Three Tide Players Invited to NBA Combine

Three Crimson Tide stars were invited to the NBA Combine, which is set to take place May 11-18 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Get our free mobile app

Among the 75 players invited were Mark Sears, Grant Nelson, and Labaron Philon. Philon is eligible to return to Alabama if his draft status is not at the level he wants it.

Sears went through the draft process last year, but elected to return to Alabama for his fifth and final year of eligibility in the 2024-25 men's basketball season. In his final season at Alabama, Sears averaged 18.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from the floor and 34.5 percent from three-point range.

Nelson spent two seasons in Tuscaloosa as a starter and major contributor to the Tide's Final Four run in 2024 and Elite Eight run in 2025. In his final year at Alabama, Nelson averaged 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 52.2 percent from the floor and 25.8 percent from three-point range.

Philon was a five-star true freshman for Alabama last season, playing in 37 games and starting 29 for the Crimson Tide. He averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 31.5 percent from three-point range. If Philon hired an NCAA-certified agent, he could return to Alabama and withdraw from the NBA draft before May 28.

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_.