The next time Dontaie Allen steps onto a basketball court for a real game will be, for him, a long time coming.
In reality, it has been just a little more than nine months since Allen _ now a freshman at the University of Kentucky _ played the sport he loves. That was Dec. 22, 2018, but everything he has been through since that day must've made these last nine months feel so much longer.
A couple of weeks ago, Allen was sitting in a room at the Joe Craft Center _ not far from the Wildcats' practice court _ and smiling at the thought of what comes next. At one point, he talked about the genesis of his UK basketball fandom, saying it started with John Wall and the 2009-10 Wildcats, the first Kentucky team to be coached by John Calipari.
Allen smiled as he popped the white UK jersey he was wearing _ No. 11, just like Wall, who made his college debut nearly 10 years ago, just a couple of weeks after Allen's ninth birthday. Allen spoke of watching Wall and the other Wildcats that followed, of pretending to be them when he went out in the backyard, like so many Kentucky kids do.
"I just wanted to be like every guy on the court," he said.
The next time Allen steps onto a basketball court for a real game, he will be.
"It's always been in my heart. I didn't think I'd have the opportunity."
