Before this college basketball season even started, everyone saw the hatred for star Duke guard Grayson Allen coming. He’s a white Duke guard, for crying out loud — it’s practically his birthright. But Allen isn’t content to be hated just for his inherent Duke-ness; he’s gunning for outright heel status now. Back on February 8, he was assessed a flagrant foul for intentionally tripping an opponent, and he was back at it on Thursday night against Florida State.
It goes without saying that this is unacceptable behavior, and there’s no other way to interpret what happened. He clearly stuck his leg out behind him to trip FSU player Xavier Rathan-Mayes, a move the officials missed this time around. He wasn’t called for a foul, but the ACC does retain the power to discipline him, and they will be reviewing the play, according to ESPN. Allen told the Fayetteville Observer, “He wanted to keep playing physical, so I tried to walk away from it as he was grabbing me. We ended up tangling up and falling. It was really nothing.”
Yeah, we’re not buying it. Though Brandon Ingram is the best NBA prospect on Duke’s roster (he’s projected to go near the top of the lottery), Allen leads the team in points and assists. If Allen keeps acting like a goon, he’ll face the music eventually, and a suspension will severely hurt the Blue Devils.
