Labaron Philon Jr. Becomes Fifth First-Round Pick of Nate Oats Era

The former Alabama guard was selected 22nd overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, but which team chose the Third Team All-American?

Mar 7, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. (0) enjoys a moment as Auburn calls a timeout at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama defeated Auburn 96-84. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Former Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. was picked No. 22 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night.

Philon officially becomes the fifth first-round pick under Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats, joining Kira Lewis Jr., Josh Primo, Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney. The latter two players were the last two drafted from Alabama, as the Tide didn't have a player selected in 2024 or 2025.

The 20-year-old is also the seventh overall player drafted in the Oats era, with second-rounders Herb Jones and J.D. Davison being the remaining two. With this selection, Oats still has the third-most draft picks in the history of Alabama basketball, as Wimp Sanderson (16 draft picks) and C.M. Newton (nine) are ahead. That said, Oats has only been UA's coach for seven seasons, while Sanderson and Newton each held the role for 12 years.

Nevertheless, Philon's journey to the draft is a bit different than the previous 48 Alabama picks. He declared for the 2025 NBA Draft after an All-SEC Freshman season, but after competing at the NBA Combine and hearing from scouts and front office members, he wasn't satisfied with his late-first to second-round projection and announced his return to Alabama about an hour before the withdrawal deadline.

It ended up being the right choice for the Mobile, Alabama, native. Philon was named the SEC Player of the Week four times this past season, as he finished the regular season third in the conference in points per game (21.5 on 50.7 percent from the field) and fourth in assists per game (4.8). He went from shooting 31.5 percent from deep in Year 1 to 39.9 percent in Year 2.

The All-SEC First Team member became the third player in program history with 700 points in a single season and the 57th with 1,000 career points. Philon is the first power-4 player since 2000 who averaged 21-plus points, 4-plus assists and shot over 50 percent from the field. These accolades helped him become named a Third Team All-American by all four NCAA outlets (AP, USBWA, NABC and Sporting News).

"It's been everything [to play for Alabama]," Philon said after losing to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. "Ever since I came back, I told coach Oats last year, and our whole plan was about getting 100 percent better, getting better every day. I felt like I got better every day.

"Just staying at Alabama and not going anywhere else, really. For me, just playing with these guys — the clique, the group as a whole — it was so special. Lost for words. We've been through a lot and we fought through adversity throughout the whole season. That right there means a lot about this team."

Alabama Players Selected in NBA Draft

(Player, Year, Overall Pick)

1. Carl Shaeffer, 1949, No. 13
2. Bryant Ivey, 1952, No. 39
3. Paul Sullivan, 1952, No. 76
4. Jerry Harper, 1956, No. 19
5. Jim Fulmer, 1958, No. 33
6. Bob Andrews, 1965, No. 86
7. Wendell Hudson, 1973, No. 30
8. Charles Cleveland, 1975, No. 41
9. Charles Russell, 1975, No. 74
10. Leon Douglas, 1976, No. 4
11. T.R. Dunn, 1977, No. 41
12. Ricky Brown, 1977, No. 63
13. Anthony Murray, 1978, No. 151
14. Reggie King, 1979, No. 18
15. Robert Scott, 1980, No. 71
16. Eddie Phillips, 1982, No. 21
17. Phillip Lockett, 1982, No. 66
18. Norm Anchrum, 1982, No. 75
19. Ennis Whatley, 1983, No. 13
20. Mike Davis, 1983, No. 42
21. Terry Williams, 1984, No. 52
22. Eric Richardson, 1984, No. 100
23. Bobby Lee Hurt, 1985, No. 42
24. Buck Johnson, 1986, No. 20
25. Derrick McKey, 1987, No. 9
26. Jim Farmer, 1987, No. 20
27. Terry Coner, 1987, No. 44
28. Mark Gottfried, 1987, No. 157
29. Michael Ansley, 1989, No. 37
30. Robert Horry, 1992, No. 11
31. Latrell Sprewell, 1992, No. 24
32. James Robinson, 1993, No. 21
33. Antonio McDyess, 1995, No. 2
34. Jason Caffey, 1995, No. 20
35. Roy Rogers Jr., 1996, No. 22
36. Eric Washington, 1997, No. 46
37. Gerald Wallace, 2001, No. 25
38. Rod Grizzard, 2002, No. 38
39. Mo Williams, 2003, No. 47
40. Jermareo Davidson, 2007, No. 36
41. Richard Hendrix, 2008, No. 49
42. Collin Sexton, 2018, No. 8
43. Kira Lewis Jr., 2020, No. 13
44. Joshua Primo, 2021, No. 12
45. Herb Jones, 2021, No. 35
46. J.D. Davison, 2022, No. 53
47. Brandon Miller, 2023, No. 2
48. Noah Clowney, 2023, No. 21
49. Labaron Philon Jr., 2026, No. 22

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