Labaron Philon, Bryce Fowler Headline Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week

Labaron Philon left it all on the court.

In a week where Alabama baseball had one of its best performances in recent memory, the sophomore guard outshone everybody in what was likely his final game in crimson and white. Philon is this week's Athlete of the Week, but baseball swept the other college awards after an electric sweep of then-No. 5 Auburn. Here are the Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week for the week of March 24 - 30, 2026:

Freshman of the Week: Myles Upchurch

Upchurch was coming off the worst performance of his career last Sunday against Florida. The right-hander recorded just one, allowing three runs in an outing where he just could not find the strike zone. He responded in a big way on Sunday, going an SEC career-high 4.1 innings on the mound, allowing just one run to set Alabama up for the sweep.

Upchurch has not had his best stuff over the past three weeks, and he is very much still a freshman who is adjusting to conference play. With the flashes that Upchurch showed earlier in the year and the learning experiences he is getting in these first few weeks, there is reason to believe he will put everything together to give Alabama big-time starts by the end of the season.

Rob Vaughn on freshman RHP Myles Upchurch:

"That guy's going to be a superstar. Everything that's happening to him through these first three games of SEC play are going to toughen him and harden him and make him better both for this year and for his sophomore year." pic.twitter.com/FhHPZVXZbw
— Theodore Fernandez (@TheoFernandez__) March 29, 2026

Athlete of the Week: Labaron Philon

Philon scored 35 points in Alabama's Sweet 16 loss to Michigan, tied for second in Alabama NCAA Tournament history, behind only Antonio McDyess. The sophomore shot 10-for-21 from the field and added seven rebounds and four assists, as just about the only player who was clicking offensively against the Wolverines.

The performance wraps up a season that will go down as one of the best in program history. The AP Third Team All-American guard is now almost certainly headed to the NBA.

Labaron Philon against Michigan in the Sweet 16:

35 PTS | 10-21 FG | 6-14 3PT | 7 REB | 4 AST | 39 MINS pic.twitter.com/RDWKcqptFQ
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 28, 2026

Pro Athlete of the Week: Jaden Shackelford

The 2022 All-SEC Second Teamer scored a career-high 54 points for the Valley Suns (Phoenix's G-League affiliate) last week. He also became the team's all-time leading scorer in the game. Shackelford has been one of the better players in the G-League over the last two years and is averaging 22 points per game this season. Reports emerged on Monday that he is in the process of signing a deal with a team in Spain, as an NBA future is increasingly unlikely at 25 years old.

Jaden Shackelford WAS IN HIS BAG 💰 He finished the night as the @gleaguesuns new franchise all-time leading scorer with a new career-high 54 PTS from 16 FGM and shot 50% from deep‼️ pic.twitter.com/rbaUz71jaz
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 26, 2026

Clutch Athlete of the Week: Bryce Fowler

It really was a weekend of clutch performances for Alabama baseball in its sweep of Auburn. Closer Hagan Banks went two scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season on Saturday, before also earning the Sunday save with a 1-2-3 ninth to secure the sweep, while Will Plattner drove in a key eighth-inning run in that game.

But it was Fowler who produced one of the biggest moments of the season on Saturday night with a walk-off double to secure the series victory. With Brennan Holt on second, Fowler smoked a ball to left-center field to end the game and give the Crimson Tide. It was a signature moment for the center fielder, who passed up the opportunity to go pro last summer to return to Tuscaloosa.

BRYCE FOWLER WALKS IT OFF AND ALABAMA TAKES THE SERIES OVER AUBURN pic.twitter.com/KFBPBoXcPj
— Theodore Fernandez (@TheoFernandez__) March 29, 2026

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