Early Years
Allred was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, but he spent his very early years growing up in a Mormon community in Montana. He is a descendent of Rulon C. Allred, a prophet of the Apostolic United Brethren, a fundamentalist polygamous sect. However, his family became disenchanted with the group. They moved to Salt Lake City when he was seven, and completely broke away from the church six years later. He did not play organized basketball until eighth grade, when he joined a team in the local LDS Church league.
His skills developed quickly, and with his tremendous height (nearly seven feet), he was a star basketball player at East High School in Salt Lake City. During his senior year, he averaged 17.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game, earning many prestigious honors for his performance. He was named 1999 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Utah, and earned First Team All-State selection in Class 4A by both The Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News. Also, Allred was ranked as the "Best in the West" at the center position by Pac-West Hoops, and was hailed as a Top 100 Recruit by CNN/Sports Illustrated. He was heavily recruited by many schools, but ultimately decided to attend the University of Utah.
Read more about this topic: Lance Allred
Famous quotes containing the words early and/or years:
“I could be, I discovered, by turns stern, loving, wise, silly, youthful, aged, racial, universal, indulgent, strict, with a remarkably easy and often cunning detachment ... various ways that an adult, spurred by guilt, by annoyance, by condescension, by loneliness, deals with the prerogatives of power and love.”
—Gerald Early (20th century)
“In social halls a favored guest
In years that follow victory won,
How sweet to feel your festal fame
In woman’s glance instinctive thrown:
Repose is yours—your deed is known,”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)