Alabama basketball player Amari Allen spoke to reporters Wednesday at the NBA scouting combine and identified what would keep him in the 2026 NBA draft past the withdrawal deadline later this month.
"Obviously first round," he said, according to CBS Sports' Isaac Trotter. "If it was second round, I would go back to school. I definitely feel I can go back to college and be a 20 [pointers per game] and 10 [rebounds per game] guy. Ultimately, though, I want to go to the NBA."
Allen has been widely projected in recent weeks as a first-round pick. CBS Sports and ESPN currently project Allen as the No. 27 overall pick, Yahoo Sports as the No. 20 pick, The Athletic as the No. 25 pick, Sports Illustrated as the No. 25 pick, The Ringer as the No. 24 pick and Bleacher Report as the No. 26 pick.
Allen, 20, declared for the 2026 draft last month after his freshman season. He has through May 27 to withdraw from the draft and return to college.
Allen measured 6-foot-5 barefoot at this week's combine, less than his 6-foot-8 height listed by Alabama this past season. However, Allen finished tied for second among combine participants with a 42.5-inch vertical leap.