‘I’ve Always Felt Underrated’: Inside the Rapid Rise of Amari Allen

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It only took four years into Amari Allen’s life for him to pick up a basketball.

The Alabama forward started developing his jump shot around his house near Green Bay, Wisconsin. Allen’s father and grandfather paved the way for his first basketball steps, as all they had to do was open the front door a couple of years later.

“We had a hoop in my driveway at my grandpa’s house, and every day we’d be outside shooting around for hours,” Allen told BamaCentral. “I’d get back from school [and shoot] until it got dark out. I’d really give them credit for me playing.”

Alabama head coach Nate Oats said before this season that the freshman “stood out as a surprise” due to his ranking from recruiting outlets. He was deemed an underrated prospect with something to prove.

Nevertheless, this wasn’t the first time that the 6-foot-8, 205-pounder was a whisper in a crowded room. His grandpa signed him up for organized basketball when he was in first grade, but he was playing with third-graders.

This was the beginning of Allen’s journey to becoming a potential one-and-done college basketball player, as he’s been projected as a first-round pick in various mocks for the 2026 NBA Draft. And while the three-time SEC Freshman of the Week has officially overcome the status of being overlooked, it took quite some time to get there.

The Mortal Ghost of Kaukauna

Kimberly High School's Owen Pawlikowski (1) against Kaukauna High School's Amari Allen (1) during their boys basketball game on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, in Kimberly, Wis. Kimberly defeated Kaukauna 90-67. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis

To be underrated, one would likely have to start at the bottom and work their way up. But that wasn’t the case for Allen in ninth grade, as he started at the peak of the mountain that is Kaukauna High School.

Allen, who stood at 6-foot-6 at the time, found his way onto Kaukauna’s varsity roster rather than the school’s not one, but two JV teams. Much like his time in first grade, he was playing with kids a couple of years older than him.

The varsity roster was run by head coach Mike Schalow, who was far from new to coaching. In fact, he retired in May of last year after 30 years in his position with the Kaukauna Ghosts. He was even honored with the John Wooden Legacy Award on Feb. 12.

Schalow finished his Kaukauna career with a 482-246 record. He won state championships in 2016 and 2018, was the runner-up for the state title another year and won 17 regionals. Despite all of the accolades, he trusted a ninth-grader to help lead his team, and Allen’s first game didn’t exactly go like an underdog’s would either.

“I really didn’t know what to expect coming in playing-wise as a freshman, but our first game, I think I had like 27 [points] and just had a big role from there,” Allen said. “Coach Schalow really just gave me the green light to go play.”

Allen wasn’t far off. He scored 24 points on 10 of 14 from the field, including 3 of 4 from deep, in Kaukauna’s 104-72 road win at Grafton on Nov. 30, 2021.

The Ghosts finished the year with a modest 13-12 record. Allen started in 23 of his 24 contests played and averaged 22.7 points (51.3 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from deep), 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks in 32.1 minutes per game.

Perhaps the most impressive feat was his scoring total. Allen is one of just six student-athletes in Kaukauna history to achieve over 500 points in a single season. His 545 points rank fifth in school history — not bad for a 15-year-old amongst 16-to-18-year-olds.

It’s safe to say that assigning Allen to varsity was the right move. Who knows what his stats would’ve been if he played on one of the JV teams?

Then it became clear — Allen needed to return to his underrated status, and a new location would assure that.

A Humbling Two Years

Dec 10, 2022; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; IMG Academy forward Amari Allen (2) against Arizona Compass Prep during the HoopHall West basketball tournament at Chaparral High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

IMG Academy is regarded as one of the most competitive boarding schools for athletics in the country. This 600-acre organization is riddled with world-class athletes.

Alabama’s football team has been well represented among the Ascenders’ alumni network: running back Bo Scarbrough, offensive lineman Tyler Booker, linebacker Jihaad Campbell, current starting offensive lineman Michael Carroll and starting safety Keon Sabb, plus more.

In 2024-25, IMG Academy saw four alumni drafted in the first round of professional sports. The program has had at least one alumnus selected in the NBA Draft since 2017, including five straight years with a first-round pick.

