MBB: Utah forward Timmy Allen declares for NBA draft
It appears that one more Ute is off the NBA draft.
After guard Both Gach declared for the draft in early April, it appears that forward Timmy Allen has followed suit and is going to test the NBA waters.
Both Gach and Allen are among the 205 underclassmen, both collegiately and international-based, who have put their names into the draft.
But it doesn't that their respective college careers are over as Allen and Gach have until June 3 to withdraw their names from the draft and retain college eligibility — but the dates could change pending the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NBA draft is currently scheduled for June 25 in Brooklyn.
Despite declaring for the draft, both Allen and Gach are expected to go through the draft process, understand what their strengths and weaknesses before withdrawing and returning for their junior seasons at Utah.
Allen is coming off an impressive sophomore season in which he was named second-team all-Pac-12 after averaging 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. While his production drastically rose from his freshman season, Allen's shooting percentages dropped dramatically as he shot 44.1% from the field and 21.1% from three-point territory.
He finished the season with six double-doubles, showcasing all-around play-making ability in games against UCLA (13p, 8a, 7r), BYU (27p, 5r, 5a) and USC (21p, 10r, 3a). But there were also times when Allen struggled from the field, particularly when teams packed the paint against him as his lack of any sort of jumpshot hindered his game towards the end of the season.
If Allen is to take the next step, he needs to do so by developing any sort of jumper, particularly from the midrange game if he's not ready to step out to three-point territory.
In the end, it's a smart decision by Allen to declare, but it would be a smarter one if he is to return to the Utes next season