Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Allan Ray, Villanova

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, hit us up on twitter @ballinisahabit or via email at contactbiah@gmail.com.

Allan Ray, Villanova

Hailing from the Bronx, Allan Ray is a product of the vaunted St. Raymond's program. He was a highly touted recruit, teaming with Julius Hodge to lead St. Ray's to a 2001 New York state title. Ray was named MVP of that game, but he missed much of his senior season due to a stress fracture in his right foot.


Despite the injury, Ray was considered a good enough prospect to become a member of Jay Wright's loaded 2002 recruiting class that also included Randy Foye, Jason Frasor, and Curtis Sumpter. Ray's contribution was felt right off the bat, as he went for 16 in a season opening loss to Marquette. Ray would go on to average 9.9 ppg, hitting double figures 15 times and finishing the season in the starting line-up.

As a sophomore, Ray turned into an all-Big East caliber player, averaging 17.3 ppg and 3.9 rpg. He was named third team all-conference as well as first team all-Big Five. While Ray was quickly becoming a star, the problem was that neither of those Villanova teams had all that much success. When Ray was a freshman, the Wildcats finished below .500, losing in the first round of the Big East Tournament as well as the first round of the NIT. During his sophomore season, Villanova wasn't much better, losing seven of eight to close out the regular season. They fared better in the postseason, making it to the semis of the Big East, but still missed the NCAA's, losing in the quarters of the NIT.

It was during Ray's junior season that the Wildcats started to show just how good that 2002 recruiting class really was. Blessed with one of the best back courts in the country, featuring Foye, Ray, Mike Nardi, and Kyle Lowry, Villanova went 21-6 during the regular season, winning their last seven regular season games to finish up 11-5 in conference play. After losing to West Virginia in the quarters of the Big East tournament, Nova got their first taste of the NCAA Tournament with this group, earning a five seed. They would knock off Danny Granger's New Mexico team in the first round before beating a Florida team that had yet to figure out how good their bench was. (Coincidentally, this would be the last time someone beat Florida in the NCAA Tournament until this season; the Gators would win the next two titles, the proceed to be NIT bound the two years after that.)

Villanova would eventually lose to UNC in the Sweet 16 on a controversial call. Despite being overmatched and playing with a four guard line-up -- star forward Curtis Sumpter had torn ligaments in his knee against Florida -- Nova was down three with under 15 seconds left when Ray, who was a miserable 2-14 from the floor in the game and went 3-32 for the tournament, drove to the basket and seemingly finished an and-one. But the ref didn't call a foul, instead whistling Ray for a travel. UNC would hang on to win by one. Regardless of his postseason struggles, Ray had a great individual season as well, earning second team all-Big East honors and leading Nova at 16.3 ppg.

While it was a disappointing end to the 2005 season for the Wildcats, Nova's performance without Sumpter -- who would miss the entire 2005-2006 season -- made them an instant favorite in 2006 utilizing that four guard line-up. Ray and Foye thrived as seniors, combining to averaged a whopping 39 ppg while leading Nova to a 24-3 regular season record and a Big East regular season title. After losing to Pitt in the Big East semis (and suffering a scary looking injury to his eye, although it kept him out less than a week), Villanova beat Monmouth, Arizona, and Boston College to advance to the Elite 8, where they once again ran into Joakim Noah, Al Horford, and the rest of the Florida Gators.

Despite being a first-team all-Big East selection and making several different second and third team all-america lists, Ray went undrafted in 2006. 6'2" guards that struggle to run the point and are volume shooters aren't exactly prime NBA prospects. Having said that, Ray signed with Boston for the 2006-2007 season, and was actually fairly successful. He averaged 6.2 ppg, started five games, and even broke 20 a handful of times.

After the season, Ray bolted for Italy, where he could stand to make a better living. During the 2007-2008 season, Ray played with Virtus Roma (there is a reason that name sounds familiar to american fans), where he averaged around 13 ppg in 20 regular season games. Ray also averaged 9.8 ppg in 15 Euroleague games.

The following season, Roma added an american guard by the name of Brandon Jennings to their roster. Ray played in 15 total games with Roma, seeing his numbers and minutes decrease, before moving onto Carife Ferrara, another team in Italy's top club league. With Ferrara, Ray played 15 games, averaging 15.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg.

After missing the entire 2009-2010 season rehabbing a knee injury, Ray recently signed with Sutor Montegranaro, his third Italian Serie A team. Montegranaro finished last season in the middle of the pack in Serie A, but as of now the only other NCAA player on the roster in Anthony Maestranzi who went to Northern Illinois.