FSU coach comes to Grayson Allen's defense after collision near bench
In his third game back after an "indefinite," one-game suspension, Duke star Grayson Allen again found himself in a questionable physical interaction with an opponent.
The polarizing player appeared to shove a Florida State assistant as he chased a loose ball into the FSU bench. The Blue Devils were trailing by 14, with six minutes to play, against the No. 9 Seminoles when Allen charged after the loose ball and ran into FSU assistant Dennis Gates.
Allen left the game shortly after with an unrelated head injury, according to ESPN, and the sideline incident didn't register any responses after the game. However, Gates sent a tweet defending Allen for a "great hustle play" on Wednesday morning.
https://twitter.com/coachdgates/status/819182695834062848
Allen was targeted by the crowd throughout the game, his first road contest since his return to the Duke lineup after a one-game suspension for tripping an opponent in December. It was the third time he'd been accused of tripping an opponent in two seasons.
https://twitter.com/Safid_Deen/status/818987119490306049
In his second game back from the suspension, Allen appeared to kick backward toward a Boston College player, but the ACC said it couldn't conclusively say that incident was intentional.
Interim coach Jeff Capel, filling in while Coach K recovers from back surgery, didn't mention the incident, but discussed the pressure Allen faces afterward to ESPN.
"I don't think what other people say, chant or do wears on him that much," Capel said. "The kid has been through a lot -- he brought a lot of it on himself, but some of the things that have happened are just crazy.
"I am not talking about the chanting; that stuff happens on the road with a really good crowd, and they had a really great crowd tonight. But I don't think that wore on him. I think Florida State's defense and their relentless pressure did."
