The Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team picked up a big win on Wednesday night, outlasting the Clemson Tigers 90-84 in the ACC/SEC Challenge. Sophomore guard Labaron Philon Jr. delivered a standout performance, and head coach Nate Oats used the moment to issue a pointed challenge aimed at pushing his young star to elevate his overall impact even further.
Alabama improved to 6-2 behind a tied career high 29 points from Philon in the Alabama vs. Clemson showdown. He shot 9-of-17 from the field and 8-of-8 at the line, hit a clutch jumper in the final minutes, and guided a short-handed Crimson Tide group that again showed its depth. Alabama played without second-leading scorer Aden Holloway and starters Keitenn Bristow and Latrell Wrightsell Jr., yet still closed the game on a 9-1 run despite missing their second scoring option.
Sports Illustrated’s Hunter De Silver took to his X (formerly known as Twitter), sharing Oats’ full message for Philon after the win and noting how the coach balanced praise with a very specific demand on the defensive end. De Silver’s post highlighted how Alabama basketball sees the sophomore as much more than just a scorer.
“He's making a lot of winning plays on the offensive end…I think the foul trouble might have scared him away from being as aggressive as we needed to be on defense because he's capable of being an elite defender…Being the best two-way guard in the country is my challenge to him.”
The best two-way guard standard Oats referenced is what could ultimately separate Philon from other elite guards and cement him as a first-round lock by the time the 2026 NBA Draft rolls around. The head coach of the Crimson Tide has built the program around pace, spacing, and aggressive defense, and he clearly believes his floor general can drive that identity on both ends. Philon did battle foul trouble as Clemson erased a 19-point first-half deficit and briefly took the lead, a reminder of where his next areas of growth still lie.
