TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – March has arrived, bringing with it the excitement of our beloved sport. Fans are busy filling out their brackets and speculating on which team might make a Cinderella run in the NCAA Tournament this year. This time of year also sees NBA mock drafts becoming more intriguing, with recent projections suggesting that Alabama's freshman guard, Labaron Philon, could be selected in the mid to late first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Additionally, players like Mark Sears and Grant Nelson are included in the second round of some projections.

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Philon has emerged as a prominent name in many analysts' mock drafts, with projections placing the freshman guard as high as the 20th overall pick in this year's draft. Scouts admire his poise and maturity on the court. However, analysts have raised concerns about his size, as he stands 6'4" and weighs 177 pounds. Additionally, there are questions regarding his shooting ability, as Philon has struggled with mid-range and three-point shots at times during the season.

Alabama senior guard Mark Sears and senior forward Grant Nelson have been excluded from many expert mock drafts. Sears is projected to be a late second-round pick or possibly undrafted, while Nelson has not appeared in many mock drafts, similar to last season before his impressive performance in the tournament. The NBA Draft Room predicts that Nelson will be a late first-round to second-round pick.

Let's take a look at how these three ranks in a few popular mock drafts.

USA Today

Labaron Philon- 21st Overall Pick
Mark Sears- Undrafted
Grant Nelson-Undrafted

Philon is the Alabama player projected to be drafted in this mock draft, with USA Today highlighting the Freshman guard's ability to defend and get steals. Philon averages 1.3 steals per game, and USA Today writes in Philon's draft analysis, "He's a heady defender who disrupts opponents with his ability to get steals."

Check out the full mock draft here.

NBA Draft Room

Labaron Philon- Round 2, 32nd overall pick

Philon is expected to be taken by the Charlotte Hornets, where he will play alongside former Alabama forward Brandon Miller, who was selected second overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. The folks over at NBA Draft Room went on to comment on Sears being "very undersized for the NBA." and noted Nelson needing to get "stronger for the NBA level."

Check out the full mock draft here.

CBS Sports, Adam Finkelstein

Labaron Philon- 25th overall pick

Once again, another mock draft featuring the Crimson Tide guard in the first round, with Finkelstein anticipating Philon to be picked by the Ja Morant-led Memphis Grizzlies near the end of the opening round of the draft.

Check out the full mock draft here.

CBS Sports, Gary Parish

Labaron Philon- 20th overall pick

Parish demonstrates his conviction in Philon by projecting the Freshman guard as the 20th overall selection in the draft, which is currently the highest anyone has projected the Mobile native to go. Parish expects the Indiana Pacers to select Philon in the mid-late first round.

Check out the full mock draft here.

Bleacher Report

Labaron Philon- Round 2, 36th overall pick

Bleacher Report's John Wasserman voiced his concerns about Philon's size and shooting ability. He noted, "Scouts are still questioning what there is to love about him." Wasserman highlighted that Philon weighs only 177 pounds and is considered a limited athlete and shooter. Despite these concerns, he projected that the guard would be selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the 36th overall pick, and he compared Philon's playing style to that of Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin.

Check out the full mock draft here.

NBA Draft.Net

Labaron Philon- 28th overall pick
Mark Sears- Round 2, 58th overall pick

NBA Draft.net predicts Philon will be taken late in the first round by the Boston Celtics, while the Orlando Magic will select Sears late in the second round in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Check out the full mock draft here.

Tankathon

Labaron Philon- 23rd overall pick

According to Tankathon's mock draft, Philon will be taken 23rd overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2025 NBA Draft, where he will pair up with Wizards guard Jordan Poole.

Check out the full mock draft here.

The Athletic

Labaron Philon- 24th overall pick

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie is projecting Philon to be selected by the Orlando Magic with the 24th pick. Vecenie seems high on the guard, although suggesting that staying in college would be the smarter move for Philon, but ensuring that NBA teams are highly interested in the Freshman.

Check out the full mock draft here.

Nate Oats has experience in sending players to the NBA, having had six players drafted during his five years in Tuscaloosa, four of whom were in the first round. Brandon Miller was the highest-drafted player during Oats' tenure and the highest-drafted player in program history since the Los Angeles Clippers drafted Antonio McDyess with the second overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft.

Players Drafted During the Oats Era

2020 Kira Lewis (Drafted to New Orleans Pelicans with the 13th overall.pick)
2021 Joshua Primo (Drafted by San Antonio Spurs with the 12th overall pick)
2021 Herb Jones (Drafted by New Orleans Pelicans with the 35th overall pick)
2022 JD Davison (Drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 53rd overall pick)
2023 Brandon Miller (Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 2nd overall pick)
2023 Noah Clowney (Drafted by the Brooklyn Nets with the 21st overall pick)

The NBA draft is still several months away, giving Sears and Nelson a chance to impress scouts with their performances in the NCAA Tournament. The second-seeded Crimson Tide will face the 15th-seeded Robert Morris in the first round of the tournament on Friday, March 21, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, with tip-off scheduled for 11:40 a.m. CDT.

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