Way-too-early mock drafts are a fun, though typically fruitless, exercise. A lot can, and will, change between now and the 2027 NBA Draft next June. But in the dog days of summer, beggars can't be choosers when it comes to storylines.
Rising sophomore guard Amari Allen elected to return to Alabama over staying in the 2026 NBA Draft. According to CBS Sports' Adam Finkelstein, that could prove to be an incredibly fruitful decision.
Allen was a projected late first-round pick in this year's draft class. In Finkelstein's way-too-early mock for next year's draft, Allen has leaped all the way up to No. 2 overall, behind only the top incoming recruit from the 2026 high school class in Kansas' Tyran Stokes.
According to Finkelstein, while this would obviously represent the best-case scenario for Allen, it could be realistic because of the opportunity Allen will have to unlock one specific skill that could make him highly attractive to NBA scouts:
"Allen decided to go back to Alabama to play with the ball in his hands, and if he proves he's a jumbo initiator, then this type of jump may not be impossible," Finkelstein writes.
CBS Sports has Amari Allen as No. 2 overall pick in way-too-early 2027 mock draft
Allen mentioned that one of the big selling points in his return to Alabama was Nate Oats telling him the ball would be in his hands a lot more. Allen functioned as a secondary ball handler next to Labaron Philon/Aden Holloway as a freshman, but it's clear that the plan for the 2026-27 season will be having Allen on the ball even more.
It's why we've projected, even with Holloway expected back on the roster, for Allen to be the Crimson Tide's starting point guard next season. Holloway will handle the ball a lot, too, but the expectation this far out from the season is that Allen will be the team's primary initiator.
Allen made a bold prediction during the pre-draft process, stating he believed he could be a 20-10 guy as a sophomore in college. That kind of statistical output would certainly put him in the conversation for a high draft slot. It would also put him in the SEC and National Player of the Year conversation.
It would also likely mean that Alabama is a real contender to get back to the Final Four for the second time under Oats, while potentially even competing for the first national title in program history.
Alabama has never had a No. 1 draft pick in the NBA, but if Finkelstein's projection proves prophetic, Allen would be the third Crimson Tide player to be drafted second, joining Brandon Miller in 2023 and Antonio McDyess in 1995.
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