Labaron Philon has made a decision on his future plans with Alabama men’s basketball.
Philon, a guard from Mobile, will enter the NBA Draft, he posted to Instagram on Monday.
“Ever since I was little in Mobile, my dream has always been to play in the NBA, and I am excited to pursue that goal by officially declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft,” Philon wrote on Instagram. “I cannot wait to start the next chapter of my life.”
Philon did not mention the possibility of returning to Alabama. He told ESPN he’s “all in on starting my pro career.”
Philon spent his freshman season with Alabama men’s basketball, averaging 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals. He played in 37 games, starting 29 of them.
“I think it’s a big reason why NBA teams are really high on him; He’s such a great defensive guard in addition to being really talented on offense,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said in March.
Philon’s efforts earned him All-SEC freshman team honors from the conference. Philon’s most notable game of the season occurred against Kentucky in the SEC Tournament; He scored 21 points, grabbed three rebounds, tallied four assists and three steals en route to the season sweep of the Wildcats.
If Philon does indeed not return to college as it sounds like, that leaves Alabama likely needing to add at least one more guard. Mark Sears exhausted his college eligibility as did Chris Youngblood.
Philon didn’t have near the scoring impact in the NCAA Tournament, but he did flash some in the loss to Duke in the Elite Eight. He made three triples and grabbed three steals with 16 overall points.
Philon earned Mr. Basketball honors for the state back in high school while he played for Baker after averaging 35 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.6 steals during the 2022-23 season. His final season before college was spent at Link Academy in Missouri.
He originally signed his national letter of intent with Kansas, but was granted his release from it and later signed with Alabama.
“I would like to thank God and give all the glory to him,” Philon began his Instagram post. “Returning home to Alabama and wearing the Script A this year has been one of the greatest honors of my life. This school and fan base welcomed me home with open arms and I will forever be thankful for the love and support I have been shown this year. Thank you to my coaches and teammates for motivating me, pushing me and helping develop into the player I am today. We will be brothers for life.”
Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.
