Calumet junior Eric Allen is trying to move forward. But that’s neither easy to say nor easy to do.
Allen’s father, Troy, was fatally shot at a club in Gary on July 8. At the time, Allen was with his AAU team at a tournament in Las Vegas.
“I didn’t even get to see him before he passed away,” Allen said. “I didn’t get a last hug. None of that. I just got the call. I was sadder than a mother.”
Allen still has his “moments,” he said. But he has been doing better over the past several months with the help of his siblings, including his twin sister, Erica, a Calumet senior.
“I’ve been OK,” he said. “I don’t be thinking about it a lot. Me and my twin sister, we’ll talk about it sometimes. We have other siblings in Florida, and we talk to them about it sometimes. But we just keep going.”
Allen, a 5-foot-8 point guard, has continued to shine for Calumet. He was averaging team highs of 11.5 points, 6.5 assists and 2.6 steals, along with 2.4 rebounds, before the Warriors (6-13) played at Hammond Central on Friday night.
Allen made an immediate impact as a freshman. He averaged 11.7 points, 6.6 assists and 2.9 steals for a team that also featured then-senior forward Eric Martin, a force inside, and reached a sectional final against Lighthouse.
But Allen then moved to Texas, where he lived with his aunt and attended Cypress Creek in Houston as a sophomore. With that basketball program including a Division I recruit, guard Corey Hadnot, who is a freshman at Purdue Fort Wayne, Allen’s playing experience was different.
“I thought I was going to be on varsity, but I had to build my way up,” Allen said. “I was on JV. As I was leaving, the coach told me I made varsity and was going to be on the team next year.”
Instead, Allen returned to the Region in May and is living with his grandmother. Calumet coach Aaron Mercer welcomed back Allen, the team’s lone captain, with open arms.
“He’s the leader of the team,” Mercer said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s so tenacious defensively. As small as he is, he gets to the bucket. Him coming back this year, it was a huge plus for us.
“He shares the ball. His passing is so good, sometimes they’re not ready for it. He sees the floor really well. He’s still as quick as lightning. He’s trying to get the other guys involved, or his scoring could be a lot higher. But he’s doing the right thing. He could be selfish. But he’s not like that. We have a young team, and he’s a great teammate.”
Mercer vividly remembers receiving a phone call from Allen in the wee hours of the morning about the death of Allen’s father, who was just 37 years old.
“I had to slow him down to make sure I understood it right,” Mercer said. “Him and his sister, they’re good kids. I just try to keep them as close as I can. I don’t want them getting away from themselves.
“He tries to stay focused. But you can tell it affects him. He’s been up and down a little bit because of the emotions. His dad would be at the games. It affects him mentally, no doubt.”
Allen said he appreciates the support from Mercer and others.
“I have to thank him for building me into the player I am today and for everything he’s done for me on and off the court,” Allen said.
Senior forward Kevin Williams also expressed an appreciation for Allen.
“He’s stayed strong,” Williams said. “He’s a strong individual. He’s very level-headed.
“He’s an honorable leader and an outstanding player. He’s just a ball of energy, on and off the court. He keeps the group going. He challenges us. He’s an amazing leader. He wants the best for us no matter what, both on and off the court.”
Allen believes his best is yet to come. He said he gained weight after his father’s death and has been working to regain top conditioning.
“I had fell off,” Allen said. “I’m not going to lie, I was not in shape. I was chubby. I’ve been getting in the weight room trying to get back right.”
As he continued to grieve, Allen rejoined Calumet’s football team for the final four games of the season. He had 30 tackles and an interception as a defensive back and made four catches for 50 yards as a wide receiver.
Allen was also part of the Calumet boys track team’s 400-meter relay that qualified for regionals when he was a freshman. But basketball has remained his first love.
“I have to keep going,” Allen said. “I’m trying to make it. I want to go as far as I can, trying to get to college. I don’t care if it’s DI, DII or DIII. I just want to hoop. Even if I go JUCO, I just want to hoop.
“With my dad, I was just sad, really sad. He was my coach. He taught me what I needed to know. I just have to take it and keep going.”
