What Nate Oats Expects From Labaron Philon During NBA Draft Process

The Alabama men's basketball head coach is "getting really good feedback from the NBA" regarding the Crimson Tide freshman guard.

Alabama guard Labaron Philon (0) dunks against Kentucky at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, AL on Saturday, Feb 22, 2025. / Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

Alabama men's basketball lost five players this offseason with hopes of being selected in the 2025 NBA Draft. Four of them were out of collegiate eligibility.

The other was Labaron Philon, who became a household name over the course of the season, and the guard's three SEC Freshman of the Week honors reflect that. He finished his freshman season averaging 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a Crimson Tide-best 1.3 steals per game.

Philon's growth throughout the year gained him notoriety around the college basketball world. His name started to appear on more and more mock drafts––mostly in the second round––giving him a really good chance to be selected as one of the 60 picks between June 25-26.

"We're getting really good feedback from the NBA," Oats said at the Senior Bowl Charities Celebrity Golf Classic in Mobile, Alabama on Monday, per AL.com. "He's got to go to the combine. He's got to test well. He's got to do well in the workouts. From what I'm hearing, I think he's going to get drafted.

"Shoot, it will be a great success story. He comes in, he's not on anybody's draft board, he plays well for us and ends up getting drafted after a year with us. That's the plan right now."

Philon, who joined Consensus First Team All-American guard Mark Sears and forward Grant Nelson as Alabama's three NBA Combine invitees, wasn't given these expectations when he committed to head coach Nate Oats a year ago.

“We even talked about maybe redshirting when we brought him in the summer, and then he just filled all those thoughts in the way he played all summer and fall,” Oats told BamaCentral in February. “I mean, he was the best guard in the program for multiple days in the summer. He was pushing Mark [Sears] every day. Some injuries happen here and there, [Latrell] Wrightsell’s out and [Chris] Youngblood’s out, he gets put in the starting lineup.”

Philon declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on April 14 and said that he was "all in on starting [his] pro career" during that life-altering announcement. That said, Philon spoke on The SchuZ Show on April 28 and restated that he is “100 percent draft," but also admitted that "things can change.”

Nevertheless, although Philon has until May 28 to withdraw from the 2025 draft class, mock drafts plus Oats' comments on Monday make it seem like he'll continue with the process after the deadline and eventually be selected by and NBA team. And with that in mind, Oats detailed a couple of pros and cons for Philon.

"He needs to turn himself into a little bit better shooter, but he's not a bad shooter," Oats said on Monday. "He can score it at a high level. And he's young. His shot is good. With the reps that he'll put in, he'll turn himself into a really good shooter. He's got all the other stuff [the NBA] is looking for."

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