Alabama entered its game on Wednesday night on a high note. The team was 11-3, and Alabama had just defeated Kentucky. The Tide suffered its fourth loss of the season on Wednesday night, falling to Vanderbilt 96-90. In the process, star player Labaron Philon left the game with full-body cramps.
“I don't know. Played 19 minutes. Had to go back and get an IV. Couldn't play,” head coach Nate Oats said after the game, according to The Field of 68. “I don't know why he's getting full-body cramps with only playing 19 minutes, but that's what we got going.”
Oats was clearly miffed by the fact that Philon had to leave the game due to his full cramps. He left the game just four minutes into the second half and would not return. When the star player left the game, Vanderbilt had just a one-point lead, which Alabama would take quickly. Still, without Philon in the lineup, they could not hold on, as Vanderbilt took back the lead and never let it go.
While it was frustrating for Oats not to have his best players, there should be a small sigh of relief for the fans. Philon suffered a groin injury in the win over Kennesaw State on December 21. He would then miss the December 29 game against Yale, but return to the lineup against Kentucky. This injury was not related to the groin injury that Philon suffered in December.
Philon is the leading scorer for the Tide this year. He is averaging 21.3 points per game while also leading the team with 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Further, he adds 3.4 rebounds per game to his stat line. Missing the guard for any extended period of time changes the outlook of this high-scoring offense, which averages 93.9 points per game.
Alabama is projected as a four seed in the NCAA Tournament. Philon and the Crimson Tide will return on Saturday, hosting Texas.
