Thomas Allen, NC State’s lone recruit, seeking a release from the school

Thomas Allen, N.C. State’s lone signee, is seeking a release from the school, he said in a text message Thursday.

He also said he would reconsider signing with the Wolfpack again.

“I would put them back on my list, but right now I’m just trying to take my time this go round,” Allen said in a text message.

Allen, a 6-2, 180-pound senior guard, signed his National Letter of Intent in November. At that point, Mark Gottfried was the N.C. State coach. Gottfried was fired in February and last week N.C. State hired former UNC-Wilmington coach Kevin Keatts to replace him.

N.C. State has the ability to deny Allen’s release request, but schools do not typically do that when a coach leaves or is fired.

Allen was a former standout at Garner High School. He transferred to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H. for his senior season. He is rated a three-star prospect, according to 247sports.com. When he was in North Carolina, he was one of the top three players in the state.

Keatts said he had spoken to Allen after he was hired and had a “great conversation” with him.

Allen was the only player N.C. State had signed from the class of 2017. With freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr. expected to declare for the draft, and the possibility of other current players leaving, an Allen departure would put a damper on N.C. State’s roster for next season.

The only other player known on Keatts’ radar is Blake Harris, a 6-3, 180-pound guard from Word of God. He announced on Thursday he had visited N.C. State and Keatts after being released by Washington on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Keatts also said he was unsure of whether he would sign another recruit. He said he would only sign players who fit the mold of the program. He said he would instead focus on the players already on the roster.

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Thomas Allen, NC State’s lone recruit, seeking a release from the school."