Alabama star Amari Allen makes NBA Draft decision

Amari Allen is going to be returning to the Alabama Crimson Tide for the 2026-27 college basketball season.

This wasn't always going to case. Allen, a freshman forward from Green Bay, Wisconsin, had entered his name into the 2026 NBA Draft.

He went in with the idea that he wanted to be a first-round pick. Anything other than that, and he was content to withdraw his name.

Part of a player entering their name into the draft pool is that player getting a real-life evaluation as to what NBA teams think about them. A player can enter their name and withdraw, but there is a deadline. That deadline is May 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

Allen went into this process with a first-round or bust mindset when it came to his evaluation.

"If it was second round, I would go back to school," Allen said at the combine. "I definitely feel I can go back to college and be a 20 [points per game] and 10 [rebounds per game] guy. Ultimately, though, I want to go to the NBA."

Allen clearly got his answer through the process. On Wednesday, he posted on Instagram that he's returning to Alabama.