John Allison has slowly developed over his high school career to be
a solid Division I prospect. The lanky big man was targeted by both
Purdue and Indiana (Dakich), with Purdue winning the recruiting race. A
quiet kid on the floor that lets his game do all the talking. Allison
chose Purdue over Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern and Michigan. Allison
is an excellent student who wishes to major in Chemical Engineering at
Purdue.
Allison's strengths are in his defense, while his offense continues
to catch up. He is one of the better shot-blockers in his class, traveling
as far out as the perimeter to alter the offense of opponents. What he
usually doesn't manage to get a hand on, he ends up altering. His rebounding
game can improve, but he does very well for his lack of weight. Purdue's
nationally known strength and conditioning program should do wonders for him,
and he hopes to increase his size and get up to around 240 by next August.
His offense is solid, but can improve in a few areas. He moves well in the
post, but can improve his footwork. His shot extends to 16' and is rather
smooth. He has yet to develop a good jumphook. Similar to Brad Miller's
strength, he passes out of the post very well. His wingspan measures
86 inches.
John scored 11.0 points as a junior, averaging 9.2 rebounds, 6.4
blocks and 2.9 assists for his 14-11 team. As a sophomore, he averaged
8.7 points and 4.8 blocks for a very successful 19-3 Red Dragon squad.
Keady on Allison: "He's a center, we like the way he competes, he
blocks shots, and he's big. We're very lucky to get him."
Kendrick on Allison: "He's an unbelievable shot blocker. I think
he'll be a crowd favorite with the way he can block shots. He has great
timing, long arms, gets off the floor extremely quick and high, runs the
floor well and he'll rebound well. His defensive skills are well ahead of
his offensive skills right now."
6-26-98...If Keady asks John Allison to redshirt next year, this
article from the Journal and Courier indicates the idea will not be a
hard sell. Allison would like to redshirt and concentrate on getting stronger
and his school work.
6-22-98...A scouting report on John Allison from last Wednesday's
exihibition against the Junior All-Star team..."John Allison: Tallest
player on the court. Long arms and jumps well. Good timing around the
basket defensively. Had a couple good dunks over smaller guys. Needs
STRENGTH. Not sure if he actually has any moves. You get the idea that
he needs help to score. Better defensively than Brad Miller at the same
age.. But REALLY needs polish offensively. Can be effective in time."
(scouting report by RMKFAN)
6-18-98...Allison scored nine points and was perfect from the floor in
the Indiana All-Star tune-up Wednesday against the Junior All-Stars. The
Seniors spanked the Juniors 133-92. Next up for Allison and crew is a matchup
against the Kentucky All-Star team on Saturday in Frankfort, Kentucky. For
information on the game, including television coverage, go to this link to
the Events page. (stats below)
4-6-98...Click here for an article from the Indianapolis Star on the
progress of the three incoming Indiana high school recruits.
3-3-98...Having Gene Keady in the crowd for New Palestine's opening
sectional game didn't turn into good luck for John, as Mt. Vernon pulled the
upset against the Dragons 68-65. Allison finished with 15 points and fouled
out with four minutes remaining. Keady was also around for the other game in
the Shelbyville sectional to see John Hamilton and Greenfield Central pull
off a close 56-55 victory over Pendleton Heights. John Hamilton had 23 points.
2-15-98...The inability of the state's #3 leading scorer TJ Ott to
score opened up the opportunities inside for Allison, in a 50-66 loss to
3A #1 Delta. Delta broke New Palestine's (13-4, 3-2) 12 game winning streak.
Allison finished with nearly half of his team's offense, scoring 23 points,
grabbing 12 boards and blocking 7 shots. Delta coach Paul Keller said of
Allison after the game, "He is more agressive this year. He's a good athlete
for 6'10, who's a team player."
1-17-98...Check out the article "Allison relishes guitar as an
escape from basketball fame" from the Indianapolis Star.
12-21-97...A scouting report from the December 12 game against
Greenfield Central. Some interesting comments and behind the scenes info...
