Wildcats Today

Kentucky Fined For Eligibility Issue Involving Dontaie Allen

The former Wildcat and current Hilltopper played seven games for Kentucky while ineligible.

Hunter Shelton

Kentucky Fined For Eligibility Issue Involving Dontaie Allen
Kentucky Fined For Eligibility Issue Involving Dontaie Allen /
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Western Kentucky guard Dontaie Allen has missed the team's last four games due to an "eligibility matter" stemming back to the Pendleton County star's time at the University of Kentucky. 

WKU head coach Rick Stansbury said that Allen played seven games for the Wildcats in November and December 2021 while ineligible. Academic issues sprung the violations. 

Before the Hilltoppers' game against Akron in the Cayman Islands Classic on Nov. 21, Stansbury and the program released a statement first acknowledging the matter: 

The head coach spoke at length about the situation on Saturday: 

“Nothing he has done, nothing we have done. Kentucky played him seven games when he was ineligible. Their coaches didn’t know it and their compliance didn’t know it. Well, how does the kid know it? Nobody can say the kid is at fault for not getting his grades. He didn’t know. If the adults in the room didn’t know, he didn’t know. When he went into the portal, that’s when they found out he was ineligible the fall semester. They turn the waiver in and don’t get it back till last week before we’re getting ready to leave.”

Stansbury also revealed the punishment given to Kentucky, comparing it to what WKU and Allen now have to deal with thanks to something that happened during his tenure in Lexington:

“Kentucky got their punishment, they got fined $500 a game for seven games. But we’re the ones getting punished now, him having to sit games for us,” he said. “The kid is the one getting punished. Nothing about that is right.

UK Athletics has since released a statement on the matter:

“We cannot comment on student eligibility issues due to student privacy laws, but can confirm the matter is closed at UK and no games were forfeited." 

The shooting guard finished his Kentucky career averaging 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds. In his first three games as a Hilltopper, he's averaged 8.0 PPG while shooting over 44 percent from 3-point range. 

Allen will miss WKU's next three games. 

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Hunter Shelton
HUNTER SHELTON

Hunter Shelton is a writer for Sports Illustrated-FanNation's Wildcats Today, covering football, basketball, baseball and more at the University of Kentucky. Hunter is a Lexington native and has been on the UK beat since 2021.