The news that standout player Labaron Philon would be leaving the 2025 NBA draft to return to Tuscaloosa for the 2025–26 season sent the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball community into a frenzy late Wednesday night.
A startling revelation: earlier this month, Philon had declared that he would stay in the NBA draft, a move that would have ended his college career.
With this announcement, though, Philon will formally return to Alabama for the 2025–26 season, where he will be firmly established as a starter heading into his sophomore campaign after an outstanding rookie one.
In 29 of his 37 games as a freshman, Philon averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 45.2% from the field. In addition to shooting 76.7% from the free throw line and 31.5% from three-point range, Philon was selected as an SEC All-Freshman.
Let’s look at some social media responses to the news of Philon’s unexpected return to Alabama on Wednesday night, which is a huge update for the 2025–26 Crimson Tide overall.