"I figure I should pass along a little first-hand information about one of
Purdue's new recruits, John Allison. The high school I teach at, Greenfield-
Central, played down at New Palestine last night. We won the game 63-47. So
it doesn't look so bad for John, let me qualify a few things:
1. We are currently 5-0 and ranked in the top ten in our class of basketball
(AAA).
2. Rumor went around our school that New Pal's strarting point guard sprained
his ankle this week. From what I remember of him from last year, he did look
a little slower.
3. New Pal's starting power forward was suspended for one game from taking a
Louisville Slugger to some mailboxes. (Boys will be boys ...)
4. Rumor also was flying that Allison himself had been sick with the flu all
week and had not done much practicing.
Hope that's enough excuses. But to be honest, with the way our team has been
playing lately, we would have won the game anyway. We won the game by 16
points, and this was the worst effort I have seen out of our team this year.
As far as Allison individually, he had 13 points, 3 or 4 blocks (one of which
should have been a goaltending call), around 8-10 rebounds, and went 1-3 from
the line. He did have one monster dunk in the second quarter that was very
impressive.
What disturbed me the most about how he played was his lack of aggressiveness.
This may have been due to being sick all week, but his first instinct when had
the ball was to pass. Our team spent most of the game double-teaming him, but
he still looked for a pass before he even considered his own shot. When the
double team was late, he did a good job of taking advantage of it. John has a
very good soft turnaround from 8 ft. It didn't appear like he wanted to put a
full effort out last night.
He still needs to bulk up weight-wise, but what high school player doesn't.
The program listed him at 6'10", but some of our players told me has grown to
7'0". Hope that is true." (scouting report provided by Oliver)
12-12-97...Allison was smothered during the game tonight, sometimes
triple-teamed in the post, holding him to 13 points. He was the focus of the
defensive pressure as NP's leading scorer T.J. Ott was out for disciplinary
reasons. The 6-4, 210 lb. Ott leads the team with a 23.5 point average.
Ott will also sit out against Franklin on 12/13. NP falls to 2-1.
11-25-97...Recruiting USA has this to say about John, "When you talk
about upside, you have to talk about Allison, who should be a dominating force
in the Big Ten after two years of weight training." Allison is currently
ranked as the 12th best center prospect in the nation.
11-15-97...John signed with Purdue, as expected, on Thursday.
Keady comments on Allison's competitive nature and defensive blocking
abilities. Purdue may still choose to add a center from the juco ranks in
the spring, but will have to free up a scholarship somewhere to be able to
offer one.
11-12-97...Don't be concerned when you don't hear about Allison
signing today. He has scheduled his press conference on THURSDAY instead.
11-3-97...Follow this link to a good story on John Allison from the
Indianapolis Star.
10-19-97...John Allison is making progress and says he will be
ready, if needed, to step in for the graduating Brad Miller next season.
Allison showed up for Purdue's Mackey Magic opening practice.
7-15-97...More analysis of Allison is coming in from Nike. Van Coleman
rates him as the 7th best center prospect, and Jerry Tipton of the Lexington
Herald labeled him a "big man of note", below Stromile Swift and ahead of
Minnesota standout Joey Przybilla.
7-10-97...John Allison has been turning heads at the Nike Camp
this week according to a few scouts in attendance. Recruiters are getting
a look at why he was listed as impressive at the AAU nationals last
summer. A developing offensive game is still being overshadowed by his
defensive skills, especially his shot blocking. One scout said it would
be hard for anyone to beat him out for the 'best defensive shot-blocker'
award. In an article in the Star, Allison called the classes on SAT
preparation and study skills "basic", but seems to have gotten a lot out
of the talk on anger management. If the photo from the Star is any
indication, his aggressiveness has improved (see Player Photos).
5-1-97...All three Indiana high school juniors who have currently
given verbals to Purdue will be found on the same team this weekend. Lewis,
Allison and Rodney Smith will be on the Spiece Gym Rats South 17-under
squad. The first game of the weekend for the team will be a 7:00pm match
in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility (next door to Mackey Arena) with
Brooklyn Basketball USA. On Saturday morning, Spiece will play at 11:00am
on the same court in the IAF against Cincinatti AAU #2. The final game
of pool play will be at 3:30pm on Saturday against the Illinois Warriors #1,
again in the IAF. The Illinois Warriors team in 1995 featured Mike
Robinson and last years team featured the duo of Sergio McClain and
Marcus Griffin. Depending upon the results of the three pool games, Spiece
will either begin the tournament on Saturday evening at 6:00pm or 9:00pm.
