Villanova University

July 24, 2008

The Nova Notebook, by director of media relations Mike Sheridan, offers features detailing the stories of current and former Villanova men's basketball players and members of the coaching staff. In this entry, we catch up with former Wildcat forward and seven year National Basketball Association veteran Malik Allen.

He has been connected to Villanova for 12 years now, dating back to his arrival as part of an accomplished recruiting class headlined by classmate Tim Thomas. In that span he has crafted a productive NBA career that has taken him to Miami, Chicago, Charlotte, New Jersey, Dallas, and, in 2008-09, Milwaukee.

Through it all, though, Malik Allen has always held an affinity for his college alma mater.

"Guys always find their way back somewhere," says Allen, a 200 Villanova graduate who celebrated his 30th birthday in June. "Some guys settle where they grew up or went to high school. For me, this is the place where I wanted to be."

So much so that in the summer of 2007 Allen and his wife Kara, whom he met at Villanova, elected to make their permanent home in suburban Philadelphia. Among the advantages is the fact that it allows him to be near his roots and family, including mom Tracey, in New Jersey.

"I thought about going back to New Jersey," he says, "but I really loved the area up here. We found a nice home in a nice area and it means I have the chance to be here in the summer. Probably most important now that we have kids is that it's a great place to raise a family."

Allen has been a regular summer visitor to Villanova since graduation. Now, having purchased a home nearby, he is a pretty much a daily visitor to the Davis Center. He works out with members of the basketball staff and plays in pickup games with current Wildcats. And he is not alone among the alumni set - former `Cats Thomas, Kyle Lowry, Jason Lawson and Alvin Williams have all spent considerable hours in the gym and weight rooms this summer.

"I think Coach (Jay) Wright has done a great job in making the alumni feel comfortable about coming back," Allen states. "The facilities are open to us and we can do our work here in the summer."

Of course, the addition of the Davis Center has only enhanced the experience.

"It's unbelievable," Allen states. "Fortunately or unfortunately, if you want to be a good program now you have to have facilities like this. Everything you need is in one spot, from the court to the weight room to the training room. I feel like ever since I got back from Dallas that I've been here and for me it never gets old. This is a beautiful facility. It's a huge upgrade in a lot of ways for the university and the guys that have played here."

As a Wildcat, the 6-9 Allen was a part of two NCAA Tournament teams and a three-year starter. He is one of only 26 players in school history to score more than 1,000 points (1,131) while collecting over 500 rebounds (708) and was chosen second team All-BIG EAST as a senior. His eight blocked shots against Notre Dame on Jan. 16, 1999 at the Wachovia Center are tied for the third highest single game total in the program's 88 years and he ranks fourth all-time in that category at VU.

After going undrafted Allen earned an NBA job the hard way, by playing one season with the San Diego Wildfire in a reincarnation of the American Basketball Association. It was a less than glamorous existence that might have snapped the resolve of some aspiring NBA dreamers but the Shawnee High School product persevered and won himself a spot on the roster of the Miami Heat. In the years since he has carved a reputation as a dependable frontcourt reserve with a sweet jumper and professional demeanor. Last season, he began the campaign in New Jersey before being included in the Jason Kidd trade in February. He completed the year with Dallas before becoming a free agent at season's end.

This summer he sifted through a number of offers before settling on one from the Bucks, whose new coach, Scott Skiles, knows Allen well from their days together with the Bulls.

"When the free agency period opened the Bucks contacted my agent immediately," Allen states. "I talked to Scott the next morning. I know Scott to be a pretty honest guy and he told me that if I came there, I would play. He's confident in me and has trust in my ability to play in his system. Those were the biggest things. Options-wise I really had some other good ones but this was the one in my gut that kind of kept pulling me back and saying this was the best fit.

"Scott's offense generally caters to someone like me. He likes his bigs to be skilled. He gives you freedom to make plays out there. A lot of stuff he runs is conducive to guys who can make shots and make plays. If you play hard in Skiles' system, it's proven to work."

That Allen didn't enter the league as a draft pick only makes the reality that 2008-09 will be his eighth season in the league that much harder to fathom. He has grown accustomed to adapting to new styles, cities and coaches but has learned to take it all in stride.

"The one thing I try to do is ask a lot of questions," he says. "Whenever you go to a new place, it can be a challenge at times. When you get to a new place, the guys that have been there are really comfortable. So you have to key in to what's going on. The good thing is, at least for me, I find that once you play in the league for a few years you kind of pick up things a little faster. I've found over the years that a lot of teams run the same plays, they just have different options.

"It really kind of hit me this summer that this is my eighth year coming up. When you first get into the league, you're just in the moment. Everyone tells you how fast it goes and it does. I feel good, though. Every day I get a chance to go out and play against he best players in the league."

Allen remains close to several of his former teammates. He attended the wedding of Chris Lee earlier this summer and caught up with fellow wedding guest Brian Lynch. Former guard and coaching staff member Kevin Cox helps him stay connected with other players of his era, like John Celestand and of course his path crosses with Thomas in the NBA. Plus, he has a number of other Villanova friends and many of them bring up one question.

"A lot of my friends who went here are Villanova basketball fanatics," he says with a chuckle. "They're always asking, `how are we going to be this year?'"

For the record, Allen is upbeat about the prospects for 2008-09 and beyond.

"They've really had a great crop of guys come through the last few years, going back to Randy (Foye), Allan (Ray) and Kyle (Lowry)," he states. "That continues right up to the present.

"I tell my friends, in all honesty, that these guys are working their butts off. They do it every day and they do it without complaint. I tell people they are going to be good because they want to be a great team. For me, being in the NBA, to come back and see that work ethic, is great. I think they're going to have a lot of success this season."

Soon Allen will be off to Milwaukee to begin learning about a new city, its fans and the dynamics of a young group looking to make a move up the Central Division ladder. It's a part of the business that can wear veterans down but this Villanova graduate sees only the upside. More than most, he appreciates the fine line that separates those professionals who are close to realizing their dream and those that have.

"To be involved in a fraternity where you are considered to be among the best 350-plus players in the world," he says, "is pretty special."