One of the most pleasant surprises of the Alabama basketball season so far has been the play of true freshman Amari Allen. Rated just outside the Top 100 in the composite rankings as a high school senior, nobody knew for sure what to expect from the Wisconsin native in his first year in Tuscaloosa.
That was until Nate Oats sounded the alarm in the preseason, telling everyone that would listen that he had unearthed a gem in Allen and that he expected him to have a similar impact to what Labaron Philon brought to last season's team as a freshman.
Allen has lived up to the billing, quickly becoming one of Alabama's most important players. On Wednesday night against Clemson, with Aden Holloway and Latrell Wrightsell both out, Allen was thrust into the starting lineup for the first time, and a lot was put on his plate from a playmaking standpoint.
The kid delivered. Allen played a team-high 36 minutes and finished with his first career double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. He added four assists and spent a huge chunk of the game on the ball, utilizing his size to his advantage against smaller opposing guards. His play proved pivotal in Alabama's 90-84 win over Clemson at Coleman Coliseum.
Someone outside of Philon had to step up for the banged-up Crimson Tide against the Tigers, and it was the freshman Allen who took on a starring role. Oats couldn't help but sing his praises after the game.
"He's been a winner since the day he walked in," Oats said of Allen. ..."He’s a great kid. He’s a winner. He’s smart. He’s tough. He just makes a lot of winning plays. He’s gonna win a lot of basketball games in his career.”
Nate Oats calls Alabama freshman Amari Allen a 'winner'
Allen made several winning plays down the stretch against Clemson. He came up with a loose ball, wrestling it away from a Clemson defender, that led to a key kick-out three-pointer for Houston Mallette. He also scored the basket that effectively sealed the game with 1:10 left to put Alabama up 88-83.
Alabama needed every bit of the effort Allen gave on Wednesday night to escape with a win against a quality opponent while missing several key contributors. He has quickly grown up. He doesn't play like a freshman at all, and his emergence will continue to be pivotal for the Crimson Tide as the season progresses, whether that's in a starting role or back off the bench when Holloway returns.
This is a pretty tight-knit group. They all cheer for each other. There's a lot of leadership and camaraderie on the roster. It's a group Oats knows has the potential to be special.
"I really love this group in that they’re all about the right stuff, as far as it comes to being a great teammate," Oats said. "Like, they all got a lot of mudita. They’re all super happy for each other."