OGDEN — Former East High School hoop star Lance Allred never claimed to be the most talented player on the court, but he does claim to be the hardest worker.
Allred's work ethic has not only helped him achieve all-Big Sky status at Weber State, but it has caught the attention of the NBA and a handful of international pro teams.
"Talent can only take you so far, but not one works harder than me," Allred said. Despite a less-than-stellar performance at the Portsmouth Invitational, the 6-foot-10, 270-pound center had a pre-draft workout with the Utah Jazz and was invited to play with the Jazz summer camp squad. Allred has also had plans to do post-draft workouts with the San Antonio Spurs and L.A. Clippers. If things don't work out in the NBA, Allred has contract offers from teams in Spain, Italy, Germany and Korea.
Anyway you look at it, the former East High star is going to play pro basketball somewhere.
"I've been given some chances to prove myself, and I'm excited for (these) opportunities," Allred said.
Allred gives part of the credit for his basketball success to his coach at East High School. Kerry Rupp, now an assistant at Indiana University, took Allred under his wing at an early age and gave him an education in fundamental basketball. Although Allred had the desire to be a great player, he was no overnight sensation.
"He came to me said he wanted to be a good player, and I told him to come in every morning at 6 a.m. to hit the weights and work on his individual skills," Rupp said. "He came every morning." It quickly became evident to Rupp, however, that Allred hadn't been around athletics very much. In addition to the conditioning, Allred had other growing pains to overcome.
"He thought because he was big and tall he'd automatically get to play," said Rupp, who added that Allred even considered attending West High School so he could play more minutes right away.
"One day I got after him because he wasn't playing defense, and he told me didn't play defense because he was just a shot-blocker. We really had to educate him."
The biggest challenge Allred had to overcome was communicating with his teammates and coaches. Allred is hearing impaired with a 75 percent loss of hearing in both ears.
"We had to simplify things for him," Rupp said. "At first he struggled, but he has never used (his challenges) as a crutch."
By the end of his high school career, the extra work was paying dividends. Allred was named the Utah Gatorade Player of the Year. He averaged 17.3 points per game, 9.8 rebounds, shot 73 percent from the field and 74 percent from the free throw line. Allred also made the honor roll. He is grateful for Rupp's influence and guidance.
"I had a great coach in Kerry Rupp," Allred said. "He taught me work ethic and installed positive thinking. He helped me see that the sky was the limit."
Allred was rewarded for his efforts with a hoop scholarship at the University of Utah, where he sat out a year and played two before transferring to Weber State. He also competed for the United States in the World Deaf Basketball Championships in Greece. Allred posted solid numbers as a junior for the Wildcats and then put in one of the best summer-conditioning efforts that WSU coach Joe Cravens said he had ever seen. He bulked up with 25 pounds of muscle and worked feverishly on his inside game.
The hard work continued to pay off. As a senior at WSU, Allred averaged 18 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. He finished in the top five nationally in rebounding. He led the Big Sky with 19 double-doubles (double digits in both points and rebounds) and was the only player in the conference to average double figures in points and rebounds.
"You condition for success and he's done that. It's been fun to see his progress," Rupp said.
Allred's coach at Weber State, Joe Cravens, expects Lance will do well as a pro.
"I think he has a legitimate shot to make an NBA roster," Cravens said recently. "He may have to do it through the back door, so to speak, but he will make a good living playing basketball."
Cravens continued, "I have seen a lot of guys on NBA benches that I thought would be slam dunks and others who I didn't think would make it and did. But I do know he has a lot of things going for him. He works extremely hard, and those attributes will serve him well in his quest. "
Allred said that if he hasn't made an NBA team's roster by August, he would make a decision on his international basketball future. If he does decide play overseas, it will be in either Spain or Italy. No matter what he does, Rupp is proud of everything Allred has accomplished, especially in earning a college degree.
"People don't understand what he's been through. He's been knocked down a few times with thunderbolts and lightning and always picked himself up and kept going," Rupp said.
The Lance Allred File
Full Name: Lance Collin Allred
Birthday: Feb. 2, 1981
Height: 6-foot-10
Weight: 270
Position: Center
High school: East
Favorite color: Gray
Favorite musical artist: Bruce Springsteen
Favorite pro athlete: Kurt Rambis
Favorite food: Anything Italian
Favorite movie: "Mulholland Drive"
Favorite TV show: "The Shield"
Favorite sports memory: The Nancy Kerigan/Tonya Harding incident
What people don't know about me? "I like to brush my teeth in the shower."
Professional opportunities: Had a pre-draft workout with the Utah Jazz and plans to have post-draft workouts with the L.A. Clippers and San Antonio Spurs. Allred also has offers to play in Spain, Italy, Germany and Korea.