GREEN BAY – After a promising freshman season as a contributing player for the Alabama Crimson Tide, 2025 Ashwaubenon graduate Amari Allen is looking to take his talents to the NBA by officially declaring for the Draft.
Originally a Green Bay native, Allen attended three different high schools during his high school career. Allen attended Kaukauna High School his freshman year from 2020-21, averaging 22.7 points per game (PPG) before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Flor., for the 2022-24 school years. For his senior season, Allen returned to his home state of Wisconsin for his senior season, taking the court for the Ashwaubenon Jaguars, averaging 34.1 PPG and 11.5 rebounds per game under head coach DeVante Blanks.
In 2024, Allen signed his National Letter of Intent, committing to continue his athletic and academic career at the Division I collegiate level for the SEC powerhouse Alabama Crimson Tide.
Blanks said he traveled to New York to watch his former star face off against St. John’s University on Nov. 8, 2025, at Madison Square Garden. The Crimson Tide saw a 103-96 victory with Allen seeing six points in his 24 minutes that game.
“It was phenomenal to see him play, and he was excited to see me,” Blanks said. “Amari made everyone [at Ashwaubenon] on the court better, and there’s no replacing him. We played in front of packed gyms all season, and that was exciting.”
During his freshman season in Tuscaloosa, Allen racked up several impactful accolades, including being named to the SEC All-Freshman team, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors three times and averaging 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds. Allen became an impactful player for the Crimson Tide, starting in 24 games for the team as they made it to the Elite Eight in March Madness this past season. Allen secured a career-high 25 points against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Jan. 7, 2026.
Allen announced his intention to declare for the NBA Draft via social media with a statement expressing his gratitude to the coaches, teammates and fans who supported him throughout his brief time at Alabama.
“Thank you to everyone in Tuscaloosa for making this year an unforgettable experience for me,” said Allen in an Instagram post. “After meeting with my family and Coach Oats, I’m officially declaring for the NBA Draft while maintaining my eligibility. Playing in the NBA has always been my dream, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Current ESPN predictions have Allen projected to be selected as early as the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
A pre-March Madness ESPN Mock Draft slated Allen to go to the Cleveland Caveliers (via San Antonio Spurs) as the 28th pick overall.
Allen has shown promise as a fringe-first round pick, but maintaining his college eligibility would allow him to return to Alabama should things not go his way come first round selections on Tuesday, June 23.
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