No surprises or mysteries this time. Alabama sophomore guard Labaron Philon has declared for the NBA Draft, he announced on his Instagram account on Tuesday afternoon, and this time he's gone for good.
After a standout freshman season, Philon declared for the NBA Draft a year ago following the Crimson Tide's loss to Duke in the Elite Eight. After going through the process and being projected as a late first or early second round draft pick, Philon made a last-second decision to remove his name and return to Alabama for his sophomore season.
That decision paid dividends for both Philon and the Crimson Tide.
Philon had a terrific second season in Tuscaloosa, earning 3rd Team All-American honors by averaging 22 points and 5 assists per game and shooting 39.9% from three-point range. He upped his NBA Draft projection into the lottery range. Tankathon has Philon as the No. 11 overall player in the 2026 class, with their latest mock draft seeing Philon being selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 11th pick.
Labaron Philon declares for the NBA Draft after an impressive sophomore season
Philon's last-minute decision to return to college changed the fortunes for the Crimson Tide this season. Nate Oats would not have been able to find a suitable replacement for what Philon brought to Tuscaloosa in 2025-26.
He led Alabama to the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight season, and his performance in the NCAA Tournament was legendary.
Philon dropped 29-8-7 in Alabama's first-round win over Hofstra, putting the Tide on his back after star backcourt mate Aden Holloway was arrested and lost for the Big Dance. Philon followed that up with 9-6-12 in the Tide's second-round blowout win over Texas Tech. He struggled with his shot, but he still found a way to be impactful with 12 assists.
Against Michigan, he did all he could do in the Sweet 16 to stave off the eventual National Champions. He scored a game-high 35 points and led the Crimson Tide to a halftime lead over the Wolverines before they ultimately fell 90-77.
Philon forever writ his name in Crimson Flame in his two years in Tuscaloosa, and the kid from Mobile will be remembered among the all-time greats in program history.