University of Connecticut Athletics
Ray Allen Elected To Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame
3/31/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Phil Chardis
UConn Athletic Communications
The first member of the UConn basketball family to get a look at a young Ray Allen was then-assistant coach Howie Dickenman.
"I just watched a kid who's got 'NBA' written all over him," Dickenman said when he returned to Storrs afterward. "This young man is going to be special."
After three UConn seasons that included two All-America selections, a Big East Player of the Year trophy, three Big East regular season titles and a Big East Tournament crown, three NCAA appearances, and more than 1,900 points scored, not only was 'NBA' written all over Allen, it was in big, bold letters.
And now, after 18 NBA seasons that included two championships, 10 All-Star Game selections, and more three-point field goals than any player in NBA history, the words written all over Allen are "Hall of Fame."
Allen becomes the first player from the UConn men's basketball program to be elected to the Hall - announced Saturday in San Antonio, the site of the Final Four -- joining women's team representative Rebecca Lobo and their respective UConn coaches, Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma, with a plaque in Springfield. The induction ceremony is set for September.
But while Lobo was enshrined as a contributor, for literally changing the sport of women's basketball, and Calhoun and Auriemma were tabbed for their building and coaching extremely successful programs, Allen is going into the Hall of Fame purely as a player.
And WHAT a player.
Dickenman had never heard of Allen when he went to one of those basketball summer camps in 1992, but immediately liked what he saw from the slender guard from Dalzell, S.C., and it was more than just the shooting and dribbling.
"There wasn't much not to like," Dickenman said. "He enjoyed playing the game. He was having fun playing basketball. I liked his overall demeanor. He was really smooth about his game and he showed leadership qualities and in summer camp, that usually doesn't express itself. And obviously, the way he could shoot the ball….."
It might have been fate that pushed Allen toward UConn because an unexpected visit by Dickenman to Allen's Hillcrest High School in mid-autumn probably helped the Huskies' cause. Dickenman would not have even been there, however, had not his plane been delayed and then cancelled on his way to see Kirk King in Baton Rouge, La. Instead, Dickenman went to Columbia, S.C., and showed up unannounced at Hillcrest, looking for a chance to speak to Allen.
"We just sat across from each other and talked for about half an hour," Dickenman said, "I remember his eyes were riveted on me, listening to every word I was saying. He was really focused."
Obviously, Allen liked what he heard from UConn, that day and for the rest of the recruiting period. Allen also took visits to Kentucky and Alabama, but on the last day of the recruiting period, UConn was back in Dalzell.
"We told Ray, 'There are a whole lot of guys we could be visiting today, but we're here to see you,' " Dickenman said.
The rest, of course, is UConn basketball history. There was almost an added sidebar to UConn's recruitment of Ray Allen. After his commitment to UConn, the 1992-93 season began and the Huskies' second game was at North Carolina State in Raleigh, an 81-74 UConn win. Allen had attended the game and came into the UConn locker room afterward, bringing with him a tall, gangly youngster who was all arms and legs.
"Coach, you should keep an eye on this kid," Allen whispered in Dickenman's ear. "He's going to be a real good player."
Of course, Kevin Garnett eventually decided not to attend college at all, but the "what ifs" are fun to imagine.
Allen's UConn statistics are obviously impressive. His 1,922 point total still ranks fifth all-time, his 19.0 career average is fourth, his 44.8 three-point field goal percentage is first, as is his 67 straight games in double figures. The 818 points he scored as a junior is the third-highest season total in UConn history. He made too many memorable shots to count, including the one that beat Georgetown for the 1996 Big East Tournament championship that has been replayed about a million times.
UConn's record during Allen's three years was an amazing 89-13 (.873) and in the Big East it was an even better 49-5 (.907).
Allen's fabulous 18-year NBA career with four teams - Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston and Miami -- is well documented. The 10 All-Star selections speak for themselves. He scored 24,505 points, among the top 25 all-time, and his 2,973 three-pointers are second to nobody. His Hall of Fame credentials are impeccable.
At UConn, however, Ray Allen is the face of the men's basketball program. Other Huskies have won more championships, won more games and scored more points, but it is Allen whose 30-foot image dominates the lobby of the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center, welcoming visitors to UConn men's basketball.
Why? Because the grace with which Allen played basketball is unmatched. There was a regal quality to his play that others only marvel at.
"Ray is as talented an athlete as I've ever coached," Calhoun said. "His remarkable work ethic allowed him to continue to define and refine his superior skills as he evolved into the greatest shooter in NBA history. Ray Allen is an authentic Hall of Famer."
