Amari Allen's return to Alabama looks even more important for Nate Oats than expected

For the second year in a row, Nate Oats and Alabama got an NBA Draft stay-or-go decision at the deadline to go their way.

A year ago, Labaron Philon hit a stunning 180 at the buzzer by unexpectedly exiting the draft and returning to Tuscaloosa. Philon was one of the best guards in the country as a sophomore, and his return allowed Alabama to remain one of the best teams in the SEC and a second-weekend NCAA Tournament squad.

This year, Amari Allen elected to exit the draft and return to Alabama. His decision wasn't quite as surprising as Philon's, but it could make a similar impact on the Crimson Tide's outlook in 2026-27.

Allen was a projected late first to early second round pick by most draft experts. Now, he'll return to Alabama with more on-ball responsibility and a chance to leap up into the lottery discussion for 2027, much like Philon did with his play this past season.

It's hard to overstate how pivotal Allen's return is for Oats and Alabama. He was one of the most critical players in college basketball last year, finding various ways to impact winning even when he didn't have the ball in his hands. He was Alabama's leading rebounder, a consistent hustle player, and a defender capable of guarding 1-4.

He will be one of the best returning players in college basketball next season, something The Field of 68 experts certainly agree with. They ranked Allen as the No. 5 player returning to the same team in 2026-27:

Amari Allen projects to be one of college basketball's best players next season

Allen was the latest example of Oats' ability to identify slept-on talent at the high school level. Allen was a fringe Top-100 player who nobody saw making the kind of impact he did as a freshman in Tuscaloosa. He could have been a one-and-done NBA Draft pick if he had chosen to. He was outstanding.

It was a similar meteoric rise that Oats saw with Noah Clowney during the 2022-23 season. Clowney was similarly ranked to Allen and blew up as a freshman before becoming a first-round pick by the Brooklyn Nets.

A sophomore Clowney at Alabama would have been one of college basketball's brightest stars. That's what Allen is poised to be next year.

Allen's return was all the more vital with Aden Holloway's return to the court remaining up in the air in the aftermath of his felony charges from March, when he was arrested for marijuana possession right before the NCAA Tournament.

There has been nothing definitive about Holloway's potential return, but the way Oats has operated in the Transfer Portal leads one to believe there's a semblance of confidence that the rising senior will be in an Alabama uniform when the season starts.

Regardless, Allen projects as Alabama's starting point guard next year. He'll get the on-ball opportunities he needs to impress NBA scouts and show them that he's capable of running an NBA-style offense.

If he does it well enough, Alabama should be a legitimate contender to get back to the Final Four, and Allen should see his draft stock skyrocket.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow