Based on Comfort Allen Picks WVU

Ron Bailey, Publisher

January 7, 2009 – Sometimes a young person finds a school where a comfort level is immediate – in relationships it’s called a match made in heaven. Such seems to be the case with the Class of 2010’s Bryon Allen and West Virginia University.

“He felt real comfortable” shared Cindy Allen, Bryon’s mom while the two were on West Virginia’s campus taking in that school’s tilt with Connecticut. “He loves the way Huggins (WVU’s coach, Bob Huggins) plays, the conference, the university and academics”.

The Mountaineers were chosen yesterday over Virginia Tech and Florida, who Allen indicated had offered, as well as Miami, who was close to, Clemson, Maryland, Georgetown, and Florida State.

Not having played travel team ball with his organization, DC Assault last year due to focusing on academics, Bryon, a 6’2”, 200 pound guard from PG County MD was still obviously highly recruited. According to Cindy, that process began long ago.

“It started at DeMatha (MD)” she said, where her son played during his freshman year, before transferring to Oak Hill (VA). “He got a lot of looks there”. In fact, the man credited for recruiting Bryon to WVU, Larry Harris, “first saw him there”.

Bryon Allen dunking in the recent DMV vs Philly Challenge.

“Oak Hill brought a lot of other stuff”, as did DC Assault according to Cindy.

Her family is estatic over Bryon’s achievement.

“We’re very proud” she said, a sentiment the young man echoed. The road was not always easy, as Cindy shared “You have to be a strong parent…not necessarily their friend” when asked to provide some guidance for the families of talented, younger parents. “Character (development) is the main thing”.

She went on to thank the proverbial village, of which helped her son get to what she believes the pinnacle for young players, a college scholarship: “It takes a lot of people to help raise a kid. He’s been around many great people; Todd Bozeman, Joe Dobbins, Butch Hazel, Zach Suber, all the DC Assault guys. All the coaches at DeMatha. Steve Smith and all of them at Oak Hill, and everyone else who helped”.

Congrats are in order for Bryon, his mom Cindy, and their family. Through hard work, group dedication and a desire to press on, the young guy is headed to the Big East, for free. And that’s what it is really all about.