Allyssa DeHaan

Infobox NCAA Athlete
name = Allyssa DeHaan


caption =
college = Michigan State University
sport = Basketball
position = Center
class = junior
career_start = 2006
nickname = Big Al, Tree [ [http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2007/11/q_a_msus_dehaan_ready_to_rock.html Q&A: MSU's DeHaan ready to rock - Latest News - The Grand Rapids Press - MLive.com ] ]
height_ft = 6
height_in = 9
weight_lb = 180
nationality = USA
birth_date = birth date and age|1988|06|21
birth_place = Grandville, Michigan, U.S.
highschool = Grandville High school
former_school(s)=
awards =
*Averaged 24 points, nine blocks and nine rebounds a game
*Michigan Miss Basketball of 2005
*Ranked among the top 25 centers in the nation
*2006 Big Ten Freshman of the week
*2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
*First MSU freshman to score 400-plus points

Allyssa DeHaan (Born June 21, 1988) is an American collegiate basketball player. She is currently playing for Michigan State University.

She is 2.06 metres (6 ft 9 in), making her one of the tallest female basketball players in the country and the tallest player in Michigan State history as well as one of the tallest female athletes in the world in general. Margo Dydek is the only WNBA player taller than her.

Because of her great height, DeHann is positioned as a center. She is a versatile big player and has good, fluid movement on the court, allowing her to make good use of her height. She can control a game with scoring, rebounding and excellent shot blocking. She can shoot from the outside as well as defend on the lane. She also shoots well from the line. [ [http://www.spartantailgate.com/forums/msu-red-cedar-message-board/134313-alyssa-dehaan-announces-msu.html Alyssa DeHaan announces for MSU - SpartanTailgate.com - Michigan State Spartans Forums ] ]

DeHaan leads the nation in blocked shots with 54 and ranks among the Big Ten leaders in free-throw percentage (second at .902), scoring (fifth with 17.0 ppg), field-goal percentage (fifth at .559), and rebounding (sixth with 8.1 rpg). [ [http://spartannation.com/?p=3484 Allyssa DeHaan Named to Naismith Trophy Watch List ] ]

Early life

DeHaan's athletic life actually began with gymnastics in preschool. She also tried ballet, ice skating, swimming, tee ball and volleyball before she ever picked up a basketball in fifth grade. When some parents of AAU players walked into the gym and saw her doing gymnastics, they asked her to join their basketball team to which DeHaan agreed. She also started playing pick-up games in the driveway with her mom, who also played Big Ten women's basketball at Northwestern.

DeHaan has always been tall and is very proud to be. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/2007-03-19-2799525881_x.htm Michigan State's 6-9 DeHaan towers over opponents] ] In middle school, she had already reached 6 ft 2 in and she grew six more inches between her sixth- and seventh-grade. She grew to 6 ft 7 in as a high school sophomore and graduated from Grandville High School at 6 ft 8 in. She wasn't finished, and grew another inch during the summer to become the tallest player in Michigan State history at 6 ft 9 in.

DeHaan also likes being the center of attention, wherever she goes, "I'm pretty used to drawing eyes in public because I've always been pretty tall." But admits buying clothes can be difficult and time consuming. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/2007-03-19-2799525881_x.htm Michigan State's 6-9 DeHaan towers over opponents] ]

Allyssa now towers over parents, even though her father, Brandon DeHaan, is 6 ft 6 in, and her mother, Tracie DeHaan, is 6 ft 4 in. Tracie played basketball in the early 1980s and faced some of the game's biggest legends, including Cheryl Miller and Anne Donovan. Allyssa's younger but no longer smaller brother, Collin DeHaan, is 6-ft 11. He grew 10 inches in two years. [ [http://www.detnews.com/2005/highschools/0509/27/A01-329102.htm detnews.com] ]

High School

Allyssa attended Grandville High school. She set the Michigan girl’s high school single-season blocks record with 236 in her junior season. As a junior in 2004 - 2005 she averaged 27.0 ppg, 13.0 rpg. and 9.5 bpg. She lead Grandville Grandville to a 22-2 record and conference, district and regional championships as a senior in 2005-06.

In November, 2005 she was named the Michigan Miss Basketball of 2005, an award given annually to the top senior high school basketball player in the state. She won with a landslide with 816 points while her nearest rival had only 502.

She was also named the Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2005. She was also named to the All-State team and was the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2005. DeHaann was also ranked among the top 25 centers in the nation by All-Star Girls Report and named to The Grand Rapids Press all-area team.

DeHaan ranked second on the team in scoring points and was a big help, she played a crucial role in in keeping the team on track and guiding the them to its first 3-0 mark in conference play since 1991, this was despite her status as a rookie. She would later lead Grandville to district and regional championships by the time she was a senior. She would on average score 24 points, nine rebounds and nine block shots a game. This lead Grandville to the state quarterfinals for the first time in program history. She was also a member of the volleyball team and earned honorable mention all-conference honors [ [http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/dehaan_allyssa00.html Player Bio: Allyssa DeHaan :: Women's Basketball ] ]

Michigan State

DeHaan's choice for of university erupted in to a national recruiting war with offers coming as far away as Tennessee, Connecticut, Purdue, Louisiana State, Duke and Kentucky all competing to recruit her. [ [http://www.spartantailgate.com/forums/msu-red-cedar-message-board/134313-alyssa-dehaan-announces-msu.html Alyssa DeHaan announces for MSU - SpartanTailgate.com - Michigan State Spartans Forums ] ] DeHaan later attended Michigan State University and had one of the most dominant freshman seasons in Big Ten history. DeHaan said she chose MSU because, "I have the opportunity to win a national championship, and equally pursue another dream of becoming a doctor at the same time".

