BY ZACH SMART
A thorough, mismatch threat and polished scorer capable of orchestrating offense, Long Island Lutheran’ Class of 2026 small forward Kayden Allen will make his collegiate decision official on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 3:30 PM ET live on the CBS Sports College Basketball YouTube Channel.
Allen has whittled his choices down to Cal, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, and Ole Miss.
Playing under then-coach Kevin Boyle (currently at Spire) for Montverde (FL) during year’s prestigious Hoophall Classic at Springfield College (MA), Allen scored 16 points in helping catapult MVA to a thorough 78-62 throttling of Oak Hill Academy (Va.)
While Allen is an emergent creator with a knack for manufacturing points in a variety of ways, it is defensive aptitude on which the highly touted 6-foot-6 recuit places most emphasis.
“My game starts on defense,” Allen said during the Hoophall Classic.
“I know in college I want to be where they emphasize defense. I describe my role as basically the guy who plays freely and plays disciplined at the same time. I think it is known that I’m a ‘get to my spots and score’ type of guy. I like to go hard on defense first, that really gets my offense started because it gets me more into the game.”
With considerable burst and a proficiency in sticking shots on the move, Allen will provide leadership and savor a big game engine for LUHI head coach John Buck and a re-tooled, nationally prominent roster in 2025-2026.
The arrival of Allen and several notable, highly acclaimed transfers ultimately helps cushion the gap left by a radiant backcourt troika of Kiyan Anthony (Syracuse), Kayden Mingo (Penn State), and Nigel James (Marquette).
It has been a long time coming for Kayden Allen.
Less than a year ago, he was hearing from the likes of Florida State, Arizona State, Michigan, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville, and several others.
On Tuesday, following a busy summer and a new niche on another prep superpower, Allen will make his decision official.
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