From homeless to the hardwood, how DII basketball saved UTPB's Sammy Allen's life NCAA.com

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PRESENTED BY Heading into the second weekend of January, Texas-Permian Basin's Sammy Allen is the third-best rebounder in Division II basketball. The 6-foot-2 senior guard is scoring 11.3 points per game, while ripping down 11.9 rebounds per game as one of the leaders of the No. 6-ranked Falcons. But that's not even half the story. Allen's road to the hardwood is unlike any you have ever heard. Allen grew up in Oakland, California. As a young child, he lived in a building that his grandfather owned. When his grandfather passed away, his mother couldn't afford the rent. As Allen was about to enter kindergarten, he and his mother lost their home. . grabbed the #6 spot in the NABC Rankings - that's 6th in the nation! Don’t miss our next home game vs Texas A&M - Commerce Jan 18 and follow the Falcons on Facebook — UTPB (@utpb) Allen didn't grow up in a home the way many other kids around him did, he tried to grow up the same way they did. Whatever the season was, Allen was playing some sport, whether it was football, basketball or baseball. In fact, he loved football so much, that if someone had coached him up or pushed him harder in that direction when he was younger, the story of Sammy Allen may be very different. Me and my teammates played sand volleyball lastnight to bond and we had a great time and i showed them how i thought i was gone be a Sam/Rush if basketball didn’t work out lol — Sammy Allen (@Sosa_5star2) But there was always basketball. Even at a young age, Allen knew basketball was his ticket to a better life. But he didn't have dreams of becoming a future NBA star. His goal was clearer, much more important to his future plans. And so it began. The Falcons went from 15-14 in 2015-16 in the Heartland Conference all the way to 26-6 and Lone Star Conference champions in their first year in the LSC. Though Daeshon Francis stole much of the spotlight, it was a team effort to turn around UTPB. And the gritty play of Allen was right in the middle of the action. SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT: "Basketball Saves Lives"
4 players. 4 journeys.
VIDEO: — Local 2 Sports (@Local2_Sports) And Allen credits it all back to his youth. The way he grew up gave him and extra edge, and sitting with his grandmother watching basketball gave him the passion he still has today. Sammy Allen's () triple-double shines in winning week for — Local 2 Sports (@Local2_Sports) MORE: