NBA Draft Blog Interview With Chaisson Allen

Over the last few years, Northeastern, from the Colonial Athletic Conference, has produced some NBA players, most notably JJ Barea from this year’s NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks.  Hoping to join this group, is one of the best defensive players, not only in the CAA, but also in the country, Chaisson Allen.  But there is much more to him and his game than that.  I had the pleasure of speaking to Chaisson last week and we discussed how his game has progressed, where he sees himself in the NBA and how these previous Northeastern players have had an effect on him.  Enjoy Chaisson in his own words:

Chaisson on how he ended up at Northeastern:

“I’m from Tennessee, and I was getting interest from a bunch of schools. (Northeastern Head Coach) Bill Coen was an assistant at Boston College who was recruiting me there, and when he took the head coaching job at Northeastern, I decided to follow him there.  He was a coach I was very comfortable with, he wanted me to play for him, and I knew I would get a chance to play right away.”

Chaisson on how he developed as a player during his time at Northeastern:

“The biggest change was that I started to focus more on defense.  I prided myself in defense (All-CAA Defensive team every year), and usually Coach would put me on the other team’s best player.  I also worked on becoming a stronger shooter and scorer, and worked on being able to hit the 3-pointer more consistently.”

Chaisson on the strengths to his game:

“Some people have said my game has the same feel as Mike Conley or Rajon Rondo.  I know how to get my teammates involved in the game, and I know how to control the pace of the game.”

Chaisson on what parts of his game he wants to improve:

“I want to polish up my mid-range game – being able to pull up and hit that jumper when I need to.”

Chaisson on what he sees his potential NBA role to be:

“I know when I first get started, I would be coming off the bench, so I just want to go in there and make sure there is no drop off between me and the guy I come in for.  I know I can get in there and play tough defense when its needed. ”

Chaisson on the Northeastern program:

“It’s such a great program, and it was a tremendous experience.  Coming after guys like JJ Barea and Matt Janning – those guys raised the bar and showed me how good I would need to be to get where they are.”

Chaisson on what he wants teams and fans to know about him:

“I’m a good person on and off the court, love being part of and helping out in the community.  I’m a competitor, and I will do whatever it takes to get on the court and play.”

I want to thank Chaisson for his time and I wish him the best of luck as he looks to fulfill his dream of getting to the NBA.  He really was a pleasure to talk to and I think a lot of teams would be lucky to have him.