Melvin Allen, who played three seasons, finished his career as the Gamecocks' all-time leader in assists (645) and made free throws (453). A member of Jax State's 1,000-Point Club, his 1,329 points remains top-15 all-time for the Gamecocks. The Huntsville, Ala., native was an All-State selection as well as being named MadisonCountyMVP in his senior season at SparkmanHigh School. He spent one season at UAH before transferring to Jax State and making an immediate impact for the Gamecocks. He led the team in assists all three years and led the Gamecocks in scoring during back-to-back Gulf South Conference Championship years of 1984 and 1985.
He was the leading scorer in four of the Gamecocks' five games in the 1985 NCAA Division II Tournament, including a 20-point performance in the national title game against South DakotaState, scoring six points in the final two minutes to secure a 74-73 win and the schools' only national title in basketball. Leading up to the national championship, he hit the "Shot heard 'round CalhounCounty," a 40-foot bomb as the horn sounded to give the Gamecocks a dramatic come-from-behind win over SoutheastMissouriState in the NCAA Regionals, a win that sent JSU to the 1984-85 Final Four.
In January 2025, Allen, Coach Bill Jones and the rest of the 1985 Gamecocks returned to Pete Mathews Coliseum to be recognized as part of the 40th anniversary of the school's only basketball national championship.