In her collegiate debut on November 17 2006 DeHaan scored a team-high 15 points. Two days later DeHaan set a then-school-record with eight blocked shots, seven of which she made in the second half, as well as scoring her first career double-double in the game, scoring 11 points, and making 11 rebounds. On November 24 2006, DeHaan scored 17 points and nine rebounds in Michigan State's. Her team won 85 points to 66. DeHaan's dominance continued when on November 29 2006 she made another career-high 28 points and 10 rebounds for her second career double-double which was the second-highest game total for a freshman in Michigan State history.

In her first season, DeHaan had earned spots on the All-Big Ten Second Team and the All-Big Ten Defensive Team, as well as the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. [ [http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/dehaan_allyssa00.html Player Bio: Allyssa DeHaan :: Women's Basketball ] ]

She has also set a number of school records in her first season including smashing the school's previous single-season blocks record in her first twelve games. She scored 145 points, beating the previous record of 57 points set by Kristen Rasmussen. DeHaan's 69 blocks during Big Ten regular-season games was the third-best mark in the school's history, just 27 points behind Trish Andrew's mark of 96 set in the 1991 - 1992 season.

DeHaan would become the fourth person in Michigan State woman's basketball history to reach 300 points and 200 rebounds. To cap off her successful first season, DeHaan would become the first ever MSU freshman to score over 400 points. [ [http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2007/11/q_a_msus_dehaan_ready_to_rock.html Q&A: MSU's DeHaan ready to rock - Latest News - The Grand Rapids Press - MLive.com ] ] On December 16,2007 she became MSU's all-time leader in blocked shots. She reached the mark in just 43 career games. With three blocks on December 20, DeHaan became the fastest player in NCAA Division I history to reach the 200-block milestone while playing in her freshman and sophomore seasons. [ [http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/011608aab.html Spartans Travel to Northwestern for Thursday Night Matchup :: MSU looking for its eighth straight victory over Northwestern ] ]

She has received numerous awards and honors such as being named the 2007 Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year as well as being named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team. She has also been named to All-Big Ten second team and the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. She was also selected the Two-time Big Ten Player of the Week.

On March 2,2007 in a game where she was described as "unstoppable" Michigan State won a 77-68 victory. [ [http://cbs.sportsline.com/ncaawbasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAW_20070302_MN@MIST/rss Minnesota Golden Gophers, NCAA Division I Womens Basketball, Michigan State Spartans - CBSSports.com ] ]

During the summer of 2007 DeHaan played at the FIBA U19 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, leading the successful Team USA, which would win a gold medal. DeHaan was ranked second amongst all other players at the tournament making 19 blocks. In the tournament she averaged 5.0 points and 6.6 rebounds. [ [http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/dehaan_allyssa00.html Allyssa DeHann Bio] ]

tats

Highschool notes

*She was ranked among the top 25 centers in the nation by All-Star Girls Report and also named to the All-State team and was the Gatorade Player of the Year
*Has averaged 24 points, nine blocks and nine rebounds a game
*Led Grandville to a 22-2 record and conference, district and regional championships as a senior
*She was named first-team all-state the past three seasons and an all-league (OK Red) selection the past three seasons
*Averaged 27 points, 13 rebounds and nearly 10 blocked shots a game her junior year, leading Grandville to the state quarterfinals for the first time in its history
*She was named to The Grand Rapids Press all-area team two years running

College notes

*Set the Michigan single-season blocks record with 236 points in her junior season
*A member of Grandville High school volleyball team and earned honorable mention all-conference honors, carried a 3.85 GPA.
*The fourth freshman in Michigan State University's history to reach 300 points and 200 rebounds.
*She was named to The Grand Rapids Press all-area team for two straight years.
*First MSU freshman to score 400-plus points [ [http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2007/11/q_a_msus_dehaan_ready_to_rock.html Q&A: MSU's DeHaan ready to rock - Latest News - The Grand Rapids Press - MLive.com ] ]

Personal

*She has a 39-inch inseam and wears a size 13-14, depending, according to Allyssa.
*A recurring joke Allyssa shares with people when asked if she plays basketball; she replies "I'm a gymnast."
*Majoring in pre-med, she aspires to be a doctor.
*Has been seen recently cuddling with Ryan "Big Man" Smith; In an exclusive with Dr. Phil, he commented that Big Man and Allyssa are compatible, but still questionable
*Allyssa has stated that the two partake in "text message conversations", denying further involvement.

External links

* [http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/dehaan_allyssa00.html Allyssa's Player Bio]
* [http://bigten.cstv.com/sports/wchamp25/spec-rel/010807aaa.html New Kid on the Block]
* [http://www.detnews.com/2005/highschools/0509/27/A01-329102.htm West Michigan hoops star stands above the rest]
* [http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/050707aac.html Allyssa DeHaan Invited to Junior National Team Trials]
* [http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=33448 Statenews MSU recruit named Michigan Miss Basketball]
* [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fTdVlQNNTmM Allyssa DeHaan Tries Dunking]