The Alabama Basketball program made a major early-season statement on Wednesday night, defeating No. 8 ranked Illinois by a score of 90-86 in a thrilling ranked college basketball showdown at the United Center in Chicago. The win not only lifted the No. 11 ranked Crimson Tide’s national profile but also prompted head coach Nate Oats to deliver a championship-level message about his program’s ambitions and belief in sophomore point guard Labaron Philon.
On3Sports’s Charlie Potter took to his X (formerly known as Twitter), posting Oats’ postgame comments after the Crimson Tide’s four-point win over Illinois. The coach of the Crimson Tide made it clear that both his star player and team share one mission this season.
“He’s an Alabama kid that wants to take Alabama further than it’s ever gone. … He came back to win a national championship, and I think we’ve got the team to do it.”
The sophomore guard dropped 24 points and dished out five assists, including 19 points in the second half as the Crimson Tide erased a one-point halftime deficit. Alabama built momentum with a balanced attack around Philon’s playmaking, as Taylor “Bol” Bowen scored 12 points, Aden Holloway added 11, and both Houston Mallette and Keitenn Bristow contributed 10. Illinois, led by Andrej Stojakovic’s game-high 26 points and Kylan Boswell’s 22, battled to stay within reach but couldn’t overcome Alabama’s offensive efficiency down the stretch.
Oats’ championship remarks underscored the continued rise of the Alabama Basketball program. Since guiding the Crimson Tide to their first-ever Final Four in 2023-2024 and an Elite Eight appearance in 2024-2025, Oats has cultivated one of the country’s most dynamic systems. With Philon returning as a preseason All-SEC guard, Alabama has the mix of experience, depth, and talent to make another deep run.
Now 3-1 on the season, the Crimson Tide have already picked up two ranked victories — vs. Illinois and St. John’s — with their lone loss coming to No. 2 Purdue. Alabama looks poised to compete for a national title come March.
