What Alabama basketball's Labaron Philon brings to Philadelphia 76ers in NBA Draft
· Yahoo Sports
For the first time since 2023, Alabama basketball has a first-rounder in the NBA Draft.
Point guard Labaron Philon was taken No. 22 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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Philon initially had his sights set on the NBA after a standout freshman season in Tuscaloosa, but opted to withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft before the deadline and return to the Crimson Tide.
Taking Alabama back to the Sweet 16 and inheriting the point guard position from All-American Mark Sears, Philon averaged 22 points, 3.5 rebounds and five assists. His biggest area of improvement was as a shooter. He increased his field goal percentage from 45% to 50%. However, it was the work done from the 3-point line that improved the Mobile native's draft stock, improving from 31% as a rookie to nearly 40% as a sophomore. Philon is still searching for consistency on defense, but he has shown the ability to rebound in double figures.
NBADraft.net has compared Philon to New Orleans guard Dejounte Murray or Cleveland's Dennis Schröder.
Leading up to the draft, Philon was widely viewed as a first-round pick. At the NBA Draft Combine, he measured out to 6-foot-2.5 barefoot with a weight of 176 pounds. On the Saturday before the NBA Draft, held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, USA Today's mock draft had the Philadelphia 76ers taking Philon at No. 22.
Philon is the first member of the Crimson Tide to be taken in the first-round since Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney, who went No. 2 overall and No. 21 overall, respectively, in 2023.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Here's what Alabama basketball's Labaron Philon brings to 76ers in NBA Draft