Up Close: Alisha Allen

NSU freshman making impact early in college career

By KYLE CARRIER

kyle@tri-pa?rishtimes.com

Alisha Allen has played just seven games as a Lady Colonel, yet the Nicholls State forward has already made an impact.

She is the team’s second leading scorer (13.9 points per game) and leads in rebounds per game (5.6) through Nicholls’ first seven games.

The 17-year-old Garland, Texas, native was named All-District and All-American three times during her high school career, and gives the Lady Colonels a dynamic scoring threat.

Second-year Lady Colonels’ head coach DoBee Plaisance said Allen has already shown promise, and the coach expects Allen’s performance to continue to improve as the season continues.

“She’s played big in many games and the best is yet to come for her,” Plaisance boasted. “Once she learns our system better, she is going to score twice as many points because she’ll get more shot opportunities.”

SportsNet caught up with the true freshman to talk about adjusting to college basketball coming straight out of high school.

SportsNet: What’s been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome coming straight from high school to Nicholls?

Alisha Allen: Everything, from being the youngest (player) to the way I practice. In practice, I didn’t like to work as hard as I should. If I can go back to high school, I know it would be so much easier and I would appreciate it more. I just have to keep my head in the game and keep working hard.

SN: What’s it like being one of the youngest players on the team?

AA: It’s not bad. I played over the summer with a lot of girls older than me who are playing at bigger schools. It’s really not that much of a change for me.

SN: So how does a Texas girl end up at Nicholls?

AA: When I came to visit Nicholls, I had a couple other schools from Texas recruiting me, but I lived there and wanted to leave. Coach DoBee and Coach Bonin are great coaches and I just knew this was going to be it. I can change the school and do great things for it. I told my mom this was the place I wanted to come.

SN: What goals have you set for yourself as your career continues?

AA: I want to be in the 1,000-point club and would love to get Freshman of the Year, but I told myself that as long as I leave each game knowing I did all I could do, then I’m happy.

SN: How important is it for you to help turn this program around?

AA: I definitely want to be a part of that. If I can leave here knowing I helped this team, then I’m happy.

SN: How do you spend your free time?

AA: I eat, sleep and play basketball. Sometimes we’ll go to Wal-Mart or the movies on Saturdays, but other than that, my life is basketball.

SN: What’s the hardest part about playing forward?

AA: I’m versatile, so I can post up, and I can just shoot. It’s really tough because Coach will tell me to do one thing and I’m like, ‘OK,’ but sometimes I get my plays mixed up because I’m outside (the baseline) and not inside. That was a change from high school as well because I was a forward, that’s all I did. I came here and I was a guard. I have to do a little bit of everything, so it’s not an easy adjustment.

SN: How hard is it to go from forward to guard?

AA: If you’ve never played guard it can be difficult. When I’m in the post, I can just stay around, box out and do my move. But now, I have to move around and do more. It’s something I’ll get better at as the season goes on.

SN: What are your plans after graduation?

AA: I either want to be a dentist or a psychiatrist, I haven’t really decided yet.

Up Close: Alisha Allen