On Nov. 27, in a game against the Waterloo Warriors, fifth-year men’s basketball guard Max Allin scored his 1,500th career point — a landmark that only one other Golden Hawk basketball player has done.
He joined Kale Harrison in a spot that belongs to only the elite of Laurier basketball.
Allin’s name has become synonymous with Laurier basketball during his five-year career, and given his accomplishments, it seems fitting that he should find himself among exclusive company. The Chatham, Ont. native’s path towards the 1,500 mark has been filled with highlights, learning and overcoming obstacles.
While each point he scored had the same statistical significance in reaching his milestone, there are some that have a timely and emotional importance that he holds above the rest.
One of those moments came after the passing of his father, David Allin, in January of 2013. In his first game back, Allin recorded 28 of his most memorable points. The team rallied around him and came out with an inspirational win.
“That game was pretty special to me, because Windsor is obviously a powerhouse in our league and we came in and pounded them by 20,” Allin said.
Merely a game later, Allin broke a modern-day record at WLU when he scored 43 points against the Guelph Gryphons.
However, every basket Allin has scored, no matter how significant, would not have been possible without other people in his life. He stressed the vital leadership of those that influenced him on and off the court and have helped him to get to this point in his career.
“Off the court was definitely my father, he is my role model, he taught me the game of basketball. He was my biggest influence, and also my older brothers, they even played at the [Canadian Interuniversity Sport] CIS level, so I kind of got to live through them,” he said.
On the hardwood, Allin noted the support he received from players and teammates such as Matt Buckley, Jesse MacDonald and good friend Harrison, in helping shape him into the player he is today.
“You take in all the information from the older guys you play with when you’re in your first couple years … and I was a sponge and just soaked up that information,” commented Allin.
In the 3,044 minutes that Allin has played for the Golden Hawks, it’s clear that he has absorbed all the information and then some, and he is proud to have done it all at Laurier.
“The environment, the atmosphere, the coach, it’s just a bunch of great guys playing together,” he said.
While the route to 1,500 was special for Allin, he is also looking at what the future holds for his team this year, and his plans beyond his time at Laurier. He is confident that with a couple big wins, Laurier has their fate in their own hands this season.
“We have eight of our next 12 games at home so we really control our own destiny and if we take care of the games against Mac and Windsor, we are in good position to win the division,” he said.
After Allin ends his five-year tenure at Laurier, he will be moving to a new continent, joining Southern Peninsula Sharks, a Big V Division 1 men’s basketball club in Australia.
No matter what happens from here for Allin, one thing is clear: the road to 1,500 points was special.
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