4-8-97...For the past year, almost daily rumors have had John
Allison going to either Indiana or Purdue. John put the speculation to rest
on Monday as he verbally committed to play for Purdue. Follow this article
from the Indy StarNews for more details.
2-25-97...John Allison was in Mackey Arena for last Sundays
win against Michigan.
2-22-97...A scouting report from the 2/15 New Palestine game
against Delta from Bill Wilkinson..."I went to the game tonight and had an
opportunity to see Allison. I really did not expect much but I was wrong. He
is very agile and pretty athletic. He apparently is only 16 and still
growing. His father is supposed to be as tall as John. He is very thin
and needs to develop more strength in both his upper and lower body in
order to play college basketball effectively. I was impressed with his
quickness and jumping ability. He can really get off of his feet and
someone told me he had won a recent slam dunk competition. The people from
New Palestine with whom I spoke with said that John is an outstanding
student and academics may bear a strong influence on his college choice.
He is a good shot and has a very nice jump hook shot as well. John blocked
several shots and controlled the boards. Again John could be outstanding
if he can get stronger and put some beef on his thin frame. The New
Palestine people say Dan Dakich is at all of his home games and that Bruce
Weber is there periodically." (scouting report by Bill Wilkinson)
Allison currently leads the state in blocked shots per game and
has just recorded his 100th of the season.
1-24-97...With the size and presence of John Allison in the paint
rebounding shouldn't be a problem, but it was as New Palestine dropped its
fourth game of the season with a 36-33 loss to Triton Central. New Palestine
was outrebounded 40-25 in the game with Allison leading the way for NP with
7. The New Palestine offense could not make up an 8 point run at the end of
the game after Allsion tied it at 28 with four minutes remaining. Although
only credited with 10 blocks, specatators claim the number was more like 14.
1-3-97...John Allison is beginning to return to form after sitting
out a majority of the season to date with a hip injury. In a 48-42 victory
over Shelbyville, Allison dominated the boards with 10 rebounds and 7 blocked
shots. "He really acted like he wanted the ball late in the game and that
was something we hadn't seen this year," Coach Kehrt said. "John's coming
along. When he gets healthy that will be a big plus for us."
12-20-97...A little encouraging news in the recruitment of John
Allison..."I am a Purdue Alum and attended New Palestine H.S. I have had
th opportunity to get to know Johns' mother as one of Johns' sisters (future
lady boiler?) is the same age as my daughter. She has repeated time and
again how much they and John love Frank Kendrick and his genuine care for
the players. I know they have made several trips to both IU and Purdue.
She says she thinks John has decided where he wants to go but hasn't given
any indication as to where. He told his mother he either wants to be a
chemical engineer or a doctor. His academics would not be a problem.
He is, as is indicated by your site, a bit thin, and needs to bulk up.
