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Nate Oats updates plan for Labaron Philon in 2025 NBA Draft process

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby: Charlie Potter05/05/25Charlie_Potter
Alabama coach Nate Oats and guard Labaron Philon
Alabama coach Nate Oats and guard Labaron Philon (Gary Cosby Jr. / Imagn Images)

Alabama guard Labaron Philon declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on April 14. The freshman said he was “100%” focused on the draft, but “things can change” in terms of a return to school.

That’s still on the table for Philon, who has until May 28 to withdraw his name from the draft and come back for his sophomore year. But head coach Nate Oats shared the latest on Philon and the draft process on Monday and hinted the Alabama guard is likely to turn pro.

“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.”

Philon started 29 games as a true freshman in 2024-25 and averaged 10.6 points, 3.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from 3-point range and 76.7 percent at the free-throw line. He scored in double figures 21 times.

“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 Alabama players invited to the 2025 NBA Combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 11-18. That will be an important step in the draft process for the 6-foot-4, 177-pound guard, who is currently the 47th-best 2025 prospect, per ESPN.

On Monday in Mobile, Oats shared what he’s told teams about Philon ahead of the NBA draft, which is scheduled to take place from June 25-26 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“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. 

“And 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.”

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