allen commits to fullerton

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Ronald Allen Verbals To Cal
State Fullerton--(Feb. 5, 2002)

Last Friday, we came across a small blurb in the Long Beach Press Telegram, which carried a byline for the paper's well-respected and knowledgeable prep basketball writer, Louis Johnson, and it was a story that had us giving Louis a lot of good natured kidding at last Saturday's Nike Extravaganza VII. Here's the story the LBPT ran. See if you can tell why we'd be giving Louis a hard time:

Late Thursday evening, Artesia High boys basketball player Ronald Allen signed with Cal State Fullerton.

The 6-foot-9, 210-pound senior forward is averaging 12 points and 8 rebounds a game after being selected to the Press-Telegram's Sweet 16 this year.

"Anytime you can get a player going to a school where they're concerned about his education and his athletics, it's a real plus," Pioneers coach Scott Pera said.

"He can shoot, jump and he's a great defender. If he grows an inch or two more and puts on 20 pounds of muscle, I think you're going to see a really big-time college basketball player."

We know that Allen made the verbal commitment, but of course, there's one glaring error in the LBPT's story, and that is that Allen did not sign anything, at least not yet. The other glaring error when it was printed is that it had Louis Johnson's name above it, and we know that given Louis' knowledge of recruiting, particularly the fact that the late spring signing period won't start until mid April, there's no way he wrote it either.

In any event, congratulations are certainly in order for Allen and for Fullerton head coach Donny Daniels and his two assistants, Jason Levy and Rob Orellana who were instrumental in recruiting Allen.