Alabama’s Labaron Philon Building Great Sophomore Draft Case

The 2026 NBA Draft class has so far been highlighted by its crop of high-level true freshmen, and its talented returnees have somewhat fallen under the radar.

Alabama guard Labaron Philon is trying to curb that notion, seeing a superstar-esque start to his sophomore season with the Tide.

Despite a loss to No. 12 Gonzaga at the Players Era Festival on Monday night, Philon was one of the stars of the show, showcasing plenty of skills that will see him taken at the ’26 draft.

Across 36 minutes, he finished with a game-high 29 points, shooting 11-for-18 overall and 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. He added seven assists, albeit to six turnovers, though he tacked on two steals as well. The Tide ultimately couldn't outlast a good Zags team, but kept it close deep into the second half.

With the performance, Philon has now scored 20-plus points in four of his five games this season, four of which were against ranked teams.

It’s early, but Philon has a luxury that none of the true freshmen standouts have: an entire first season under his belt.

In his first year with Alabama, Philon was a standout freshman, especially on the defensive end. He scored 10.6 points, dished 3.8 assists and nabbed 1.4 steals per game, shooting 45% overall and just 32% from beyond the arc.

He finished with an 8.4 box-plus-minus — an advanced metric used to track a prospect’s overall impact — which would’ve landed him highly on at least a few draft boards, though he ultimately chose to return.

While he’s only played a few non-conference games through season two, it’s clear he’s leveled up on a variety of fronts. He’s doubled his offensive volume while raising his efficiency across the board. He’s shot nearly 55% from the field and 40% from three, shooting nearly two more attempts from beyond the arc.

Across his five games, Philon has now scored 22.2 points per game, showing he can shoulder the scoring load if needed.

He'll undoubtedly be enticing to NBA teams, even as early as the lottery or later in the top-10. At 6-foot-4, he was seen as a prospect whose defense in the backcourt could translate quickly, and he's now showing the scoring and play-making that will make him a versatile play in a variety of lineups.

Philon, of course, isn't a perfect prospect — as showcased by his six turnovers against Gonzaga. But he's started his sophomore campaign on a hot streak, and is sure to continue building on it as Alabama looks to get back in the win column.