Alabama native and former Kansas signee, commits to Crimson Tide

Alabama basketball’s recruiting prowess remains evident as Labaron Philon, once committed to Kansas Jayhawks, chose to join the Crimson Tide after being released from his National Letter of Intent on Apr. 25. The Mobile native, previously an Auburn commit, included Alabama among his finalists before ultimately committing.

Expressing his enthusiasm, Philon stated to Bama247, “Ready to get back to my home state!” ahead of his official visit to Alabama on Saturday.

In an interview with Bama247, Philon elaborated on his decision-making process. The 6-foot-4 point guard, ranked as the No. 3 point guard nationally, made waves during his high school career, particularly during his senior year at Link Academy (MO). He earned accolades such as Alabama’s Mr. Basketball, Alabama basketball Gatorade Player of the Year, and MaxPrep’s Alabama High School Basketball Player of the Year in 2023. Philon’s standout performance included averages of 35 points and six rebounds per game, with a shooting efficiency of 50% from the field.

During his senior season in the Nike EYBL Scholastic League with Link Academy, Philon maintained impressive statistics, averaging 11.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 53.6% from the field (44.1% from 3).

Described by 247Sports’ Travis Branham as a “tough and dynamic two-way guard,” Philon’s commitment bolsters Alabama’s recruiting class, which already features high-profile signees such as Derrion Reid, Aiden Sherrell, and Naas Cunningham. Additionally, the Crimson Tide secured transfer portal additions like Aden Holloway, Houston Mallette, and Chris Youngblood.

With returning talents like Latrell Wrightsell, Jr. and the potential return of second-team All-American Mark Sears, Alabama’s basketball program solidifies its position as a top contender in recruiting rankings, currently holding the No. 2 spot overall and No. 2 in high school recruiting rankings, trailing only Duke.