HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University men’s basketball team has added forward Allan Chaney, head coach Scott Cherry announced on Monday. Chaney was the 64th-ranked high school player in the high school class of 2008 and previously attended Florida and Virginia Tech.
Chaney is a 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward originally from Baltimore, Md. He played high school basketball at New London High School in Connecticut, where he averaged 26.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game as a senior. He was ranked 64th in the 2008 ESPN Top 100 and received a 95 rating by ESPN. Chaney was rated a four-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.
“This is a fantastic day for the men’s basketball team and High Point University,” said Cherry. “To sign a player of Allan’s caliber is a tremendous feat and it is another step in building a successful program. Our staff has worked extremely hard to recruit quality student-athletes and to sign a player ranked in the top 75 in the country, for the first time in school history, is exciting. Allan is not only a good player, but he is a great person and he will be a great ambassador for our University.”
Coming to HPU as a graduate student after two years of medical hardships, the opportunity isn’t lost on Chaney.
“It’s unbelievable to be here at High Point University restarting my basketball career,” said Chaney. “I love it here, it’s amazing. This school, this campus … I’ve never seen anything like it.
“The last few years I’ve been going to school and been around the team at Virginia Tech, but I knew I wasn’t going to play. It’s different here, getting ready to play this season. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
Chaney originally committed to the University of Florida in the summer of 2007 after the Gators had won their second-consecutive national championship. He went to Florida in 2008-09 and posted averages of 9.8 minutes, 3.0 points, 2.1 rebounds in 23 games (two starts). He made his first collegiate start in an 88-84 win over the University of Washington on Nov. 25, 2008, scoring 13 points with three rebounds.
Chaney transferred to Virginia Tech in the fall of 2009 and sat out the 2009-10 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules. In the spring of 2010, Chaney fainted during an off-season individual workout at the Virginia Tech basketball practice facility. He was eventually diagnosed with viral myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart.
He missed two more seasons but, after one heart procedure as well as multiple electrophysiology studies, Chaney was cleared to participate in high-level athletics by renown University of Pennsylvania cardiologist Dr. Francis Marchlinski in May 2012. Chaney had a defibrillator permanently implanted as a precaution in case he has any other heart issues. Chaney was also examined by High Point University team physicians and a local cardiologist, who conferred with Dr. Marchlinski, and he was cleared to play for HPU.
Chaney earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in June 2012 and transferred to High Point University as a graduate student. He is enrolled in the Norcross Graduate School and is pursuing a master’s in nonprofit management.
Athletically, Chaney comes to HPU as a redshirt-senior. The University is applying for an NCAA waiver that would allow him to play in 2013-14 due to time missed with his health problems.
Chaney is on campus working out with his new teammates and getting ready for the Panthers’ season-opener against UNC Greensboro on November 9.
“I’m really looking forward to it, I haven’t played in a long time,” said Chaney. “I’ve been training against some tough competition this summer and getting myself back into shape. I’m just focused on the process, getting better every day, focusing on what I have to do and focusing on the team. We’ll be ready for that first game.”
Throughout his career, Chaney has been associated with elite company. Other members the 2008 ESPN 100 included Jrue Holiday (UCLA), Tyler Zeller (North Carolina), Kemba Walker (Connecticut), Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest) and Miles Plumlee (Duke).
Chaney isn’t the first men’s basketball player to transfer from Virginia Tech to High Point University. Danny Gathings played one season for the Hokies before coming to HPU and he was the Big South Player of the Year in 2003-04.
Including Chaney, High Point features seven newcomers as well as redshirt-freshman forward John Brown, who join nine returners from last season. The 2012-13 campaign will be Cherry’s fourth as High Point University head coach.