By Andy Walter

DOVER — Jordan Allen never saw it coming.

One minute the former Dover High basketball standout was visiting Florida.

The next thing Allen knew, he was in New York getting ready to fly to Michigan and make his professional debut.

“I wasn’t expecting a call at all,” he said. “I was more focused on trying to go overseas or whatever came up first. It was kind of unexpected so it made me jump for joy.”

Allen’s opportunity was with the Westchester Knicks, the G League affiliate of the NBA’s New York Knicks.

Originally, the 23-year-old had been taken in the second round of the G League draft by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in October. But he was released before the season started.

Allen, who played collegiately at both Rider and Lynn University, had been working out, waiting for another chance ever since.

When the 6-foot-4 guard took the court for Westchester in a game at Grand Rapids, Mich. on Jan. 5, it was the first real game he’d played in since March 3, 2020 in his last game at Lynn.

“It was just exciting being on the court and playing and having fun and putting on the jersey again,” said Allen. “Sitting out for two years, working out kind of gets boring. You’ve got to find ways to keep yourself motivated.

“When I got to throw on a jersey — with my last name on it — and being at this level, it just felt surreal. ... It was more just being anxious as I’m walking in the door. It’s like, ‘It’s finally happening.’”

So far, Allen is holding his own with Westchester. He scored 21 points in his second game with the team and is averaging 15.3 ppg, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists after four contests.

Allen said he wasn’t discouraged when was let go by Fort Wayne, which is the Indiana Pacers’ G League team.

He said he was told the Mad Ants just didn’t have enough roster space for him. He went back to Houston and made sure he was ready the next time he got a chance.

“I kept my mind focused on the end goal, which is becoming a pro,” said Allen. “Being a confident player and the confident person that I am. ... you get that taste for it and it’s always going to sit there. It kind of woke me up more — like I need to do more.

“It’s always important to stay ready because you never know when that call is coming. Just imagine if I wasn’t in the gym working out when I got this call. I’d have come in here looking like a fool, out of shape.”

One of the reasons that Westchester signed Allen is because its head coach, Derrick Alston, had seen him in an earlier workout. Allen remembers meeting the 6-foot-10 Alston about a year ago.

“You just don’t know,” said Allen. “I’m in the gym, not knowing who this guy is. I come to find out he’s a D League coach. A year later, I’m playing for him. You never know who’s watching.”

“He’s doing his thing right now,” said Dover High coach Stephen Wilson. “He’s doing what he needs to do. It’s a great situation for him. He stayed ready. I’m happy for him.”

What happens next for Allen is anybody’s guess. With COVID positive tests a major factor in the league this winter, NBA teams are calling up fill-in players all the time for 10-day stints.

If Allen sticks with Westchester for a while, the Knicks play a game in Wilmington on March 5 against the Delaware Blue Coats.

But Allen says all he’s thinking about is what is right in front of him.

“Right now, I’m here — I’m here to stay,” he said. “I’m being grateful, taking it day by day. I’m trying to do the best I can every day and bring the positive energy.

“It’s a dream come true but there’s still more to get. It’s not the end goal for me. I’m always hungry, I’m always wanting more.”