Labaron Philon Jr. Lists Alabama Players to Watch Ahead of 2026-27 Season

The former Crimson Tide guard breaks down the freshmen and transfers while revealing Alabama's "alpha dogs" for next season.

Alabama forward London Jemison celebrates a play in the second half of the game against Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

NEW YORK — After two years, Labaron Philon Jr.'s Alabama career is over, as his NBA journey with the Philadelphia 76ers is just beginning.

Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide will move on without their leading scorer and playmaker from last season, and a new one will have to step up. All signs point to Amari Allen, who withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft, becoming the face of the team, and Philon agreed with that narrative.

But Allen can't help Alabama reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive time by himself. BamaCentral spoke with Philon the day before the 76ers picked him No. 22 overall. We asked him which Tide players we should keep an eye on ahead of UA's 2026-27 season.

"I would say Cole [Cloer], definitely," Philon said first. "When I was there, he went on a visit and it was crazy how he shoots the ball. I feel like Cole is going to be [really good]. Qayden Samuels and Tarris [Bouie], too. I feel like they've got a really good team.

"They've got a lot of young guys that could really go. I feel like those guys want to play winning basketball, so they chose the right program. Especially Qayden Samuels, his size and play style is perfect for coach Oats."

Cloer is an intriguing prospect, as the 6-foot-8, 190-pound forward redshirted as an early enrollee with NC State this past season before transferring to Alabama. The 4-star recruit from the 2026 class was ranked as the No. 59 overall prospect, the No. 23 small forward and the No. 8 player in the state of Florida at the time of his commitment to the Wolfpack, per On3.

Oats said Cloer proved to be one of the top scorers in his class during EYBL. Oats also mentioned that Cloer "has a great IQ and feel for the game," which has helped him win "at every level he has played at.” Cloer will be wearing jersey No. 33 in 2026-27.

Samuels, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound standout from Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland, was ranked as a consensus 4-star recruit who was the No. 18 prospect nationally, the No. 6 small forward and the No. 2 recruit in the state at the time of his commitment, per 247 Sports. He was also the No. 23 prospect in On3's rankings and holds the No. 22 spot in ESPN's list.

After he signed with Alabama, Oats said Samuels is a "very good athlete" and "one of the most sought-after players in the country." He emphasized Samuels' ability to play above the rim as well, which will be key on both sides of the ball for the Tide. He'll be wearing jersey No. 11 this upcoming season.

Alabama could have up to six returners on the floor pending Aden Holloway's legal matter and the health of Collins Onyejiaka, who practically missed all of last season with a heart condition but was seen practicing with the team in a recent video.

Oats stressed after the season-ending loss to Michigan in the Sweet 16 that "we got to get bigger," and that's the theme of the new roster. Every transfer is 6-foot-8 or taller, while each of the freshmen are roughly 6-foot-6. If he plays, Holloway and Preston Murphy Jr., who mostly came in during the final moments of blowouts last season, are Alabama's only true guards.

That said, Philon referred to Allen and another returner as guards, despite each of them being listed as forwards on the official roster.

"Looking at guard-wise, you've got Amari coming back, you've got London [Jemison] coming back," Philon said. "Those two guys for me would be my alpha dogs. Them being there one year and knowing the system and stuff like that. They're the people that run the program, really.

Jemison, who stands at 6-foot-8, finished his freshman campaign averaging 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks in 15.7 minutes per contest. He started in 13 of 33 games played, but that number should skyrocket in 2026-27. He often resided in the corner spots for catch-and-shoot opportunities, but his role should increase greatly as a leader on and off the floor for this team.

Philon snuck Jamarion Davis-Fleming, a Mississippi State transfer, at the very end. He said he played with Davis-Fleming his senior year at EYBL Peach Jam, and "I know how good he is." The forward spent his freshman season averaging 3.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 20.2 minutes per contest. He was a 4-star recruit and the No. 1 player in the state of Mississippi in the class of 2025.

Standing at 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, he'll be a quality addition to Alabama's frontcourt, as he had two blocks in 10 of his 18 SEC games. His paint instincts also helped him grab at least eight rebounds six times.

Alabama's 2026-27 Roster as of July 6

G Aden Holloway (pending legal matter)
G Preston Murphy Jr. (returning senior)
W Jaxon Richardson (freshman)
W Qayden Samuels (freshman)
W Tarris Bouie (freshman)
F Amari Allen (returning sophomore)
F London Jemison (returning sophomore)
F Keitenn Bristow (returning junior *pending redshirt*)
F Cole Cloer (NC State transfer)
F Jamarion Davis-Fleming (Mississippi State transfer)
C/F Brandon Garrison (Kentucky transfer)
C/F Drew Fielder (Boise State transfer)
C Collins Onyejiaka (returning sophomore *pending redshirt*)

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