In a stunning reversal, Labaron Philon will return to Alabama for his sophomore season, it was announced by the Crimson Tide's NIL collective Yea-Alabama late Wednesday night.
Philon declared for the NBA Draft following his freshman season. Two weeks ago, Philon made an "official" decision to remain in the draft and forego his remaining collegiate eligibility. In the final hour before the deadline, Philon pulled a complete 180 and withdrew from the draft to return to Alabama for his sophomore season.
In a statement given to Yea-Alabama, Philon said:
“I am thankful for all the support from my family, friends, and Alabama throughout this process. “I learned a lot throughout the NBA Draft process and received a lot of great feedback. After careful consideration, I am happy to announce that I will be returning to Alabama for my sophomore season! Roll Tide!”
Philon instantly catapults the Crimson Tide back into the elite tier of the SEC. Alabama had a major void at guard with Mark Sears exhausting his eligibility and Philon declaring. With his return, he's the final piece of the puzzle for the Crimson Tide's 2025-26 roster.
There's still one open roster spot, but whether or not it gets filled is of little importance now. Philon was the most important player Nate Oats and company could have retained. His return is massive news for the Crimson Tide's hopes of being a contender once again.
Philon was an All-SEC freshman team member, averaging over 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists per game. With Sears gone, the key to the Alabama offense will be completely in his hands. He'll have a massive opportunity to be the guy on a contending team.
Philon was a projected late first/early second round pick.
Alabama assistant Preston Murphy, Tide fans everywhere celebrate Philon's return
Tide assistant Preston Murphy had an elite reaction to the news of Philon's return to Alabama.
That's Murphy and Nate Oats playing chess outside of Coleman Coliseum while the anonymous internet users on the left are playing checkers. There has been a lot of complaints about this offseason from Alabama fans. I imagine those complaints are gone now.
With Philon's return, Alabama should have one of the better rosters in college basketball once again. Surrounding him at lead guard will be versatile, lengthy wings and bigs. One of the Tide's biggest weaknesses last season was being smaller at guard. That shouldn't be an issue for next season's team.