Labaron Philon missed Alabama's win over Mississippi State on Wednesday, and was officially listed as "probable" on the Tide's injury report on Friday night heading into Saturday's critical matchup in Knoxville against Tennessee.
Philon ultimately played, but for the first time all season, the star sophomore guard wasn't in the starting lineup. Nate Oats opted for the same starting five of Aden Holloway-Latrell Wrightsell-Amari Allen-London Jemison-Aiden Sherrell that he rolled with against the Bulldogs earlier in the week.
Alabama got off to a rough start, being held scoreless through the first media timeout. In fact, Alabama didn't even have a shot touch the rim during that period. Philon entered the game after that, scoring six quick points to spark the Tide's offense.
He only scored two more points the rest of the half, but the sophomore did the bulk of his damage in the second half, pouring in 15 of his 23 in the game's final 20 minutes. He made several clutch buckets, including what proved to be the game-winning mid-range turnaround jumper with 22.8 seconds left to play.
Philon seemed to clearly be on a pitch count - he only played 28 minutes, which is below his season-average. That probably led to part of the thinking to bring him off the bench, so Oats could ensure he was fresh and ready for when he was needed the most down the stretch.
It paid off in a major way as the Crimson Tide snapped a five-game losing streak to the Vols, earning a hard-fought 71-69 win in Knoxville.
Philon was asked about coming off the bench after the game, giving an answer that speaks to the "Mudita" of this Alabama team:
"It was my decision," Philon said. "Coach Oats, we kind of talked about it. It's basketball. I just saw Payton Pritchard come off the bench and have 30 points against the Lakers. It really is a mindset thing. Most guys can't do it. It doesn't mean much to get your name called, so if I have to come off the bench from now on, then I will."
Labaron Philon says it was his decision to come off the bench vs. Tennessee
When your star players are willing to make unselfish decisions like that, then you know you have a special group.
This isn't Oats' most talented team in Tuscaloosa. It's not even close to it. But this is a scrappy group, one that never gives up in the face of adversity. It's also a tight-knit group that plays for one another. They've built a genuine brotherhood through a season full of adversity, and it's paying off on the court.
Saturday night's win at Tennessee was the Tide's eighth consecutive win following the blowout loss to Florida in Gainesville. Alabama is now 12-4 in SEC play with two games to play. It won't catch Florida in the standings, but the Crimson Tide has clinched a double-bye in the SEC Tournament.
How far this team can go in March Madness remains to be seen, and there's a wide-range of possibilities depending on matchups. But Oats has pulled everything he can out of this team, and they'll be ready for a fight against whoever stands in the way.