The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Basketball's Jarrett Allen to hire agent and remain in NBA Draft
04.11.2017 | Men's Basketball
Freshman forward posted 12 double-doubles while leading the team in rebounding and blocked shots during the 2016-17 season.
AUSTIN — University of Texas freshman forward Jarrett Allen has decided to hire an agent and remain in the 2017 NBA Draft, the school announced Tuesday.
"It is with mixed emotions that I announce my decision to begin the process of hiring an agent and turning professional," Allen said. "Throughout this basketball season, I felt l have grown as a basketball player and as a person while learning how to approach and prepare for the game. These experiences and my continual improvement throughout this year have provided me the opportunity of a lifetime to live my dream of playing basketball at the highest level.
"I have had deep discussions with my family as well as Coach Smart in making sure this is a sound decision. I firmly believe in my heart, understanding the personal goals I have set and my love for the game of basketball, that this is the right decision to make.
"I would like to thank Coach Smart for preparing me for this opportunity, not only in basketball, but also in helping me understand the level of commitment it takes to be successful. To The University of Texas, it has been an honor to be a student-athlete at this outstanding university.
"To all of my coaches along the way, thank you for believing in me and doing whatever you could to push me in the right direction during this process. To my St. Stephens' family, thank you for keeping the love going throughout my career in this great city. And to the fans who believed in me and supported me in both the good and bad times throughout this season, thank you. I appreciate each of you."
During his freshman season, Allen claimed All-Big 12 Conference Third Team and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team accolades. He also earned a spot on the 10-person United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District VII Team and the five-person National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 8 Second Team.
"When Jarrett chose to come to The University of Texas, he expressed a sincere interest in learning and having the absolute best freshman season he could have," Head Coach Shaka Smart said. "I'm really pleased with the tremendous growth Jarrett has shown. He has been a joy to coach and I'm excited to watch him continue to develop into the best version of himself at the next level."
Allen led the team in rebounding (8.4 rpg), blocked shots (51) and minutes played (32.1 mpg) and ranked second on the team in scoring (13.4 ppg). He converted 56.6% (179-316) from the field and reached double figures in scoring 25 times and double figures in rebounds 14 times in 33 games played.
Allen recorded 12 double-doubles on the season (tied for third-highest total by a UT freshman in school history), including eight in Big 12 Conference play. He also ranked fourth on the UT freshman season chart in total rebounds (278) and fourth in rebounding average (8.4 rpg).
In Big 12 Conference play, he averaged a team-best 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while converting 59.9% (118-197) from the field. Allen reached double figures in scoring in 17 of the 18 league games.
