Amari Allen: Same Player, Different Height, Different Draft Stock?

from NBA Draft Junkies Podcast · host James Barlowe

Amari Allen wasn't one of the most hyped freshmen entering last season, but it didn't take long for the Alabama forward to get the attention of NBA scouts. Allen averaged 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists, earned SEC All-Freshman honors and finished sixth in the conference in rebounding. His versatility was enough for Rafael and James to view him as a first-round talent. Then came the NBA Draft Combine. After Alabama listed Allen at 6'8", his measurements created an entirely different conversation about his positional projection. But should a measurement change what scouts already saw on film? On NBA Draft Junkies Live, Rafael and James break down Allen's freshman season, his NBA skill set and whether being smaller than expected should materially change his draft stock—or whether teams should simply trust the player they saw on the court. #AmariAllen #AlabamaBasketball #AlabamaHoops #RollTide #CrimsonTide #2027NBADraft #NBADraft #NBADraft2027 #NBADraftJunkies #NBADraftProspects #NBAScouting #NBAProspects #DraftProspects #NBADraftStock #NBADraftCombine #CollegeBasketball #CollegeHoops #SECBasketball #BasketballScouting #NBADraftAnalysis

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 5, 2026

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What this episode covers

Amari Allen emerged as one of the biggest freshman surprises in the SEC and put himself firmly on the NBA Draft radar with his versatility and all-around production. But after being listed at 6'8" by Alabama, his combine measurements raised a fascinating question: Should finding out a prospect is shorter than expected actually change how we evaluate the player we already watched?