One of the numerous quality first-year college basketball players this past season was Allen Graves, a 6’9 forward from Louisiana who played at Santa Clara. Graves mostly came off the bench but proved to be highly impactful, averaging 11.8 ppg and 6.5 rpg in 22 mpg, shooting 51% from the field and 41% from three-point range on limited attempts.
Graves had a trio of double-doubles for the Broncos, including a 30-point and 13-rebound performance against Washington State in WCC play. The advanced metrics love him, and Graves has plenty of potential, which explains why he decided to enter the NBA Draft.
Former Santa Clara forward Allen Graves says the only two schools he’s had conversations with are LSU and Duke. He added that Kentucky has reached out to his agents, but Duke and LSU were his top two.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) May 13, 2026
Graves said he would prefer to stay in the NBA draft if he’s a first-rounder. pic.twitter.com/ZkUO3PihyK
The talented forward also entered the transfer portal, which is an option if he doesn’t stay in the draft. According to Graves himself, there is a trio of teams in the mix, each offering something different for him if he returns for his sophomore season. Here’s a closer look at how Graves fits with each option.
Duke Blue Devils
Despite having a top-5 incoming freshman prospect, Cameron Williams, and landing Belmont transfer Drew Schranowski in the transfer portal, Duke may still be looking to add more frontcourt depth after the surprise departure of Nikolas Khamenia. With Dame Sarr likely starting at the wing, Graves may have to come off the bench again with the Blue Devils. But the program’s remarkable track record at developing and getting talented players drafted, it could be the platform the former Bronco needs to be a guaranteed first-round pick a year from now.
Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky hasn’t been viewed as a serious contender for Graves, but that could change if they don’t land another top-tier transfer option, Milan Momcilovic. That would allow them to focus more on Graves, who played them in the NCAA Tournament. Power forward remains a massive need for the Wildcats, and they’ll have plenty of money to offer Graves if they need to pivot.
LSU Tigers
If Graves is looking to go back close to home, LSU would be able to offer him the chance to be the clear No. 1 option next year. That’s because the roster has only four players, with a ton of work still to be done. So while Graves gets the chance to play in the SEC and put up some big numbers, it’ll probably end up being on a bad team overall.
Add us as a preferred source on Google