Labaron Philon Jr. doesn’t have to guess what Alabama’s next wave looks like. He’s already seen enough of it to know the Crimson Tide still have plenty to work with.
With his Alabama career finished and his NBA path starting after the Philadelphia 76ers selected him No. 22 overall, Philon pointed to a handful of names when asked which players should be on watch for the 2026-27 season. His first answer came quickly.
"I would say Cole [Cloer], definitely," Philon said first. "When I was there, he went on a visit and it was crazy how he shoots the ball.
I feel like Cole is going to be [really good]. Qayden Samuels and Tarris [Bouie], too.
I feel like they've got a really good team.
"They've got a lot of young guys that could really go. I feel like those guys want to play winning basketball, so they chose the right program. Especially Qayden Samuels, his size and play style is perfect for coach Oats."
Cloer is one of the more interesting pieces in the mix. The 6-foot-8, 190-pound forward redshirted this past season as an early enrollee at NC State before transferring to Alabama. At the time he committed to the Wolfpack, the 2026 four-star recruit was ranked No. 59 overall, No. 23 among small forwards and No. 8 in Florida, according to On3.
Nate Oats has already talked up Cloer’s scoring ability, saying he was one of the top scorers in his class during EYBL. Oats also said Cloer "has a great IQ and feel for the game," and that he has won "at every level he has played at.” Cloer will wear No. 33 in 2026-27.
Samuels brings a different kind of profile. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Bishop McNamara product from Forestville, Maryland, was a consensus four-star recruit and ranked No. 18 nationally, No. 6 at small forward and No. 2 in Maryland when he committed, per 247 Sports. He was also No. 23 in On3’s rankings and No. 22 in ESPN’s list.
Oats called Samuels a "very good athlete" and "one of the most sought-after players in the country." He also highlighted Samuels’ ability to play above the rim, something that should matter on both ends for Alabama.
Samuels will wear No. 11.
The Tide’s roster picture is still a little fluid, with up to six returners potentially on the floor depending on Aden Holloway’s legal matter and the health of Collins Onyejiaka, who missed almost all of last season with a heart condition but was recently seen practicing with the team in a video.
After the season-ending loss to Michigan in the Sweet 16, Oats made the size mandate clear: "we got to get bigger," he said. Alabama has followed that blueprint.
Every transfer is 6-foot-8 or taller, and the freshmen are all roughly 6-foot-6. If Holloway plays, he and Preston Murphy Jr. are the only true guards on the roster, with Murphy mostly appearing late in blowouts last season.
Even so, Philon described Amari Allen and London Jemison as guards, despite both being listed as forwards on the official roster.
"Looking at guard-wise, you've got Amari coming back, you've got London [Jemison] coming back," Philon said. "Those two guys for me would be my alpha dogs.
Them being there one year and knowing the system and stuff like that. They're the people that run the program, really.
Jemison’s role looks ready to expand. The 6-foot-8 sophomore averaged 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks in 15.7 minutes per game last season, starting 13 of 33 games. He spent a lot of his time in the corners as a catch-and-shoot option, but that should change as his responsibilities grow on and off the floor.
Philon also made sure to mention Jamarion Davis-Fleming, a Mississippi State transfer he knows well from playing together during his senior year at EYBL Peach Jam. "I know how good he is," Philon said.
Davis-Fleming spent his freshman season averaging 3.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 20.2 minutes per game. A four-star recruit and the No. 1 player in Mississippi in the 2025 class, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward gives Alabama another physical presence inside. He had two blocks in 10 of his 18 SEC games and pulled down at least eight rebounds six times.
Alabama’s projected group includes Aden Holloway, Preston Murphy Jr., Jaxon Richardson, Qayden Samuels, Tarris Bouie, Amari Allen, London Jemison, Keitenn Bristow, Cole Cloer, Jamarion Davis-Fleming, Brandon Garrison, Drew Fielder and Collins Onyejiaka, with Holloway, Bristow and Onyejiaka all carrying pending situations noted in the roster listing.
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Camaras profile has drawn plenty of attention because evaluators see him as one of the top interior offensive linemen in the country, with both 247Sports and Rivals drawing a comparison to former Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor. For LSU, it is another reminder that the battle for premium line talent is already fierce, and the Tigers will have to keep pressing elsewhere if they want to land a centerpiece up front in this class. [Read more 🡒]