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Amari Allen, Devan Thompkins Headline Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week

Recognizing the Crimson Tide athletes who dominated this week from Tuscaloosa to the pros.
Theodore Fernandez|
Nov. 3, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama guard Amari Allen (5) penetrates into the lane for a shot at Coleman Coliseum as the Crimson Tide opens the season against Sam Houston State University.
Nov. 3, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama guard Amari Allen (5) penetrates into the lane for a shot at Coleman Coliseum as the Crimson Tide opens the season against Sam Houston State University. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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We have hit the best time of the Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week calendar. Football and basketball overlapping means that we will seldom have trouble selecting worthy candidates each week. It was particularly easy this week, as football cruised to an 18-point win over LSU, a basketball player had a historic outing, and a freshman started his career in spectacular fashion. We'll get into all of that and more in this week's edition of Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week.

Freshman of the Week: Tarris Bouie

ESPN's No. 34 player in the class got off to an electric start, scoring 13 and 12 points in the Crimson Tide's wins over Sam Houston and Arkansas State, respectively.

The opener, in particular, demonstrated some of the best Bouie could offer this year. In addition to his 13 points, he added seven rebounds, three assists, and three stocks. The freshman is going to do it all — he can drive, he can shoot, he can disrupt passing lanes, he can find open teammates, and he can (and will) be on the receiving end of a number of alley-oops as one of the bounciest players on the team.

Athlete of the Week: Amari Allen

Allen recorded the fifth triple-double in Alabama basketball history in the team's Friday night win over Arkansas State, posting 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. The early returns on the sophomore's usage as a guard have been extremely promising, and as he develops throughout the season, the offense's ceiling looks as high as ever.

"You think of all the NBA players to come out of Alabama throughout the years, to only be the fourth player in program history to have a triple-double, you’ve put yourself in pretty elite company. And he did it with only eight shots," head coach Nate Oats said of Allen's performance. "He really led the charge in getting the ball moving. We emphasize ball movement, and we end up with 19 assists, and he had 11 of them. I thought, as a leader of the team, he did a good job getting the ball moving."

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Pro Athlete of the Week: Houston Mallette

Mallette's professional debut for the G-League's Windy City Bulls was perfect. He scored 26 points while shooting 6-for-6 from beyond the arc in the team's 127-102 season-opening win over the Noblesville Boom (Indiana Pacers affiliate).

Mallette is not expected to receive NBA time this year, but performances like that will certainly open the door. At an absolute minimum, he's got a long career overseas awaiting him in the coming years.

Clutch Athlete of the Week: Devan Thompkins

There were some key inflection points in Alabama's 31-13 win over LSU, and Thompkins delivered in two of them. First, a sack of Tigers' quarterback Sam Leavitt in the final minute of the first half that knocked LSU out of field goal range. Leavitt forced an interception moments later on a play where Thompklns again generated pressure.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Thompkins delivered a knockout blow, sacking Leavitt on fourth down deep in LSU territory, setting the offense up to take a three-score lead. It was a much-needed return to form for the USC transfer, who hadn't produced a sack in the previous five games.

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Theodore Fernandez
THEODORE FERNANDEZ

Theodore Fernandez is BamaCentral’s baseball beat reporter and a co-host of The Joe Gaither Show. He also works as a weekend sports anchor at WVUA 23 News in Tuscaloosa and serves as one of the station’s lead high school sports reporters. Fernandez is a news media student at The University of Alabama and is pursuing a master’s degree in sports management.

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