Deana Allen Joins Florida Women's Basketball Signing Class
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | Women's Basketball
Deana Allen, a standout guard on the high school and junior college levels, has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her academic and basketball career at the University of Florida, head coach Amanda Butler announced Wednesday.
A 5-foot-10 guard from Houma, La., Allen recently capped her two-year career at Pensacola Junior College, where she averaged 19.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season when she helped the Lady Pirates finish eighth in the National Junior College Athletic Association's National Poll with a 24-6 record. Allen, who led the country in scoring for 14 weeks during the 2009-10 season, was recognized a 2010 WBCA and State Farm Coaches' All-America Team Honorable Mention.
Allen was named the Florida Community College Athletic Association Player of the Week on January 12, 2010, after leading PJC to victories against No. 4 Northwest Florida State and No. 10 Tallahassee, averaging 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
Allen also led the Lady Pirates in scoring during the 2008-09 season, contributing 14.2 points per game. She was named the 2009 Lady Pirate Team MVP and voted First-Team All-Panhandle Conference.
Allen joins Florida's four early signees Jaterra Bonds (5-8, Guard, Gainesville, Fla.), Kayla Lewis (5-11, Guard/Forward, Decatur, Ga.), Brittany Shine (5-10, Guard, Sacramento, Calif.) and Deaundra Young (6-2, Forward, Titusville, Fla.), all of whom will suit up for the 2010-11 season.
“Deana is going to be a great addition to join our solid core of returning players and a fantastic group of early signees,” Butler said. “Deana can score, she's a play maker, she's a hard worker and above all else she is a great person. She's going to be a fantastic Gator.
“I felt very connected with Deana from our first phone conversation,” Butler continued. “We built trust very quickly and that's something this is extremely important to me. I look forward to our two years together.
“She is the type of person who can get along with anyone. She is such a good ballplayer she can make any team better. Her personality on and off the court was such an easy fit for her becoming a Gator.
“It's exciting to be able to recruit such a high-quality person and athlete from one of our in-state junior colleges coached by Chanda Rigby, who players develop on the court and in the classroom while being a national contender each year,” Butler said.
Prior to joining Coach Rigby's Pensacola Junior College squad, Allen established herself as one of the top high school players in the state of Louisiana. She was named 2008 Miss Basketball by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and was the 2008 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state.
Allen also was recognized as the state of Louisiana's 2008 Class 4A Outstanding Player and was named Class 4A First Team All-State following her senior season. She collected similar honors at the end of her junior campaign, receiving notice as the 2007 LSWA Class 5A All-State Outstanding Player and a 2007 LSWA Class 5A All-State First Team selection.
Allen averaged 23.0 points per game her senior year and 15.6 points her junior year at Ellender Memorial, helping the Patriots capture the 2007 5A state championship and reaching the title game in the 2008 4A state tournament, falling by two points in the championship contest.
“I thought she was one of the best players I'd ever seen in high school and I knew that if she could come to junior college and develop she would be a major player in Division I one day,” PJC head coach Chanda Rigby said. “She has definitely developed into that. I think she'll make an immediate impact at Florida. It's hard to find a combination of her athleticism and basketball I.Q. I have had a lot of good athletes come through my program and a lot of players with a high basketball I.Q., but very seldom to those two marry each other in one player like it does with Deana.
“All of our sophomores are signing to play at a Division I school, but I am so excited about this particular one because not only is The Gator Nation is huge, but this Gator coaching staff is great,” continued Rigby. “They care about their players on and off the court and I know Deana will be in great hands.”
Florida Gators' 2010 Signing Class
Deana Allen, 5-10, Guard, Houma, La./Pensacola JC/Ellender Memorial HS
Jaterra (ja-TEAR-ah) Bonds, 5-8, Guard, Gainesville, Fla./P.K. Yonge HS
Kayla Lewis, 5-11, Guard/Forward, Decatur, Ga./Southwest DeKalb HS
Brittany Shine, 5-10, Guard, Sacramento, Calif./Sacramento HS
Deaundra Young, 6-2, Forward, Titusville, Fla./Astronaut HS
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