Labaron Philon Jr. knows the Alabama path as well as anyone, and before his own leap to the NBA, he had a simple message for Amari Allen: patience can pay off.
Allen tested the draft waters this spring, but chose to return to Alabama for his sophomore season. Philon, meanwhile, became the next Crimson Tide player to hear his name called in Brooklyn, where the Philadelphia 76ers took him with the No. 22 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft last week. The conversation between the two wasn’t some formal sit-down, but Philon said he had been talking with Allen throughout the season about what that decision could mean.
"Not really," Philon told BamaCentral in New York City the day before he was drafted. "I talked with him throughout the season, telling him that he was going to be in the same position I was in last year. It's a win-win situation, really.
"You go back, you develop more in your game and you learn more from coach Oats. You play with great players again, and you end up with a higher chance of being picked in the lottery and being in the green room.
Or you could stay in the draft and be a first-round pick. I thought he would be a first-round pick - he played at that level all year."
That advice carries extra weight because Philon lived through the process himself. After an All-SEC Freshman season, he entered the 2025 NBA Draft, went through the combine, heard the projections, and didn’t like what he saw. Late first to second round wasn’t enough for him, so he came back to Alabama about an hour before the withdrawal deadline.
The move worked. Philon put together a monster second season, earning SEC Player of the Week honors four times.
He finished third in the conference in scoring at 21.5 points per game on 50.7 percent shooting and ranked fourth in assists at 4.8 per game. His 3-point shot also jumped from 31.5 percent as a freshman to 39.9 percent in Year 2.
Allen had his own strong freshman campaign. He started 24 of 32 games and averaged 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week three times and made the All-SEC Freshman Team.
But the finish to his season wasn’t as sharp. Allen’s numbers dipped in March, especially from the perimeter.
Through his first 25 games, he shot 47.1 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from 3-point range. Over his final seven games, those marks fell to 36.1 percent overall and 8.0 percent from deep, with just two made 3s on 25 attempts.
Philon said that kind of stretch didn’t change what he sees in Allen.
"I would just say that him struggling at the end of the year, it didn't faze him," Philon said. He kept the same work ethic.
That's why I think going back would be good for him, just because I had some moments like that my freshman year where I didn't get going. Then you just have to better yourself and back up that confidence.
"I made it back to the team [before the NBA Draft], and I've seen him [while] watching practices. Whenever I've been on the road, coach Oats knows that I still watch the practices.
But with Amari, patience [is needed]. That patience, it was definitely [a huge help] for me.
"...Really just (Allen) coming out next year, I think there'll be a possibility that he has the chance to be in the same position that I am."
Philon is the latest Alabama player to turn a second season under Nate Oats into a bigger opportunity. Allen now gets the same chance.
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