[caption id="attachment_5694" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Seth Allen has been making clutch shots common. [Credit: Harley Taylor][/caption]One definition for the word clutch in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is to be "successful in a crucial situation." In sports, players can build a greater legacy on being a clutch player than being a consistent All-Star with the ways that clutch players captivate our attention. When you were a kid, you probably dreamed of hitting the game-winning shot, not having a 40-point game.
https://twitter.com/DSchneiderDC/status/717193677920145408
Of course, there aren't a lot of players who can consistently hit those clutch shots with it almost being its own skill that takes time, refinement, and trust. For Villanova's Kris Jenkins, that all led up to that moment last year in the National Championship that will be remembered as one of the great shots in the history of college basketball even though Jenkins is far from being one of the greats in college basketball history.
The thing with a "clutch" player is that every fan of the team that player is on knows that the game isn't over even when the odds seem completely stacked in their favor. When they know that their team's "clutch" player will have the chance to win the game, most move to the edge of their seats having great confidence that their "clutch" player is about to make that big shot.
For Virginia Tech, Seth Allen has become that clutch player in 2017 and there may not be another player in America who is as clutch as the Hokies' senior point guard.
Allen has done it time and time again in 2017 for the Hokies in 2017, making the clutch shot common and bringing tons of heartbreak to rival ACC schools.
https://twitter.com/soundslikejafar/status/832329544463958016
https://twitter.com/TitanicHoops/status/830979902404964352
https://twitter.com/TitanicHoops/status/834231976043352064
Time and time again in 2017, Seth Allen has been making the biggest shots in the biggest moments for the Hokies hitting three true game-winners against Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Clemson along with making critical shots at Clemson and at Pittsburgh. Allen has brought plenty of heartbreak to ACC opponents with his big shots against Georgia Tech and Clemson hurting both of those teams' hopes of making the NCAA Tournament.
When you have a senior point guard like Allen, you expect that he can be a difference maker and while he has been that for most ACC games, he has been particularly good in closing out games for the Hokies and becoming the best player on the floor in the final minute no matter the opponent.
Maybe the most impressive thing about Allen's late-game heroics this year is how often they have happened with Allen only having a few misses in those situations this season but making up for it soon after in games against Virginia and Clemson. Allen has been making clutch shots at a higher rate than almost any other player in the nation, making you wonder if there is a player that is more clutch in America than Allen.
https://twitter.com/OX_VT/status/834222461818384385
That is high praise from ESPN's Anish Shroff, who has called Allen's big shots at Clemson and at home against Virginia, but it's not crazy when you think about it. Allen has consistently been the guy that Buzz Williams has given the ball to in the closing seconds while Allen has also been assertive in taking threes at Clemson and Pittsburgh that helped make the difference.
Allen has done a fantastic job of closing games out on the road and in Cassell Coliseum with his three game-winning shots being a big reason why the Hokies are safely in the NCAA Tournament instead of on the bubble or on the outside.
Allen has found ways to step up in the end even in games where he hasn't made a big impact as he did against Clemson where he only had 5 points before hitting his game-winning three. For Allen, it doesn't matter whether he's having a big game or if he has been kept quiet, Allen is always able to step up in the biggest moments and literally win basketball games for Virginia Tech.
Seth Allen has been making clutch shots common in 2017 and for many youth in Blacksburg and the New River Valley, they may be practicing their best Seth Allen impression on the basketball court dreaming to follow in his footsteps someday.
Seth Allen has been making clutch shots common. [Credit: Harley Taylor][/caption]One definition for the word clutch in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is to be "successful in a crucial situation." In sports, players can build a greater legacy on being a clutch player than being a consistent All-Star with the ways that clutch players captivate our attention. When you were a kid, you probably dreamed of hitting the game-winning shot, not having a 40-point game.
https://twitter.com/DSchneiderDC/status/717193677920145408
Of course, there aren't a lot of players who can consistently hit those clutch shots with it almost being its own skill that takes time, refinement, and trust. For Villanova's Kris Jenkins, that all led up to that moment last year in the National Championship that will be remembered as one of the great shots in the history of college basketball even though Jenkins is far from being one of the greats in college basketball history.
The thing with a "clutch" player is that every fan of the team that player is on knows that the game isn't over even when the odds seem completely stacked in their favor. When they know that their team's "clutch" player will have the chance to win the game, most move to the edge of their seats having great confidence that their "clutch" player is about to make that big shot.
For Virginia Tech, Seth Allen has become that clutch player in 2017 and there may not be another player in America who is as clutch as the Hokies' senior point guard.
Allen has done it time and time again in 2017 for the Hokies in 2017, making the clutch shot common and bringing tons of heartbreak to rival ACC schools.
https://twitter.com/soundslikejafar/status/832329544463958016
https://twitter.com/TitanicHoops/status/830979902404964352
https://twitter.com/TitanicHoops/status/834231976043352064
Time and time again in 2017, Seth Allen has been making the biggest shots in the biggest moments for the Hokies hitting three true game-winners against Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Clemson along with making critical shots at Clemson and at Pittsburgh. Allen has brought plenty of heartbreak to ACC opponents with his big shots against Georgia Tech and Clemson hurting both of those teams' hopes of making the NCAA Tournament.
When you have a senior point guard like Allen, you expect that he can be a difference maker and while he has been that for most ACC games, he has been particularly good in closing out games for the Hokies and becoming the best player on the floor in the final minute no matter the opponent.
Maybe the most impressive thing about Allen's late-game heroics this year is how often they have happened with Allen only having a few misses in those situations this season but making up for it soon after in games against Virginia and Clemson. Allen has been making clutch shots at a higher rate than almost any other player in the nation, making you wonder if there is a player that is more clutch in America than Allen.
https://twitter.com/OX_VT/status/834222461818384385
That is high praise from ESPN's Anish Shroff, who has called Allen's big shots at Clemson and at home against Virginia, but it's not crazy when you think about it. Allen has consistently been the guy that Buzz Williams has given the ball to in the closing seconds while Allen has also been assertive in taking threes at Clemson and Pittsburgh that helped make the difference.
Allen has done a fantastic job of closing games out on the road and in Cassell Coliseum with his three game-winning shots being a big reason why the Hokies are safely in the NCAA Tournament instead of on the bubble or on the outside.
Allen has found ways to step up in the end even in games where he hasn't made a big impact as he did against Clemson where he only had 5 points before hitting his game-winning three. For Allen, it doesn't matter whether he's having a big game or if he has been kept quiet, Allen is always able to step up in the biggest moments and literally win basketball games for Virginia Tech.
Seth Allen has been making clutch shots common in 2017 and for many youth in Blacksburg and the New River Valley, they may be practicing their best Seth Allen impression on the basketball court dreaming to follow in his footsteps someday.
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