Dontaie Allen could be a great fit at Kentucky

Dontaie Allen is one of the best players in the state of Kentucky, and the 6’6 wing has been hearing from several schools around the country as he continues to build his profile on the recruiting trail.

In the last two months, Allen has picked up offers from Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Purdue, Dayton, Nevada, Western Kentucky, and Xavier.

Noticeably absent are the state’s two premier basketball programs, Kentucky and Louisville. While neither have offered, they both are interested, and for Kentucky fans who have been desperately wanting a homegrown player on the Wildcats, Allen could be an excellent fit.

An interview that Pendleton County Head Coach Keaton Belcher sounds like Allen would be a fan favorite in Lexington.

“I know it sounds obvious and cliché, but Dontaie is like the ultimate gym rat,” Belcher told the Courier Journal’s Jon Hale. “He loves the fact that it’s going to be like 24/7 access to basketball. He’s looking for a place that helps him develop his game because he wants to play professional basketball.”

Allen will likely pick up more attention this summer as his team will participate in the Under Armour Challenge in Atlanta in July. For a player who hasn’t traveled the AAU circuit like many top recruits, several coaches will get their first look at Allen.

But Kentucky is in the same predicament they often find themselves in when it comes to the most talented players the Bluegrass State produces each recruiting cycle.

If those players want a Kentucky offer, they may have to wait until the spring to get one, and there’s no guarantee it ever comes. Kentucky waits until the spring to offer some players because there is a much clearer picture of what the roster may look like and how their recruiting class is shaping up. It’s frustrating for a lot of fans, but that’s just the way the system works in Lexington.

The top level guys in the state (i.e. Quentin Goodin, Taveion Hollingsworth, etc.) know that they’re good enough to go to schools like Xavier and Western Kentucky and contribute right away, either as starters or one of the first guys off the bench. On top of that, waiting until the spring to decide has an inherent risk in it. Players have to take into account coaching changes, transfers, the commitments of other recruits, and many other factors.

All that to say, that scenario will likely play out here. If Allen wants a Kentucky offer—and by all accounts he would love to get one—he will likely have to wait until the spring to get one. Is he willing to do that in hopes that the offer comes and pass up on committing to a school like West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Purdue, WKU, etc. where he may have a more immediate role?

Who knows.

However, this quote from Hale’s story gives a good glimpse into the kind of kid Allen is.

“I’ve never seen the kid back down from a challenge,” Belcher said. “I think he would embrace the fact that he would be going against five-star recruits every single day in practice. That would make him a better basketball player.”

But I hope Kentucky offers Allen, because everyone around him raves about his work ethic, his attitude, and his basketball abilities. I think Allen would make a great fit with Kentucky, and hopefully that comes to fruition.

It remains to be seen how this one plays out, but count me in as someone who wants to see Allen in a Wildcats uniform.

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