Why Nate Oats Believes Labaron Philon's Cousy Award Denial Is 'Going To Drive Him'

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the best point guard in the nation, will not go to Labaron Philon.

Philon, who has put together one of the most productive seasons by a point guard in Alabama history, was left off the list of five finalists that was announced on Monday, with the spots going to Arkansas' Darius Acuff, Purdue's Braden Smith, Houston's Kingston Flemings, Michigan State's Jeremy Fears, and Arizona's Jaden Bradley.

"Those are five very good players, but I personally wouldn't trade Labaron for any of them," head coach Nate Oats said. "Obviously, I'm biased, I coach him, but I believe in what he does. When you look at what he does late in games, with his game-winning, if I were him, I would have a chip on my shoulder because I would think that I'm better than those guys."

Philon averaged 21.5 points per game this season, fifth among Power Five guards, and became the first power conference player since 2000 to average 21 points and 4.5 assists per game while shooting above 50 percent from the field.

Labaron Philon's Stats Compared To Cousy Award Finalists:

Player	PPG	APG	RPG	FG%	3-PT%
Labaron Philon	21.5 (2nd)	4.8 (5th)	3.2 (4th)	50.7 (1st)	38.9 (2nd)
Darius Acuff	22.2	6.4	3.0	49.3	43.7
Braden Smith	14.9	8.7	3.6	46.2	38.8
Kingston Flemings	16.5	5.4	3.9	48.3	37.6
Jeremy Fears	15.5	9.1	2.4	44.3	30.9
Jaden Bradley	13.4	4.6	3.5	46.1	38.2

Oats has cited Philon's competitiveness numerous times over the past two years and said the omission could provide additional motivation.

"Labaron is one of those types where I'm sure he's seen it," Oats said. "I'm sure it's going to drive him a little bit."

Philon made a last-minute decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to Alabama last summer following a freshman year where he showed plenty of flashes that excited scouts. The decision has paid off in just about every way, as his draft stock has skyrocketed in the wake of his All-American caliber season.

"He came in with a chip on his shoulder last year," Oats said. "Labaron didn't care what his money was here, he basically just said, 'Coach, I want a shot to play.' And shoot, of course, everybody has a shot to play. And he just came in with that chip on his shoulder and proved he was the best guard in the program all last summer."

Philon's college career is likely now in its final month, as he has indicated on TikTok that he will be declaring for the NBA Draft after the season. As Alabama prepares for the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, Oats certainly is not going to shy away from anything that gives his star point guard any extra motivation.

"When he's got a chip on his shoulder, I see a little bit of a different version of Labaron Philon," Oats said. "Hopefully that's what we get to see here in March."

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