In the end, Alabama just didn't have enough firepower to take down Michigan in the Sweet 16. The Wolverines have been one of the three best teams in college basketball all season long, and while it was a valiant effort by star Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon, it just wasn't enough against a balanced, bruising Wolverines squad.
Alabama held a 49-47 halftime lead, but got outscored 43-28 in the final 20 minutes to fall 90-77. Despite the loss and despite a big performance by Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg, there was no better player on the court than Philon.
And in a classy move during his postgame interview, Lendeborg gave Philon his flowers:
"Labaron is one of the best guards I’ve ever played against, if not the best," Lendeborg said.
If this was the end for Philon at Alabama, and it almost certainly was, what a way for the sophomore to go out. He went out a warrior, carried out on his shield. He led all scorers with 35 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. He hit 6-of-14 from three-point range and put Alabama on his back the whole way.
Alabama needed more than Labaron Philon to upset Michigan
Unfortunately for Alabama, it didn't get enough out of Philon's supporting cast.
Playing a third straight game without Aden Holloway, the offense finally showed the chinks in the armor that always seemed like they would show up without the star junior, who is an elite offensive player.
Alabama only had two additional players in double-figures - Latrell Wrightsell (15) and Aiden Sherrell (10) - and both struggled from the field to get there. Wrightsell shot just 5-of-15 from the floor and 3-of-12 from three, while Sherrell was 4-of-11 from the floor and missed his last three attempts from three after he knocked down his first two of the game.
Alabama got next to nothing from its bench, with Houston Mallette and Taylor Bol Bowen combining for just six points and 2-of-8 shooting from three. Amari Allen and London Jemison looked like freshmen against an experienced and fundamentally sound Michigan squad.
It was always going to take a monumental effort for Alabama to have a shot at pulling out the upset in the Sweet 16. The first half was strong, but the second half was nowhere close to good enough. That had a lot more to do with how good Michigan is than any deficiencies Alabama had.
The better team won, but the best player did everything he could do.