Allen was scouted by IMG while he was dominating at Kaukauna. He transferred to the Ascenders after his stellar freshman season, as the examples of long-term athletic success played a role.

“I mean, just trying to get on the national circuit. It’s small in Wisconsin,” Allen said. “Recently, more guys have come out, but in general, not many people come out of Wisconsin. So just being able to get on the national scene, play against five-star guys, four-star guys every single game was something we couldn’t do back at Wisconsin.”

A new challenge was officially underway for Allen when he arrived at the boarding school in Bradenton, Florida.

Allen returned to his status of being underrated immediately, and it quickly hit him that this was a much different place compared to Kaukauna.

“My sophomore year was rough,” Allen said. “Averaging 20 as a freshman back home in Wisconsin and going there and not playing my sophomore year, just the skill jump was really rough. But I just really worked.

“My junior year, I played a little bit more. Didn’t play a crazy amount. I dealt with some injuries as well, but it was a great experience being able to see what it takes to be one of the top guys in the country. It’s something I couldn’t pass up, and I was happy I went there.”

It was a humbling two years for Allen.

College and even NBA scouts actively watch IMG Academy basketball games, hoping to find the future of their organization. That’s what Allen signed up for, but he couldn’t fully showcase his skills given his lack of time on the floor.

A change of scenery can do wonders for an athlete, and Allen has experienced both sides of it.

‘The Ultimate Green Light’

Ashwaubenon High School's Amari Allen (3) pulls down a rebound against De Pere High School on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at Ashwaubenon High School in Ashwaubenon, Wis. De Pere won the game, 70-68, on a Roan Demovsky layup with 1.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Allen transferred out of IMG ahead of his senior year, and he returned to his home state. But it wasn’t because of his minutes.

“I actually had a little brother,” Allen said. “My little brother was born when I was a junior at IMG, so I wanted to be with him for a year before I went off to college.”

Allen’s name didn’t exactly draw much attention on the stat sheet during his time at IMG. But that didn’t mean eyes weren’t on him during the games, and what came in the months that followed.

“I first saw Amari down at IMG in his junior year,” Alabama assistant coach Preston Murphy told BamaCentral. “But he was playing on [Arkansas freshman guard] Darius Acuff’s team and he wasn’t a featured player. He didn’t get in the game. You could not see who he was or what he could be.

“Then, going into the spring, his AAU coach said, ‘I have a guy that’s a good player. You should come take a look at him.’ So then, I had already seen him before, but now I watch him in a different setting, different coaching, and you were able to see a lot more of what we’re seeing now.”

Due to transfer rules in the state of Wisconsin, a student could only choose a school that is located in the district in which they live. The Allen family moved because of Amari’s mother’s job in Ashwaubenon, which is roughly a 20-minute drive from his old school in Kaukauna.

Allen explained that his AAU performances gained him a lot of attention around Ashwaubenon and that he “kind of built a name for [himself] that summer.” There was “a lot of hype” around Allen, and when he started playing for the Ashwaubenon Jaguars, he lived up to it.

“Every single game was packed out,” Allen said. “Coach [DeVante] Blanks, I had the ultimate green light. My teammates, they were great. Just having like little kids come to every single game asking for pictures, autographs, the gym is sold out hours before the game and just being able to have fun and really produce at a high level is something I really enjoy.”

In 26 games as a senior at Ashwaubenon High School, Allen averaged 34.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 2.6 steals and 0.8 blocks. He was held below 20 points just twice. He dropped 50 at Green Bay Preble on 16 of 19 from the field, had six games in the 40s and a dozen in the 30s. Allen had 10-plus rebounds in 21 games and double-digit assists in 10 contests.

After finishing the season with a 19-7 record, Allen was named the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year, officially crowning him as the best basketball player in the state.

Despite all of the stats and accolades, On3 and 247 Sports each ranked Allen as the No. 2 prospect in Wisconsin, behind current Iowa State guard Jamarion Batemon.

When combining the averages of these two recruiting outlets, Allen was the No. 16 small forward and the No. 69 overall recruit.

