Alabama Freshman "Chomping at the Bit" to Return

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama freshman forward Amari Allen has emerged as one of the top players for the Crimson Tide this season, but the Green Bay, Wisconsin, native hasn't played for Nate Oats and Alabama in the Tide's two most recent contests after suffering an injury in Alabama's 83-81 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners on January 17.

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Despite his lack of game action over the last two weeks, Oats says Allen is 'chomping at the bit' to return to the Crimson Tide's lineup.

"Amari's yet to practice, but he's been going through some basketball workouts and looking a lot better. He's chomping at the bit, wanting to play," Oats said during Friday's media availability. "He's a competitor. If he's close to being able to play, I think he's going to play. But we'll probably end up being a game-time decision on him like it's been here recently."

Allen has become one of Alabama's top prospects this season as the Tide's third-leading scorer, averaging 11.7 points. He's also Alabama's leading rebounder with 7.8 rebounds per game. Allen is shooting 45.7% from the floor, and while three-point shooting isn't the biggest part of his game, he's shooting 36.9% from three-point range.

"If Amari could be back - which man, I'm hoping he's back because he makes a big difference when he's out there," Oats said. "The fact that we can play a guy with size that rebounds like he does at the three or two even, allows us to rebound the ball a lot better. Guard rebounds are a big deal, and we got to get guards in there to rebound."

Injuries have been a concern for Alabama all season long, with almost every player for the Crimson Tide missing some time due to injuries of varying severity. Alabama is missing three players due to long-term injuries (Collins Onyejika, Davion Hannah, and Keitenn Bristow).

No. 23 Alabama will face No. 19 Florida on Sunday, February 1, at noon CT.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.