Leicester Riders are delighted to announce the signing of 2023 CEBL Most Valuable Player Teddy Allen for the remainder of the 2023/24 season.
The 6’6” guard from Phoenix, Arizona, broke multiple CEBL scoring records for the Winnipeg Sea Bears this summer, earning him the MVP award and the nickname “Teddy Buckets”.
He dropped 42 points against the Scarborough Shooting Stars to match the CEBL single-game scoring record, before going off for 35 points to break the league’s playoff scoring record in the same season.
Allen ranked top ten in the CEBL in points (27.6), total assists (77), rebounds (8.0) and steals (1.7), and led the league in three-pointers made (72).
The 25-year-old became the first Sea Bear to win MVP in the franchise’s history.
Allen spent his final college season at New Mexico State University, where he led the Aggies to a first-round NCAA Tournament upset of the fifth-seeded UConn Huskies with a game-high 37 points.
He led the Western Athletic Conference in scoring, averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals as a senior.
Leicester Riders Head Coach Rob Paternostro commented: “We’re excited to have Teddy on the team. I watched a lot of him in the CEBL this summer, and he was a standout player. He can score in a lot of different ways, and he’s a good size for someone who can handle the ball, so that makes him a difficult player to guard.
“We knew it was important to get a player or two in, but we wanted to make sure it was the right player for a team, which takes time. It’s exciting to get a player of this calibre, and the ability he’s shown will make him a great addition to the group. To add a player with that ability gives us optimism going forward.
“I’d like to extend my thanks to Mike Taylor, who is a long-time friend of mine in the profession and a well-respected head coach for Winnipeg. I trust his opinion, and he had great things to say about Teddy. We both believe this will be a great spot for him.”
Allen commented: “I’m incredibly happy to be a Leicester Rider. This is a great franchise with a long history of winning, and I hope to contribute to the club’s historic success.
“I spoke to Coach Taylor before I signed, and he had nothing but respect for Coach Rob and the organisation. I can’t wait to meet the team and the fans in Leicester, and get to work!”
Leicester Riders Managing Director Russell Levenston added: “We’re thrilled to welcome a player of Teddy’s calibre to the Riders. He established himself as one of the CEBL’s elite players, so we’re excited to see the impact he’ll have on the team.
“We were incredibly impressed by what we saw from him in the summer, and we are looking forward to him bringing his immense talent to Leicester. We can’t wait to see him suited up in Riders red!”
Get tickets to Allen’s home debut against the Caledonia Gladiators!