“I’ve always felt underrated,” Allen said. “Since I started playing on the national team sophomore year, all the way until coming into here. I feel like I’ve been overlooked.

“I feel like I could’ve done more [at IMG], but everything happens for a reason, so it’s good I went through that.”

The ‘Unique’ Situation

Alabama Freshman Forward Amari Allen | Obtained from Amari Allen's X/Twitter

Colleges started rolling out scholarship offers to Allen while he was at IMG and also when he was thriving in AAU. Over a dozen schools put the ball in Allen’s court before he took his first unofficial visit to Minnesota in August 2023.

In fact, roughly 30 programs sent him offers before his first game at Ashwaubenon on Nov. 26, 2024. These teams collectively had a major belief in the potential of Allen, whose only year with eye-popping stats came during his freshman campaign at Kaukauna.

This included the University of Alabama, but not in the traditional recruiting way.

“I did something a little unique with him because he was undervalued," Murphy said. “I wanted him. I never officially offered him a scholarship.

“So I explained to him and his mother, I said, ‘Look, what ends up happening, especially for a guy at your position where no one really knows or is paying attention to you, we’re going to bring you on an official visit. I’m not going to offer you, but you have a scholarship. Because as soon as I offer you a scholarship, there’s going to be guys trading recruiters because of that.’

“He didn’t understand that for a while. He kept saying, ‘I’m willing to visit, but I don’t have an official offer.’ Then he came on the visit and we went through it. When he went home from the visit, he was kind of pumped that he came, and he got maybe 20-30 calls from these different schools that never reached out to him before. It was kind of unique that way.”

Murphy said that Allen was “really close” with Minnesota. The Gophers have missed each of the last six NCAA Tournaments and have compiled losing records in five of those seasons. Murphy knew that Allen could thrive in a more accomplished program, but the same couldn’t be said by the forward.

“He’s a very humble kid,” Murphy said. “For the longest time, he wasn’t sure that he could play here. In his mind, he was going to go to a situation that maybe didn’t have established players or wasn’t at where we were given our recent history because he wasn’t sure that he could really play here.

“His mother actually talked him into believing in himself, kind of like coaches, that you’re good enough to play there and be a part of us. So a you-should-believe-in-yourself type of deal.”

After checking out Alabama in late August 2024, Allen said that he cancelled all of his other official visits. It then got to a point where Minnesota and Alabama “were the only two schools recruiting me that hard.”

But Murphy and Allen’s mother’s words put the Crimson Tide over the Gophers, and he committed about 10 days after his official visit to become the first member of Alabama’s recruiting class. Allen signed his letter of intent on Nov. 13, 2024.

“Part of the reason [I committed to Alabama] is coach Oats’ system, it gets guys to the league,” Allen said. “It’s an NBA offense. Flem (Alabama assistant Chris Fleming), BA (Alabama assistant Brian Adams), they’re both NBA coaches.

“And then just the atmosphere and the culture around here. We have some of the best fans in the country. Just having a coach that really believes in his players and lets them play is something I couldn’t pass on.”

Allen put the pen to Alabama’s paper two weeks before his Ashwaubenon debut. And based on the months that followed, the unique situation of this underrated teenager from Wisconsin turned into an extremely high-quality return on investment.

The Big ‘Surprise’

nate oats and amari Allen — Alabama head coach Nate Oats and forward Amari Allen talk during the second half of the game against Clemson on Dec. 3, 2025. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

Allen enrolled at the University of Alabama just a couple of days before last June. He was one of three members of the Crimson Tide’s freshman class before center Collins Onyejiaka reclassified and committed on June 20.

After getting their feet wet with the team during the summer, each of them stood out in their own ways. But our underrated main character caught Oats off guard.

“I think the guy that maybe stood out as a surprise based on where he was ranked and where he's going to end up playing is probably a guy like Amari Allen,” Oats said on Oct. 6. “I don't pay that close attention to the rankings, but I'll say this: he's going to be a lot better than where he was ranked.”

Alabama forward Aiden Sherrell, who was also a member of last year's Elite Eight squad, was also impressed with Allen before the season started.

