Prospect Introductions: 2013 wing Dakarai Allen

This past Wednesday marked the first day college coaches could place phone calls to prospects in the 2013 recruiting class.  As you'd expect and as we've learned, Gonzaga was burning up the phone lines trying to get in the ear of their early target list.  One such prospect that the coaching staff has gotten in touch with recently is Dakarai Allen from Sacramento, California.  

Similar to the direction of the 2012 class, Allen is long, athletic, and possesses upside that will assuredly draw the attention of top programs around the country.  In fact, it has already begun to.  Earlier this week, Allen told Scout.com's Josh Gershon that he was hearing from a wide array of top programs and had an early top three.

"I'm hearing from Arizona, Pepperdine, Cal Poly, UCLA, USC, Stanford, Notre Dame Oregon, Colorado, Washington State and Boise State" Allen said.  Allen listed a top three of Arizona, Pepperdine and UCLA and mentioned what he likes about all three programs.

While Gonzaga wasn't listed earlier this week, we have learned that the staff has recently targeted Allen.  

Standing at 6'5'', Allen's biggest strengths are what Scout's Greg Hicks describes as "freakishly long arms...and above average athleticism".  Recruiting experts note that while Allen is still raw, he has a good looking jumper and is rapidly improving.  One of the things that stands out the most to me is this description from Rivals.com:

The long and athletic Allen was constantly making plays in passing lanes and playing with good effort...he's improved since we last saw him in December. 

Becoming more athletic and versatile on the perimeter is something this program is in desperate need of.  Not only does Allen possess a fantastic motor but he also is an elite defender with room to grow.  With his skill set and two more years of high school and AAU basketball, it is no wonder why Allen is said by many to be an elite prospect in the making.