Labaron Philon Steps Up with Career High in Alabama Basketball's Season Opener

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Five seconds into Alabama's season opener, Labaron Philon had an assist on the Crimson TIde's first basket of the season. Less than 30 seconds later, he scored his first bucket of the year on a fast break layup.

That was just the start of Philon's career-high, 22-point performance, proving how valuable his decision was for the Crimson Tide to return to Tuscaloosa for another year.

Philon tested the NBA draft waters last offseason before deciding to come back to Alabama for his sophomore season. In his first game back inside Coleman Coliseum, Philon finished with 22 points, eight assists and three rebounds as part of the Crimson Tide's 91-62 victory over North Dakota on Monday night.

"Every team I went to in the process, I kind of got some of the same feedback," Philon said after the win. "It was really great to get out there and play for Coach Oats again. You know, he coaches me so hard. Even when I’m doing well, he tries to stay on me about just getting the guys to talk, or really just be locked in on the defensive end. I’ve got to do a better job at that and continue to keep leading and talking to the guys.”

Alabama head coach Nate Oats said he doesn't think it will take very long this season for Philon to set a new career high. With Mark Sears off to the NBA, Philon will get a lot more scoring and facilitating opportunities.

North Dakota head coach Paul Sather could not have been more complimentary of Philon in his postgame press conference, describing the Alabama guard as "effortless" in how he moves.

"Really impressed with him," Sather said. "His speed’s awesome. He can shoot it, he can do so many things. He makes everybody around him better, but he also plays really hard defensively.”

While he lead all scorers, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Philon during or after the game. He had four turnovers, and Oats wasn't always pleased with his effort on the defensive end.

"I thought he had some good stretches," Oats said. "We need him to be better on defense, need him to take care of the ball better, but I thought he made some plays, showed what he’s capable of.”

Philon also acknowledged that he needs to cut down on the turnovers and continue to improve on the defensive end. In his sophomore season, Philon also wants to get better at driving to the basket and finishing around the rim, something he learned from Sears.

" When I got here, he was talking to me about being strong on my drives," Philon said. "I think it really showed this year. When I get in the paint, just being really strong and just going up and being able to finish, I think I want to show a lot of that this year."

Philon was 7-of-9 on two-point attempts against North Dakota with several strong drives through the lane and tough finishes around the rim. Monday night was just the tip of the iceberg in what Philon can do for the Crimson Tide this season.

"I think Labaron’s gonna show a lot this year," Oats said.