Gant, Allen Ready to Resume SMCC Basketball Career

With the 2021 spring season right around the corner, South Mountain Community College men's basketball sophomores Jalen Gant and Christian Allen are itching to get back onto the hardwood. Both started at an early age and are ready to make a statement in their second season with the Cougars.

A 6-7 forward from Tempe, Gant appeared in 29 games and made 23 starts. He averaged 8.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 19.1 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 22 points on 10 of 13 shooting from the field against Eastern Arizona on Dec. 4.

Allen is a 6-2 guard from Lake Oswego, OR, who moved to Phoenix during his sophomore year of high school. He attended Shadow Mountain High School, where he played for former Arizona Wildcat great Mike Bibby. The team captured the state championship in his junior and senior years.

As a freshman in 2019-20, Allen averaged 6.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He scored in double-figures eight times, including a season-high 16 points twice. He also knocked down a season-high four 3-pointers at Scottsdale CC on Jan. 29 and finished third on the team with 26 on the season.

As a post player, Gant watches lots of film of NBA legends Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan. He is also a fan of LA Laker Lebron James and credits the Akron, OH native, for igniting his passion for the game.

"My favorite player is Lebron. He inspired me to start playing and get deep into the game. With film, I watch Olajuwon's footwork and Duncan for his bank shots and screens. Both are great defenders, and I try to replicate what they do as much as I can," he said.

Allen has been encouraged by the play and development of Cleveland Cavalier guard Darius Garland. A 6-1 guard who played collegiately at Vanderbilt, Garland averaged 12.3 points and 3.9 assists in the 2019-20 season.

"I played against Darius in club leagues and did well. I have enjoyed watching him get to the league and progress. Seeing him make it and be successful inspires me," Allen said.

Both had older brothers that introduced them to the game at an early age. Watching their older siblings thrive on the court drove both to play the game.

"My older brother Emmanuel played baseball, football and basketball, and when it was my turn to play, he helped me figure out what I wanted to do," Gant said. "When I started watching Lebron James and the NBA, I got inspired and realized that I liked watching and playing basketball the most."

Allen's dad, Dale, played collegiately and overseas professionally. He also had a brother named Immanuel and another named Nehemiah, and all of them exposed him to the game at an early age with games in the backyard.

"I feel like I got a love for the game when I was like five or six years old," Allen said. "The game was all around me from an early age, and I indulged myself watching the professionals and my brothers."

Staying active during the pandemic has been a challenge for many, with gyms and parks having to shut down. For Gant, the pandemic forced him to limit his exposure to others due to a preexisting condition.

"I am high-risk because I have asthma, so I have been running on the treadmill, shooting hoops at the park and swimming," Gant said. "I think cross-training gives you multiple options to experience something new and still get the results."

Allen spent the summer at home in Oregon with his family and has been doing all he can to keep busy.

"I have a family friend who has a small gym and court, so I try and go there every day to get in a workout," he said. "I've done some local runs with high school kids in the area, and that is allowing me to get a feel for the up-and-down of the game."

Both expressed fond memories of the 2019-20 season in terms of the relationships they developed with their teammates.

"For me, making a bond with all my teammates was probably my favorite memory of the 2019-20 season," Allen said. "I know we'll have a different team this year, but it is hard to understate the bond I made with sophomores. Those friendships are not going anywhere, and it is great to know you will always have friends and teammates to support you."

Gant spoke at length about the team's trip to San Diego in November, where the Cougars faced Cuyamaca CC (El Cajon, CA) and Southwestern CC (Chula Vista, CA). In a 63-57 win over Cuyamaca CC, he led the Cougars with 19 points on 8 of 11 shooting from the field. The next day, he posted 12 points, six rebounds and three steals against Southwestern CC.

"That trip was my favorite memory of the season. We spent a lot of time together in San Diego, and it was a lot of fun to go out there and experience that," he added.

Both are excited about the upcoming 2021 spring schedule. While there will be no trips out of state, they and the Cougars will still face their Arizona Community College Athletic Conference rivals. The return to competition starts on Jan. 20 with a home contest against Phoenix College.

"I want to win games. Last year we struggled to close out contests, and winning makes it way more fun," Gant said. "That's all I want, to get to the playoffs and compete for a championship. Being away from basketball is hard."

Allen wants to expand his game this upcoming season as he hopes to move on to a four-year institution after his SMCC ends.

"The pandemic has allowed me to dissect my game as I prepare for the 2021 season. I want to work on my passing to become a better creator for my teammates, shoot better and get to the basket more. I have focused on that during the quarantine."

Both have enjoyed playing for SMCC head coach Dan Nichols.

"Coming to play for Coach Nichols was a change of pace. He is calm, cool and collected, and does not do a lot of yelling," Gant said. "My high school was pretty vocal, and even though Coach Nichols may not do that, you know he is serious. He has a sternness about him, and I think it is a good way to teach."

"Working with Coach Nichols and his staff has been a good experience. He puts his faith in the players and expects the most from you," Allen added. "He will let you know when you're not giving your all and let you know that you need to play harder to help the team win."

Whenever their basketball careers end, both have concrete plans for what they'd like to do professionally.

"I will get my AA in business and may change it to psychology once I get to my four-year school," Gant said. "I'd like to be a psychiatrist or psychologist and get involved in counseling."

"My plan is major in business and marketing, and work in and around the game of basketball if my playing career doesn't work out," Allen said. "My father, Dale, recently retired from a marketing position with the Jordan Brand, and I want to be around the sport because it has been such a big part of my life."

If a professional career beckons, neither are likely to pass up that opportunity. The recently completed NBA bubble offered them a chance to observe a new part of the profession and consider how they would have done in that closed environment.

"I feel like if I had been in the bubble, I would have played better," Allen admitted. "There were no crowds, and you played on the same court, so I think I would have got used to it. You see the same scenery and don't have to worry about playing in different gyms or dealing with travel."

"I think I may have struggled a bit in the bubble," Gant said. "I am a family-oriented person and may have been homesick for the first few weeks. Being without my family would have been hard for me."

The world is not in a normal situation. The coronavirus has implemented a series of personal and professional lives that make things seem anything but ordinary. However, when they return to the court with their teammates and hear the shrill blast of the whistle, a glimpse of normalcy will return for SMCC sophomores, Jalen Gant and Christian Allen. Those first few practices and games should be a lot of fun for a lot of reasons.