Inside the Huddle | Allen Wins Two High-School National Titles, Makes Big-Time Buckets in Path to Illinois

Cori Allen always dreamed of playing college basketball. She knew she was talented and motivated enough to achieve that feat, whether it was because she received Division-I interest before entering middle school, played up against older girls, or attended college camps.

Now, all of her hard work has culminated in this. She has turned her dreams into reality at Illinois, where she is competing in her freshman season.

“Once she started playing, she just gravitated toward playing at a high level,” said Corey Allen, Cori’s father. “Once I saw she had the talent, ambition, and the drive, then it was a goal of like, 'I want her to play high-level college basketball.’”

Cori grew up around the game, frequently dribbling a basketball in the corner while her dad, who spent two seasons at Tennessee and competed professionally overseas, played pick-up games at a local gym. 

She remembers first taking part in basketball when she was two years old, and it is the only sport she has ever played in a competitive setting. Sure, she would play other sports at the park or with friends in a somewhat serious manner, but basketball was the lone activity she actively pursued at a higher and more organized level.

As Cori got older, her competitiveness also grew, and she would compete with her dad in every way she could: basketball, shoes, clothes, you name it. Given their similar names, Cori wanted to outmatch her dad’s hoops legacy and worked hard to reach that goal.

“I think a lot of it has to do with our names being similar,” Corey Allen said. “She was like, ‘I want to be the best Cori/Corey Allen. I'm the best Cori/Corey.’ She was kind of known as Little Cori/Corey. She wants to call me Little Cori/Corey now. It kind of derived from that, and then her just thinking, ‘One day, I'm gonna beat him.’”

Corey coached his daughter’s team from second through seventh grade, and it was during this time that Cori started gaining attention from colleges across the country. She earned her first two offers at the age of 11, which served as additional motivation and encouragement.

Playing up on teams with girls several years older than her – and holding her own and playing well despite her smaller size – proved Cori belonged, especially as the college offers continued to pile up.

“When I was 11 years old, that's when it started getting real for me and I actually looked into college,” Cori Allen said. “I feel like I was really young at that point. I was focused on what high school I was going to go to, let alone college.

“I feel like playing up came with preparation because I was either playing the top players in my class or older kids. I was never in shock of playing other people with talent or playing people who were bigger than me or faster than me. I think it's always been a help.”

Cori attended Hillsboro High School in her hometown of Nashville, leading the team with 15 points, nine rebounds, and three assists per game as a freshman during the 2019-20 season. The following year, the Burros played only seven games in a COVID-19-shortened campaign, though she averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, and five assists across seven games.

After two years at Hillsboro, Cori realized she wanted to take the next step in her basketball career and transfer elsewhere in search of better competition. That decision culminated in Cori moving over 10 hours from home and enrolling at Montverde Academy in central Florida.

Connecting with friends there who were one year older, Cori learned about the school and the opportunities presented. Between academics and the increased importance of basketball development, the decision to leave Nashville and head to the Sunshine State came as a no-brainer.

“Honestly, I don't even know what came over me. I just went with the decision,” Cori Allen said. “When my parents described it to me, they were like, ‘If you're gonna make this decision, this is what you have to stick with.’ I was sure. I was like, ‘Yeah, that's what I want. I want to play with these girls. I want to have fun.’ They were like, ‘OK.’ I made the move. That's pretty much how it went. It was kind of a go-for-it situation.”

Corey initially was a bit hesitant, though. Seeing his daughter leave home at the age of 15 and move over 650 miles away was difficult, but he knew just how much Cori wanted to take that risk and pursue the incredible opportunity presented at Montverde.

“I was kind of skeptical at first because she was only 15, but it was something she wanted to do so I supported her,” Corey Allen said. “I think it turned out to be a great atmosphere and a great tool for her.”

The summer before she arrived at Montverde, Cori received another significant opportunity: She was invited to the 2021 USA Basketball U16 team trials in Indianapolis. Though she did not make the final roster, she called it “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” that she still cherishes to this day.

As soon as Cori stepped foot on Montverde’s campus in the summer of 2021, she knew how special the team was going to be. Committed to taking her game to the next level, she would wake up at 5 a.m. every morning as part of the “breakfast club,” which featured the team’s biggest contributors and an assistant coach. The group got a workout in before the school day began, and it helped the team’s starters grow closer and more connected.

In the middle of the day, the girls basketball team took advantage of their free period around lunchtime by lifting weights or doing a shootaround on game days. After the school day ended, the group would then go to practice before returning to the dorms for the night.

In a more intimate and enhanced academic setting, Cori thrived, and that success carried over to the basketball court. Montverde lost only three games during her junior year, and the team ultimately won the GEICO High School Nationals tournament in April 2022.

The next season, Cori’s final year at the high-school level, Montverde put together an even more impressive campaign. Losing just once all year, the Eagles secured back-to-back national titles after coming back from a 14-point deficit in the championship game.

Cori was a big factor in the team’s success over the course of the 2022-23 season. She recorded a double-double in the title game with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Cori also hit a game-winning buzzer-beater earlier in the year while playing in an event in Dallas.

The top-seeded team in the national championship game, Montverde had a target on its back all season long. Coming through when her team needed her most, Cori worked hard to develop and earn her teammates and coaches’ trust in those big moments.

“I think the best thing about that is versatility,” Cori Allen said. “With my Montverde team, obviously all of us were really good players in our own ways, but in situations like that, you have to be like, ‘Who's gonna step up? Who's going to be able to have the opportunity to take that shot? Who's going to be open?’ A lot of us could have stepped up, but I felt like I took accountability with it.

Corey Allen made it a priority to make it to as many of his daughter’s games as possible. Seeing Cori’s team become repeat champions, especially after playing such a big role in her initial love for the game of basketball, was extra special for the former college basketball standout.

“There were a lot of new players, and they put a really really good team together in a short span,” Corey Allen said. “I think the second year was a lot harder, but they played a schedule that prepared them for those moments.

“I always consider Cori a leader. She's always been driven, and she's not afraid to fail. Once she got in those moments, she wanted to come through not only for her team but for herself because she's worked hard.” 

A 2023 McDonald’s All-American nominee, one of six at Montverde, Cori signed with the Fighting Illini on Nov. 9, 2022, the same day as the season opener of her senior campaign. She was one of six Power-5 commits on the 2022-23 Montverde team, a group that went viral for their talented and loaded roster. The decision to commit to Illinois and head coach Shauna Green came down to the relationships Cori made with the entire coaching staff, so she knew Champaign was where she wanted to call home.

“Out of all the relationships that I had with coaches, it just wasn't really the same as here,” Cori Allen said. “It was really important to me that I build relationships and bonds with the people who I'm going to spend the next four years with, who I'm going to trust, and who are going to help me with my development. They really stuck out to me.

“The best thing about it all was a building process, and that's kind of what we did at Montverde. I saw another opportunity for that same success, so that really stuck out to me. People trying to rebuild a program, that's kind of all I was looking for in a program.”

Corey Allen knew Illinois was the right place for his daughter, especially after doing hours of research on all of her potential suitors. After seeing Cori hit halfcourt shots as a 10-year-old and win consecutive national high-school championships, he could not have been prouder to see her achieve her dreams of playing college basketball.

“Seeing her in those moments, it was like, ‘That's what she worked for,’” Corey Allen said. “As a parent, that's all you can ask for. The work you helped them put in or work they put in: Once it comes to fruition, it just makes you feel proud.”