone believes in the same thing, you end up a better team. Clearly, Allen wasn’t buying the stuff Turgeon was selling, or felt it wasn’t good fit for his individual needs, and it makes him leaving much easier to swallow. Maryland will be better off from a mental standpoint, plain and simple.

3.) He’s not 100% healthy and would like to sit out a year to get his body right.

"Part of it is my foot is still not 100% healthy. I came back early because the team needed me. Sitting out last year was in question but I just, my team was struggling at the point and I really felt like I could come in and make an impact. In the long run, will it hurt me? Who knows because you know my foot gets sore…but I did it for the team because I love Maryland and they’re my brother’s still."

Allen stated plain and simple that his foot, which was injured prior to last season, still is not 100% right. Being a former athlete, you never doubt a player’s health, so I’m not about to say Allen is using this as an excuse in any way. If he is indeed not 100% and Allen is savvy enough to use the required year he has to sit out because of transfer to get healthy, then the move is almost genius.

Sitting out a year because you aren’t healthy is entirely different than sitting out a year because you aren’t healthy under the guise of a transfer requirement. It’s a distinction that is important to NBA scouts, too. Allen may have made a very smart decision here, and if he has to get his body right then this was the right move. You almost have to thank him for playing through injury last year when he really didn’t have to and wasn’t 100% healthy.

———————————————

In all, this truly was an interview that may never happen again. Transfers typically never give any factual basis for why they left, but Allen went out of his way to give the fans some closure. It really goes to show you how passionate Maryland fans were for forcing this issue, but we’ve always known they love their basketball.

Kinda hard to be mad at Allen for going out of his way to do something he never had to do. Happy trails, Seth.