Thomas Allen, NC State’s lone recruit, granted a release by the school

Thomas Allen has been granted a release from the N.C. State basketball program and will pursue other options, he said Wednesday afternoon.

Allen, a 6-2, 180-pound four-star guard who plays at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, said he was granted his release on Tuesday. He would reconsider N.C. State if it recruited him again, he said, but he doesn’t expect it to.

“For (Kevin) Keatts, he’s not going to beg you to stay if you want to leave,” Allen said.

Keatts was hired as N.C. State’s coach two weeks ago, replacing Mark Gottfried. Allen was the Wolfpack’s only signee from the class of 2017.

Freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr. announced his decision on Tuesday to leave for the NBA draft. Freshman center Omer Yurtseven has also said he would test the NBA waters. Without those players, N.C. State would have available scholarships. Keatts said in his introductory press conference he was unsure whether he would sign another player in this class. Instead, he would focus on the players on the team.

Keatts is, however, recruiting Blake Harris, a class of 2017 guard from Word of God.

Allen said Gottfried’s firing didn’t have much to do with his decision to leave the school. He was interested in playing close to his Raleigh home when he signed.

After Allen transferred to Brewster Academy his senior season, he said more programs started to notice him. Allen said he has gotten calls from Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Providence, Auburn, Butler, Nebraska, Xavier and a few others.

“I feel like the first time I signed I rushed everything,” Allen said. “I didn’t know how it was going to be if I didn’t sign early.”

Allen was a standout at Garner High School during his junior season, before transferring to Brewster, a private boarding school.

When Allen got to Brewster, a team that competes for national championships, he gained more exposure.

Allen said he’s interested in playing for a school where he can play right away.

“A good coach, the right players to play with, just the normal stuff,” he said.

Allen hopes to visit some schools after the Final Four and make a decision in mid-April.

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Thomas Allen, NC State’s lone recruit, granted a release by the school."