Dayton guard Allen ‘ready for the moment’ after injury-plagued season

The 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman guard will feel the weight of the moment, which will mark the end of a long wait.

“I haven’t played organized basketball in a minute,” Allen said. “So, yeah, I might get emotional. I don’t really know yet, but I’m ready for the moment.”

Injuries have slowed Allen the last two seasons. He attended Montverde Academy, the second-ranked prep program in the nation when he was a senior, and struggled to find playing time after coming off an injury. He saw action in 10 of the team’s 25 games.

Allen committed to Dayton in May 2023 after twice reopening his recruitment when his first choices (LSU and Georgetown) fired their coaches, but the injury bug followed him to college. He dislocated his left kneecap in practice the week before the 2023-24 season opener.

“I went up for a block and came down, and it kind of shifted,” Allen said. “I didn’t need surgery or anything, but it was a setback. It popped back in place by itself. The swelling had to go down, and I had to wear the brace.”

Allen scored eight points in 14 minutes in two exhibition games before the injury. He believes he would have contributed throughout the season if not for the injury. Instead, UD decided to redshirt him in late December. He didn’t say yes to the idea at first. He told the coaches he would think about it.

Allen told himself, “I can practice and get better, and I won’t lose a year.”

In the minds of the coaches, by the time Allen was healthy enough to practice, he had just missed too much time to compete with more established players. He was sidelined all of November and returned to practice Dec. 12.

“When you miss two months of practice as he has, it’s tough, especially for a true freshman, to come in and be able to get quality minutes with the rotation we have,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said then, “and the group we have has gelled pretty well. With the early setback of losing Malachi (Smith), the other guys have stepped up. We’ve got guys who can play multiple positions. We have a group that’s doing really well.”

Allen had company on the bench last season. Smith began the season as the starting point guard but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game. Jaiun Simon, the other true freshman on the 2023-24 roster, also redshirted.

Allen helped the team in practice after returning from his injury but was again sidelined by a left knee problem in the spring and did not participate in practices this summer. He’s not sure if this injury is related to the dislocated kneecap he suffered.

Allen underwent arthroscopic surgery in early June to clean up the knee. He showed up to a Dayton 6th event on June 17 on crutches, By mid-July, though, he was back on the court dribbling and shooting. He expects to be full-go when preseason practices start this fall.

“It wasn’t major,” Allen said. “It was just a scope. That’s why it’s a quick recovery.”

Still, it wasn’t easy missing a key part of the offseason. He and Nate Santos, one of three returning starters, were the only players who missed the summer session.

“As a player, it’s always tough,” Allen said. “But I feel I have the strongest mentality. I’ve had so much adversity, so I know how to overcome it. I’m going to be back.”

Allen doesn’t think he’s had bad luck with injuries.

“Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I’m not going to question God’s plans and his purpose for my life. I feel like he wants me in whatever position he wants me in at the right time. I still have four years of eligibility. I didn’t lose anything. I’m ready for my opportunity.”

To make up for lost time and compete for a spot in the rotation when preseason practices start in late September, Allen said he needs to bring energy and be vocal.

“I feel like we lost a lot of vocal leaders last year,” Allen said. “With my presence, I can be loud on the court.”

Allen feels better prepared than he was a year ago to compete for playing time. He knows the system. He added strength, though he said he’s always been naturally strong. He’ll have to build up stamina when he gets fully cleared for practice, of course.

Allen watched his teammates practice this summer and learned from each of their games.

“I feel like you’re never too good to learn,” he said. “You can learn something from everybody. So I just tried to pick parts of everybody’s game. With Posh (Alexander), I’d probably say it’s his pace. With Mali, the way he comes off screens. (Enoch) Cheeks, it’s his motor. Javon (Bennett), his quickness. I can even learn from the bigs because I feel like with my size and my body, there are going to be times where I have guards on me where I can post them up.”

Allen returned home to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., early this month after the end of summer practices. He’ll make the most of that time by working with trainers and coaches he got to know when he was a top-150 recruit in the class of 2023.

“Everything I need I have at home,” he said.

When Dayton fans see him for the first time in a regular-season game next season, Allen said they will see a hungry player with a chip on his shoulder. He said he can play point guard or off the ball and can defend positions 1-4.

“I’m a team player,” he said. “I just want to win. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win. If my role is to get on the court and play defense, I’m going to do that. I’m also sure I can do other things. I’m not just going to be a robot. But whatever’s going to get me on the court, I’m going to do that to the best of my ability.”

While Dayton lost four players to the transfer portal in spring, Allen said he didn’t think about leaving. He’s eager to leave his footprint at UD.

“I started here, so I definitely want to be able to say that Marvel Allen contributed to Dayton basketball,” Allen said.