New Mexico State guard Teddy Allen: ‘I look at myself as one of the best’

Fresh off of an incredible senior year with New Mexico State, Teddy Allen is looking to continue that momentum and carry it into the NBA pre-draft process.

Allen was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year after averaging 19.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 34 games with the Aggies. He paced the team in nearly every statistical category, including points, rebounds and steals.

The 6-foot-6 guard also led the conference in scoring, while ranking 29th in the country among all Division I players. Allen finished 13th in the NCAA in free throws made (163) and 33rd in free-throw percentage (87.6).

Behind his play throughout the season, the Aggies captured their fourth WAC regular-season title in the last five seasons and the outright championship in the conference tournament to claim an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

On the biggest stage in the sport, Allen showed out in an upsetting fashion.

Allen erupted for 37 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals to lead the 12th-seeded Aggies to a win over No. 5 seed UConn, their first tournament victory since 1993. He scored 23 points alone in the second half, including each of the Aggies’ last 15.

They would go on to lose in the next round to No. 4 seed Arkansas.

The outing capped off a long collegiate journey for Allen.

He started off by playing one season at West Virginia under head coach Bob Huggins before landing at Western Nebraska Community College. He eventually returned to Division I with Nebraska before transferring to New Mexico State prior to this season.

Allen announced after the season that he would declare for the NBA draft. He has been training in Arizona with other prospects, sometimes as many as three times a day. He has been busy meeting and working out with teams all in hopes of earning his next opportunity in the NBA.

Rookie Wire recently caught up with Allen to discuss the pre-draft process, what he is looking to showcase to teams, his collegiate career and much more.

Please note: This interview was minorly edited in its transcript for clarity

What do your pre-draft workouts entail?

TA: Obviously, a lot of shooting, skill work and conditioning but I would say mostly shooting. We’re working on ballhandling and keeping it tight. But I think for a lot of these workouts, a lot of it is shooting and conditioning so we’re doing a lot of that. As far as lifting, we’re training every day and keeping our bodies right and getting physical therapy. Then, we go back to shoot at night and just continue to get the repetition down and things like that.

How do you think training with other draft prospects has helped your game?

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TA: I think it’s good because we’re all hungry and working toward the same thing but everybody’s situation is different. At the same time, we’re all striving toward the same thing. I think when it’s like that, everybody is just pushing each other to get better every day.

You played at a few schools along your way to New Mexico State. How would you kind of describe your path to where you are now?

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TA: I would just describe it as my path, you know? Just growing throughout the process and just making decisions on my own. Sometimes, it’s not up to them to say if it’s right or wrong. I think, at this point in my life, it just helped me learn where I’m able to come into the NBA and help a team based on what I’ve learned over the years through my path.

It almost seems like that path has made you more mentally tough. Would you say that's an accurate description?

TA: 100%. Going into new situations, you have to work really hard. It’s not like you’re just being established anywhere. I feel like I’ve always been a hard worker but that puts you in a situation where you always are going to want to work hard to prove yourself wherever you’re at. I think that bodes well for me in a situation like I’m in now and especially in the league when people are getting traded and things like that so it just helps.

Your last season in school was easily your best one. How gratifying was it to see all of your hard work come to fruition?

TA: I just feel like it has been a steady progression every year. It’s great to get the recognition and things like that but I was just happy to be able to hoop and hoop at a high level and put myself in a position to, hopefully, be able to continue playing.

How proud were you to have that 37-point performance on a big stage against a team like UConn?

TA: I was just proud of my team and I was just happy for my teammates and how hard we worked considering what goes into that because people don’t understand how hard it is to get to that point. Even for the teams that do it every year. They’re doing something right, obviously, but it’s really hard.

But for me, I expect to play at a high level. I look at myself as one of the best and that’s why I’m confident going into my NBA journey. But, it was a task at hand and I’m just happy that we were able to do that. I’m going to have memories with my teammates forever so it is definitely something to look back on once my career is over.

Did you get more appreciation for how hard that is to make it to that level?

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TA: I did it as a young guy as a role player with West Virginia and I thought I learned a lot and I thought I knew how hard it was. But being in a different role as a senior, I really thought the same thing. There are a lot of ups and downs throughout the season and there are times where you’re really not sure especially coming out of a one-bid league. West Virginia was different because you know you can lose games because you’re playing good teams, but every game really counts when you’re playing for that one bid. I definitely learned a lot this year and how to stay consistent through the ups and downs.

How much do you think you've improved from the time you got to New Mexico State to now?

TA: I think it has progressed to a level where I feel extremely confident. I can help an NBA team win and I may have said that in the past but I feel like I’m definitely ready now which is why I’m actually coming out.

It looks like you're a guy that can get his shot when whenever you want. Is that something that you think is your most translatable skill to the next level?

TA: That along with the fact that I just know how to play basketball. I really know how to play basketball. I think the thing about the NBA is it has, obviously, the best players in the world and if you have a high basketball IQ like I do, I feel like that’s my most translatable skill because whatever position a team wants to put me or in any role, I can help whatever they ask me to do. But as far as getting my shot whenever I want, that’s never going to change no matter what.

What are you trying to show teams in workouts?

TA: I just want to show that I’m a winner and go hard. In those situations, everybody is trying to give max effort but the effort they see from me will be the effort they get every day. I feel like anywhere I’ve been, nobody can say I’m not the hardest worker on the team or one of them.

I saw you have the "Teddy Buckets" nickname. When did that start and do you remember who gave you that nickname?

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TA: It started back in high school on the AAU circuit. I was killing in Las Vegas at a tournament before I got to college. Huggs was calling me it and everybody at West Virginia did so it kind of just stuck. Everywhere I’ve been, it just stuck and kept getting bigger and bigger.

Who were some of the players that you looked up to growing up? What did you take from their games?

TA: Definitely LeBron and Kobe. I feel like my skill set is unique but I think I’m a student of the game so watching how the greats do it and the hard work they put into the game and the effort they give. Obviously, some things here and there as a player but everybody plays differently.

Story originally appeared on Rookie Wire