"He's fit right in, for sure," Sherrell said. "Amari is a great playmaker, a great scorer and a great defender. He's been fitting in very well. Coach Oats notices that, and the whole team has noticed that."

Allen’s impact was immediate. He found his way into the starting lineup in the Crimson Tide’s season opener at home against North Dakota. In 32 minutes during the 91-62 win, Allen scored 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished five assists, swiped three steals and snatched a block.

He was top-3 on the team in each of these categories, and that set the tone for the season that this kid was for real. In 24 games and 16 starts, he’s ranked fourth on the Crimson Tide in points per game (12.0) and blocks per game (0.8), third in assists per game (3.4) and is tied for first in steals per game (1.3). Additionally, not only does he lead UA in rebounds per game with 7.6, but that number is also good for fifth in the SEC at the time of this publication.

“I feel like you see a lot of guys come into college, and they don’t produce what they did in high school,” Allen said. “But they might not have the confidence. Confidence is everything. Coach Oats, Preston, the whole staff and all of my teammates give me confidence every day. Being able to play confident out there and not have to worry about mistakes really helped me adjust fast.”

But to Oats and Alabama, stats aren’t the only thing that sets a player apart. The former math teacher's love for analytics has led to the creation of the blue-collar scoring system.

Players are given a certain amount of non-scoreboard points for deflections, steals, blocks, rebounds and loose balls. Offensive rebounds, diving on the floor and drawing fouls are also methods of gaining blue-collar points. Whichever player tallies the most at the end of the game or practice is rewarded with a construction worker hard-hat.

Allen currently leads all Alabama players with eight Hard Hats this season, including one tie. Sherrell is in second with six Hard Hats.

“I think when you’re about winning, you find yourself doing winning things. … You show up and you do what you have to do for your team to win, regardless of whether your name gets put in the paper,” Oats said. “Are you willing to dive on the floor, take a charge, make a winning play?

“These NBA guys are supposed to be drafting people that impact winning... The NBA is going a lot more towards having everybody on the team be all about winning. Amari’s all about winning and people in the NBA are interested in that. He’s got real good size, skill and athleticism.”

Former Alabama head football coach Nick Saban often attends Crimson Tide basketball games in Coleman Coliseum. The College Football Hall-of-Famer built his seven National Championship teams on grit and players putting it all on the line.

After a recent game, Oats said he had a conversation with Saban, and the coach was in awe of Allen.

“[Saban] was saying [Allen] is ‘ultra competitive,’” Oats said. “When he was here, he liked the way he played. I like the way he plays, too. I just think he's competitive. There's a certain thing with it.

“There's things that resonate from coaches, fans, people involved in other sports, and most of the time that's effort, competitiveness, toughness, those types of things. And that's what Amari is. It’s the same reason why NBA scouts love him. It’s the same reason Nick Saban loved him.”

As the calendar inches towards March, Allen’s future is starting to be a big topic. He’s appeared on numerous mock drafts as a potential first-round pick.

In addition to playing basketball, Allen came to the University of Alabama as a sports marketing and management major. He also has the goals of getting into real estate. For many college basketball players, making it to the NBA is the ultimate goal, and while Allen had that interest, he didn’t realize this was a realistic option for him “until I got here.”

“I probably would say, even kind of midway through the year,” Allen said. “I didn’t really know what to expect coming here. You have a great team, a bunch of great guards, great forwards, I didn’t know what my role was going to be, how much playing time I was going to get.

Of course, Allen has plenty of time to make his decision, as the 2026 NBA Draft isn’t until June 24. The deadline dates haven’t been set yet, but the latest one could enter the draft last year was in late April and the latest to withdraw from it was late May.

“I’ve always dreamed of [being a one-and-done],” Allen said. “It’s been a dream of mine, like every other player, but I’ve never really thought about it too much, just kind of being overlooked and all of that. It wasn’t something on my mind coming into college. My mind was just trying to be able to touch the floor.”

Oats, Murphy and even Allen didn’t know that the Alabama forward had the potential to make the NBA after just one year in college. But for someone who has been underrated and overlooked since he started playing basketball, is this even a surprise?