Nate Oats sees more triple-doubles for Amari Allen this Alabama basketball season

Amari Allen needed just two games of his sophomore season to accomplish something that only three Alabama basketball players had done before him.The Crimson Tide's sophomore guard recorded the program's fifth triple-double on Friday, Nov. 6, against Arkansas State, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in the 101-86 win.Asked if he'd ever achieved a double-double, Allen grinned."At the high school level, I almost averaged it," he chuckled.REQUIRED READING: Alabama basketball needs the Amari Allen who showed up vs Auburn all seasonAllen's performance was particularly important as Alabama struggled to find its offensive rhythm early against coach Nate Oats' former assistant Ryan Pannone, now head coach of Arkansas State. By halftime, the former 4-star out of Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, had already accumulated 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists, helping the Crimson Tide overcome a struggling first half in which it trailed for over 11 minutes.Ryan Pannone saw what he expected Amari Allen to become while recruiting him at Alabama"This is what we saw in him," Pannone said, reflecting on his time recruiting Allen while in Tuscaloosa.Allen joined Roy Rogers, who accomplished the feat twice in 1996, Kira Lewis Jr. and Aaron Estrada in the program's record books. In 2024, Estrada was the last Alabama player to record a triple-double.With just over six minutes left in regulation, Allen secured the milestone for himself when he assisted a shot by Kentucky transfer Brandon Garrison.The performance offered another glimpse of Allen's versatility after an impressive freshman campaign in which he averaged 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, recording a team-high five double-doubles before declaring for the NBA Draft. He withdrew and returned to Alabama expecting an increased role at point guard after averaging 3.1 assists per game last season."He came back to play his way up in the draft. Having a triple-double certainly doesn't hurt his case, I'm sure," Oats smiled.Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@usatodayco.com.This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nate Oats sees more triple-doubles for Amari Allen this Alabama basketball season