There were legitimate questions about next season's Alabama basketball roster. Namely, without the team's two main lead guards from last season, would the Crimson Tide have enough ball-handling and play-making?
Those questions are no more.
In a stunning reversal, star freshman guard Labaron Philon announced late Wednesday night he would return for his sophomore season at Alabama. Just two weeks ago, Philon announced he would "officially" remain in the draft after initially testing the draft waters. His decision comes out of nowhere, but is a more than welcome sight for Nate Oats and the Tide fanbase.
As a freshman, Philon averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. He started 29 of Alabama's 37 games.
With Mark Sears gone, the keys to Oats's offensive system will be handed to Philon. He will be the starter at point guard, and everything will run through him.
Contrary to the belief of a particular rival fanbase, Philon's game is an excellent fit for Alabama's system. The offense is predicated on dribble-drives and getting to the rim. Philon is excellent off the bounce and showed an immediate ability to beat his man off the dribble as a freshman.
With Aiden Sherrell and Noah Williamson providing more floor spacing in what should be a true 5-out system, the lane will be even more open for Philon to get to the rim.
Some will be quick to point out his three-point shooting as a negative. He shot just 31.5% from three last season. But his shot steadily improved throughout the season. Over the final 14 games, Philon connected on 38.8% of his attempts from downtown. He shot 77% from the free throw line, likely indicating that his improved three-point shooting over the second half of the season wasn't a fluke.
Philon significantly raises the ceiling for Alabama in 2025-26
It's hard to overstate how important Philon's return for next season is for this team. Oats and lead assistant Preston Murphy kicked the tires on other guards in the portal, and had recently been in contact with USC transfer Desmond Claude, but none of them moved the needle the way Philon did.
I believe Oats and company had already put together a competitive roster, one that would undoubtedly be an NCAA Tournament team and likely a top-six seed. But it felt like they were a piece away from putting together yet another legitimate contender. Philon was that missing piece.
Oats has built a perfect roster around Philon. There's size and shooting at every position. Alabama will have the floor spacing to allow Philon to operate, and he'll be surrounded by shooters who can knock down shots off of kick-outs at the rim.
Aden Holloway, Latrell Wrightsell, Houston Mallette, and Taylor Bol Bowen are all proven college shooters who will thrive with Philon's ability to suck in the defense.
His return takes a lot of pressure off of Miami (FL) transfer Jalil Bethea, too. The former Top 10 recruit should take a leap in the Tide's system, but not as much will be put on his plate right away now. The same is true for Wrightsell, who will now be able to ease back into action as he continues his recovery from the torn Achilles.
Oats has had Alabama as a legitimate national contender for three consecutive seasons. Alabama has made the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament the last three years. They were the No. 1 overall seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, made the Final Four a year ago, and then made the Elite Eight in this year's tournament for just the third time in program history.
With Philon's return, Alabama has the roster to be that good once again.