Amaker Adds California Wing Allen to '17 Class

When four-star recruit Zena Edosomwan committed to the Harvard men’s basketball team in March, the Crimson’s Class of 2017 recruiting crop was already well on its way to being coach Tommy Amaker’s best yet.

And with Monday’s commitment from small forward Noah Allen—ranked the No. 29 small forward in the high school class of 2013 by ESPN—the group took another step toward securing that distinction.

Allen, who hails from Salinas, Calif., joined the Crimson after reportedly turning down offers from St. Mary’s, Colorado, San Diego State, Washington State, Utah, Rice, Santa Clara, and U.C. Davis, as well Ivy League foes Yale, Penn, and Brown.

The 6’6” small forward, who according to Scout.com possesses a 3.9 GPA, must wait until November to officially clear admissions. Allen declined to comment until being cleared.

When he arrives in Cambridge in the fall of 2013, the forward should expect immediate playing time on a Crimson squad that will be lacking depth at the wing. Rising senior Christian Webster will have graduated, and rising sophomore Wesley Saunders is the lone wing remaining from Amaker’s two most recent recruiting classes. This will mean that Allen, who according to ESPN, is known for his slashing ability and length, will likely play behind Saunders and rising junior sharpshooter Laurent Rivard.

Less than an hour after his commitment was publicly announced, Allen had already begun working toward bettering the Harvard class of 2017. The latest addition to the Crimson tweeted at prospects Malcolm and Marcus Allen—ranked the No. 5 and No. 6 prospects in the high school class of 2013 in the state of Nevada—“join us! #crimson.”