Alabama Guard Named to Naismith Player of the Year Award Watch List

Crimson Tide sophomore Labaron Philon Jr. is one of 50 early candidates for this prestigious honor.

Alabama guard Labaron Philon (0) dribbles the ball against FSU during Ballin in Boutwell at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, AL on Thursday, Oct 16, 2025. | Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The preseason honors continue to pour in for Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr.

The sophomore was named one of 50 candidates selected to the 2025-26 Naismith Trophy watch list on Monday. This annual award recognizes the top player in all of college basketball.

In addition to the Naismith Award, Philon Jr. was one of five SEC players to be named to the NABC Player of the Year Watch List. He also landed a spot on the Bob Cousy Award Watch List, which annually recognizes the point guard in college basketball.

Philon is the sixth UA player to be featured on the Preseason All-SEC First Team under head coach Nate Oats, joining John Petty Jr. (2021), Jaden Shackelford (2022), Jahvon Quinerly (2022), Grant Nelson (2024) and Mark Sears (2025).

Philon shocked the college basketball world on May 28, as he withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft. It was just a couple of hours before the withdrawal deadline, and he became the Crimson Tide's fifth returning player. A big reason for his withdrawal came down to his abilities as a leader. Being the Crimson Tide's No. 1 option in 2025-26 should help raise his draft stock.

"All of the feedback that I got, it was very important to me, because coming back, I knew it was going to be more of a leadership thing," Philon said at SEC Media Day. "That's what most of the feedback I got in being a leader. "Trying to see if I can run a team at a young age, just being more of a communicator and talking more to teammates. I'm making sure that I'm doing a good job of that and coach Oats really gets on me about that a lot."

Philon would get his first test of leadership against Florida State in an exhibition game at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham on Oct. 16. The Crimson Tide won the preseason contest 109-105, and Philon had a career-high 28 points on 8 of 12 from the field.

"He was more vocal," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said after the FSU game. "He's got play suggestions, he's thinking of the game and getting the guys together. I think he's got to do a better job on defense. He's got to do a better job of getting back and getting the defense set.

"But he was definitely talking more than last year, which is good. He needs to take more ownership of the team because he's going to have the ball in his hands quite a bit this year."

Philon also scored an impressive 16 points with a team-high five assists during Sunday's dominant 96-71 exhibition win over Furman on the road.