He blocks out so well however, he doesn't rebound as much as he could, and
the boards are usually swept up by teammates. I really think he needs to
be more aggressive. New Pal does not work the post as much as one would
think with a 6'10 center. John plays on the Spiece AAU team which is
coached by Matt Gadis, who is also a Purdue grad/player. I am not familiar
enough with the entire situation, but when one of the other kids committed
to Purdue, Dan Dakich was in New Palestine the next day to watch John work
out (during the fall)." (scouting report by annonymous)
DATE MIN FG FGA FT FTA 3P 3PA RB A B S PTS
---------------------------------------------------
* 06-17-98 3 3 3 3 9 Won 133- Junior AS 92
04-11-98 9 Won 104- North AS 85
03-03-98 15 Lost 65- Mt. Vernon 68
02-27-98 10 17 Won 68- Shelbyville 53
02-14-98 12 7 23 Lost 50- #1 Delta 66
02-13-98 15 22 Won 74- Southwestern 51
02-06-98 10 Won 69- Beech Grove 35
01-30-98 10 Won 67- Whiteland 45
01-24-98 10 Won 76- Hamilton SE 62
01-23-98 2 8 4 6 0 0 8 6 8 Won 53- Triton Central 49
01-16-98 15 Won 62- Pendleton H 44
01-09-98 13 14 Won 62- Zionsville 39
01-03-98 7 15 12 Won 55- Waldron 35
12-27-97 10 12 18 Won 69- Westfield 48
12-20-97 13 Won 57- Greenwood 55 OT
12-19-97 5 8 5 8 0 11 17 Lost 49- Morristown 61
12-12-97 6 12 1 3 10 2 13 Lost 47- Greenfield C 63
12-05-97 28 Won 78- E. Hancock 61
03-08-97 7 11 4 Lost 51- Delta 63
02-28-97 11 6 18 Won 61- Pendleton H 46
02-27-97 15 Won 63- Mt Vernon 60
02-25-97 9 6 13 Won 72- E Hancock 47
02-18-97 5 Lost 40- Frank Cent 51
02-14-97 10 Won 59- Southwestern 44
02-11-97 5 Lost 46- Pend Heights 69
02-07-97 13 Won 78- Beech Grove 44
02-01-97 12 Lost 54- Sheridan 59
01-31-97 3 0 2 0 13 6 Lost 51- Martinsville 53
01-25-97 8 Won 65- Hamilton SE 45
01-24-97 4 11 0 1 0 0 7 3 10 8 Lost 33- Triton Cent 36
01-04-97 17 Won 55- Waldron 29
01-03-97 6 13 1 3 0 0 10 7 13 Won 48- Shelbyville 42
12-21-96 15 Won 48- Greenwood 47
12-20-96 5 Won 52- Morristown 32
12-14-96 10 Lost 58- Franklin 65
97-98 season Honorable Mention All-American (Street & Smith)
Preseason All-State First Team (Hoosier Basketball)
Indiana Basketball Coaches Assoc. All-State Honorable Mention
Top40 Workout (Hoosier Basketball)
Reebok All-Star Indiana South Team Selection
All-East First Team (Indy Star)
All-State Honorable Mention (IBCA)
Indiana All-Star team
96-97 season Indianapolis All-Suburb honorable mention (Indy Star)
Indiana Top32 Workout
All-Sectional, All-Area and All-East selection
Nike Camp Invitation
1996 AAU Nationals 7th Place
95-96 season Indianapolis All-Suburb second team
1995 AAU Nationals 3rd Place
Date Day Time Opponent
---- --- ---- --------------------
12/05/97 FRI 6:30P W @ Eastern Hancock
12/06/97 SAT 6:30P W @ Rushville
12/12/97 FRI 6:30P L Greenfield Central
12/13/97 SAT 6:30P L Franklin Community
12/19/97 FRI 6:30P L Morristown
12/20/97 SAT 6:30P W @ Greenwood
12/27/97 SAT 6:30P W Westfield
01/03/98 SAT 6:30P W Waldron (moved from 2/21)
01/09/98 FRI 6:30P W Zionsville
01/16/98 FRI 6:30P W Pendleton Heights
01/23/98 FRI 6:30P W Triton Central (Homecoming)
01/24/98 SAT 6:30P W @ Hamilton SE
01/30/98 FRI 6:00P W Whiteland
01/31/98 SAT 6:30P W @ Sheridan
02/06/98 FRI 6:30P W @ Beech Grove
02/07/98 SAT 6:30P W Mooresville
02/13/98 FRI 6:30P W @ Southwestern
02/14/98 SAT 6:30P L Delta
02/19/98 THU 6:30P W @ Mount Vernon
02/27/98 FRI 6:30P W Shelbyville (senior night)
03/03/98 TUE 7:30P L Sectional vs Mt. Vernon (@ Shelbyville)
As news organizations move their stories to an archive, some of the links listed above may become inactive
OldGoldFreePress.com is organized & maintained by a group of college sports reporters with the help of Purdue sports fans everywhere. OldGoldFreePress.com is an independent and unofficial Purdue (+ Big Ten Conference/NCAA) sports news site that is not affiliated with Purdue University, the Big Ten Conference, the NCAA and/or any university athletic program.