Bama Central

Latrell Wrightsell, Labaron Philon Headline Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week

Recognizing the Crimson Tide athletes who dominated this week from Tuscaloosa to the pros.
Theodore Fernandez|
Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. gets interviewed after the win against Missouri on Jan. 27, 2026.
Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. gets interviewed after the win against Missouri on Jan. 27, 2026. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

Alabama basketball is playing out of its mind right now. The Crimson Tide tied its season-high with 22 three pointers last week against Mississippi State before pulling off a 14-point comeback to beat Tennessee and extend its winning streak to eight games. Meanwhile, baseball won the Frisco Classic behind one of the best throws you will ever see at the college level, softball continued to roll, and gymnastics fought against one of the best teams in the nation. Here are the Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week for the week of Feb. 24 - March 2, 2026:

Freshman of the Week: Azarya Ra-Akbar

Ra-Akbar has had an elite freshman season for Alabama gymnastics. She actually had a slightly down night on Friday against LSU, posting an underwhelming 9.850 on the bars in the loss to the No. 2 Tigers. The performance may have lit a fire under her as she responded two days later with a career-high 9.975 on the apparatus, winning the event title in a quad meet with LSU, North Carolina and Arizona to win the bars title.

Ra-Akbar continued to excel on the floor, posting a 9.900 and 9.925 in her two appearances. With the postseason just weeks away, the freshman could be a true difference-maker as Alabama chases a national championship.

Athlete of the Week: Latrell Wrightsell

Wrightsell is simply playing the best basketball of his career right now. The sixth-year senior won the first SEC Player of the Week Award of his career, receiving the honor alongside Missouri's Mark Mitchell, after averaging 21.5 points over Alabama's two wins.

Wrightsell scored 18 against the Bulldogs last Wednesday to go along with six rebounds and five assists. He then put together arguably the best performance of his career when Alabama needed him most on Saturday in Knoxville, going 8-of-12 from the field and draining six threes in a 25-point outburst against the Volunteers.

Wrightsell struggled early in the year as he returned from a ruptured Achilles' tendon that ended his 2024-25 campaign. After missing some time in December this season, he has been unconscious from beyond the arc over the past two months. As the only player left from Alabama's 2024 Final Four run, Wrightsell's experience is proving essential down the stretch for this team.

Honorable Mention: Justin Lebron

Lebron won the Frisco Classic MVP, 6-for-13 with seven RBI and two home runs in Alabama baseball's three games in the Lone Star State. He hit a grand slam on Friday against Iowa, a big eighth-inning RBI double to extend Alabama's lead against Oregon State, and a solo home run to try and spark a comeback in Sunday's loss to Houston. Lebron had some uncharacteristic defensive struggles at shortstop, committing two errors on routine ground balls, but it was a dominant offensive showing from the Golden Spikes hopeful.

Honorable Mention: Jocelyn Briski

Briski continued her electric start to the season, going 3-0 across 15.0 shutout innings this week. She struck out 28 batters while allowing just five hits to earn her first-ever SEC Pitcher of the Week award. While Alabama did not play strong competition, Briski has executed at an incredibly high level all season. She just walked her first two batters of the year last week, and 79% of her pitches were inside the strike zone.

Pro Athlete of the Week: Brandon Miller

Miller has led the Hornets on a four-game win streak as Charlotte continues to keep pace in the battle for an NBA play-in spot. He averaged 27.3 points and 6.7 rebounds over the three games last week. He was nominated for Eastern Conference Player of the Week before the honor ultimately went to the Pistons' Jalen Duren.

At just 23 years old, Miller is playing like a true veteran as a bona fide leader on this Hornets team that truly looks like it is building something special for the future. The Hornets are 27-17 with Miller in the lineup, a win percentage of .614, which would be good for fourth in the East.

Clutch Athlete of the Week: Labaron Philon Jr.

Philon did not play against Mississippi State on Wednesday as head coach Nate Oats opted to ensure his star point guard was as healthy as possible for the Saturday matchup with Tennessee. The decision paid off in a massive way, as Philon went on to single-handedly will Alabama to a 14-point comeback to beat the Volunteers.

The sophomore scored 13 points in the final six minutes and hit the game-winner with 23 seconds to play. It truly does not get much more clutch than that.

Honorable Mention: Peyton Steele

Steele made one of the plays of the season for Alabama baseball in its 8-7 win over ranked Oregon State on Saturday night. With the Crimson Tide clinging to a one-run lead, the Beavers hit a fly ball to right field with the bases loaded and nobody out in the ninth. It looked like it would be a routine sac fly to tie the game, but Steele rifled an absolutely perfect throw directly into the glove of catcher Brady Neal, who barely had to move to tag the runner out at the plate and keep the lead intact.

The double-play set pitcher Hagan Banks up to force a game-ending grounder in the following at-bat. Alabama earned its first ranked win of the season and clinched the Frisco Classic title as a result of the ninth-inning stand.

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Theodore Fernandez
THEODORE FERNANDEZ

Theodore Fernandez is BamaCentral’s baseball beat reporter and a co-host of The Joe Gaither Show. He also works as a weekend sports anchor at WVUA 23 News in Tuscaloosa and serves as one of the station’s lead high school sports reporters. Fernandez is a news media student at The University of Alabama and is pursuing a master’s degree in sports management.

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