Center Allen looks to regain early-season playing time

It hasn’t been an easy season for IU center Ben Allen. \nAfter starting four of IU’s first nine games, Allen has gone from starting center to bench standby, from physically improved to physically debilitated. Now, the 6-foot-11 native of Australia has found himself back in the game thanks to slow improvement.\nA potentially resurgent Allen played 17 minutes Saturday, and despite not scoring a point, the center grabbed two rebounds in some aggressive play. But during that stretch, Allen also picked up four fouls – the sort of fouls that have plagued him this season, reducing Allen’s already limited court time. \n“The harder you work, the more confidence you have, and with Ben, you can tell he’s just not comfortable scoring it around the basket,” IU coach Kelvin Sampson said. “He doesn’t get in the game long enough, and the more time he plays, the better he will be.” \nUnder former coach Mike Davis, Allen played in all 31 games in 2005-2006. The freshman showed flashes of brilliance, scoring a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range and seven rebounds at Indiana State. In 23 minutes against Eastern Michigan, Allen scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting. \nThat success was built primarily on Allen’s perimeter shooting ability. Even with tall build, Allen seemed to prefer to hover near the 3-point line, shooting open jumpers in Davis’ offense. \nIn the offseason, Allen gained 35 pounds as part of the strength and conditioning staff’s programs and began the season stronger and in better shape than he had ever been, he said.\nThis year, though, Sampson has attempted to move Allen into a more conventional center’s role, focusing on low-post moves, physical defense and rebounding. Early in the season, Allen said that the role wasn’t new to him, that he played a similar slot at the Australian Institute of Sport. Still, his coach has seen the center struggle. \n“In his mind, he is trying to make a conscious effort to be a post guy,” Sampson. “Some teams he will match up better.”\nPositional confusion hasn’t been the only thing plaguing Allen this semester. He came down with mononucleosis in December 2006 and was forced to miss several games. Allen has struggled to recover the strength needed for under-the-hoop, bruising Big Ten basketball, but has just recently made his way back into IU’s rotation. \nNow, Allen has the chance – depending on the lineups his coach decides to use – to overtake some of the playing time he lost. \n“Strength and conditioning coach (Jeff) Watkinson and him have really been working hard in the weight room,” Sampson said. “Ben is working really hard before and/or after practice.\n“In the Purdue game they played (Carl) Landry and (Gordon) Watt, and it made it hard for Ben, because then who does D.J. (White) guard?” Sampson said. “We play man-to-man, and if you play zone, you can then play a big lineup. There are a lot of variables involved.”