Duke's Grayson Allen 'feeds off' villain reputation

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates a three pointer against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the semifinals of the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at the Barclays Center on March 9, 2018 in New York City.
Al Bello / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Duke guard Grayson Allen knows he'll hear boos everywhere he goes.

As the most hated player in college basketball - and the latest in a long line of Duke villains - the senior point guard is used to the vitriol. In fact, he's learned to turn the negativity into motivation.

"It's surprising to me if I didn't get booed as I walked out onto the court," Allen told Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post. "I've kind of just accepted it. I feed off of it. I'm not only used to it, but I own it now."

Allen's worked for his shady reputation. He's intentionally tripped players on numerous occasions, and in the ACC tournament last week, he added a hip check for good measure. Entire video compilations document the times Allen has wronged his opponents.

The second-seeded Blue Devils knocked off Iona in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday. Allen's next opportunity to get booed comes Saturday in Pittsburgh against No. 7 Rhode Island.

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