ORLANDO -- Because being a former minor-league pitcher who also happens to be the son of a former Florida State men's basketball star wasn't already enough for Brandon Allen.
Allen, who is a junior walk-on reserve guard, also has the title of being the Seminole with the most impressive major on the team. He's pursuing an electrical engineering degree while also playing college basketball.
Having a complex field of study coupled with handling the demands of playing for a Division-I program has made Allen one of the team's most popular and respected players.
"Sometimes, we'll be coming to practice at around 10 a.m. and we'll walk through the locker room and see Brandon Allen over to the side doing work," junior forward Phil Cofer said. "Every time before practice, we see him on the computer. It's always something. Even on the plane. I feel like he's a hard-working dude."
Allen is averaging a career high 3.2 points and 6.5 minutes this season. While his minutes might be limited, he's done his part in helping FSU (25-8) reach the NCAA Tournament, where it will face Florida Gulf Coast (26-7) at 9:20 p.m. Thursday at the Amway Center.
The son of former Seminoles shooting guard Randy Allen, he was a two-sport star at Milton High near Pensacola. He was drafted in the 18th round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants. Allen spent three seasons in the Giants' system before coming to FSU.
He's become one of the team's biggest supporters from the bench. He's also set an example for his younger teammates when it comes to juggling a heavy course load while playing college basketball.
"It's time-consuming obviously, but the way we travel, we travel nights, we charter planes, it's easy for me," Allen said. "I miss less class than I would if we bused everywhere. I go on the road and I have to, like when we're doing shootaround, do some studying."
Allen's busy schedule doesn't really leave much time for anything else.
He said there have been times when he's relied on classmates to record an important lecture because the team's on the road.
Allen said he knew balancing college basketball and electrical engineering "wouldn't be easy" but admitted it was more difficult than even he expected.
"The first two years, you're taking all the prerequisite classes. Everything is going smooth and then I get into my major and everything starts getting difficult," Allen said. "They can't even find tutors for me anymore. They used to be able to provide tutors for the lower-level classes.
"Everyone that's taken the classes I have has graduated and is on to a job. They don't have time to tutor students like me."
Allen said he's had to spend time with professors during their office hours in lieu of having a tutor.
Senior forward Jarquez Smith, who is Allen's road roommate, said he's impressed by how his teammate solves certain math problems.
"Some of the math work that he does. I just, like, his book is the size of a dictionary," Smith said. "I walk over one day and try to look at what he's doing. I've never seen those symbols before. I don't know what he's looking at on the computer.
"I just get a headache and go back to my bed."
Both Cofer and Smith said one of the cool things about reaching the NCAA Tournament is seeing what it means to someone like Allen.
Smith said Allen is one of the hardest working players on the team. He added Allen knows Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton's defensive principles better than anyone.
Cofer, who is one of Allen's closest friends on the team, said it feels like an accomplishment whenever Allen does get playing time.
"As soon as he gets in, everybody on the team is cheering and they're clapping for him," Cofer said. "Also, he changes the game. No matter how [the score] looks, he changes the game. I think everybody is really happy for him."
Hamilton said he's had former players who've also balanced playing basketball while pursuing academically challenging degrees.
Talking about Allen reminded Hamilton, who played at Tennessee-Martin, about one of his teammates who was also an engineering major.
"It's extremely challenging, but it says an awful lot about him as an individual," Hamilton said. "He's able to maintain his focus, do his schoolwork, come to practice and put forth the effort to be a great teammate.
"Actually, it's unfortunate he hasn't played as much because he's a very good player."
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