Nate Oats Updates Labaron Philon's Draft Status

Alabama guard Labaron Philon declared for the NBA draft last month, telling reporters that he is "100 percent" in on the draft, but "things can change," leaving the door open for a potential return to Tuscaloosa for a sophomore campaign.

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Philon has until May 28 to withdraw his name from the draft if he does choose to return to Tuscaloosa, but head coach Nate Oats shared the latest on what he is hearing from Philon regarding the draft.

“We’re getting really good feedback from the NBA,” said Oats at the Senior Bowl Charities Celebrity Golf Classic, via AL.com. “He’s gotta go to the Combine. He’s gotta test well. He’s gotta do well in the workout. What I’m hearing, I think he’s gonna get drafted. Shoot, it’ll be a great success story. He comes in, he’s not on anybody’s draft board, he plays well, and he ends up getting drafted after a year with us."

“That’s the plan right now," Oats said.

Philon played in 37 games and started 29 as a true freshman for Alabama last season. He amassed 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 31.5 percent from three-point range for the Crimson Tide. He scored double-digit points 21 times, and his highest scoring output came on December 29 and March 14, where he scored 21 points against South Dakota State and Kentucky, respectively.

“He just kept finding his way onto the floor,” Oats said of Philon. “He kept making us better. What I told him is, ‘You’ve got a chance here, and if we’re better with you on the floor, we’re gonna put you on the floor.’ And we were better with him on the floor most of the year.”

Philon was one of three Crimson Tide players invited to the NBA combine, set to take place from May 11-18. Philon was the only underclassman from Alabama invited.

The Combine is an important step in Philon's draft process, who is currently ranked as the 47th best player in the draft, according to ESPN.

On Monday, Oats shared what he was telling teams about Philon ahead of the NBA draft.

“He’s tough. He’s super competitive,” Oats said. “That’s the best thing he’s got going, is he’s just ultra competitive. But he’s got good size for a point guard. He knows how to set teammates up. He’s got a high IQ. And his skill level’s high. He needs to turn himself into a little bit better shooter, but he’s not a bad shooter. He can score it at a high level."

"He’s young. His shot’s good. So with the reps that he’ll put in, he’ll turn himself into a really good shooter, and he’s got all the other stuff they’re looking for.”

The NBA draft is set for June 25-26 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.