Two players who once wore Kansas blue-at least briefly-are now lighting it up elsewhere, and their emergence is a reminder of how quickly the college basketball landscape can shift. Labaron Philon and David Coit never truly found their place in Lawrence, but they’re both proving this season that they absolutely belong on the big stage.
Let’s start with Philon. Two years ago, he was a prized recruit for Kansas, expected to bolster a roster looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2023-24 season.
But when KU loaded up on veteran guards through the transfer portal-bringing in names like Rylan Griffen and AJ Storr-Philon saw the writing on the wall. Playing time was going to be hard to come by.
So he pivoted, choosing to head closer to home and suit up for Alabama.
That decision has paid off in a big way. Philon made an immediate impact as a freshman, putting up 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in under 25 minutes of action.
He looked confident, composed, and ready for the moment. And in year two?
He’s taken a major leap. Philon is now averaging 21.9 points, 3.6 boards, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while playing nearly 29 minutes a night.
That’s not just growth-it’s a breakout.
What makes Philon’s rise even more compelling is how it contrasts with the struggles of the players Kansas brought in instead. Griffen and Storr never quite settled into Bill Self’s system, and the Jayhawks stumbled through a second straight underwhelming season.
It’s fair to wonder-if Philon had stayed, would things have played out differently? His production suggests he could’ve been a difference-maker in a backcourt that lacked consistency.
Then there’s David Coit. After Philon chose Alabama, Kansas pivoted and brought in Coit, a dynamic scorer from Northern Illinois.
He was undersized at 5-foot-11, but his scoring résumé spoke volumes-1,051 points in just two seasons. At KU, though, Coit never found his rhythm.
His minutes were limited, and he averaged just 5.1 points per game. Still, there were glimpses of what he could do.
Coit transferred to Maryland after one season, and he’s proving he belongs in the Power Four. With the Terrapins, he’s averaging 14.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, and he’s been automatic at the free throw line-91.9% on the season. He’s showing the kind of scoring punch that Kansas could’ve used off the bench, especially during stretches when the offense stalled.
Now, this isn’t about second-guessing every roster decision. The current KU team is playing some of its most entertaining basketball in recent years, and Self has clearly made adjustments that are working.
But Philon and Coit are reminders that sometimes the best fits aren’t always the flashiest names in the portal. Sometimes the right guys are already in your building-or at least committed to it.
Philon, in particular, looks like a player who could’ve transformed last season’s Kansas squad. His ability to create, score, and defend at a high level would’ve addressed several of the issues that plagued the Jayhawks during their back-to-back subpar campaigns. Coit, meanwhile, may not have been a star in Lawrence, but his current production at Maryland shows he had more to give than he was allowed to show.
In the end, both players made the right calls for their careers. They found systems that fit their games, and they’re thriving because of it. For Kansas, it’s a lesson in roster building: sometimes the players who slip away end up being the ones who could’ve made the biggest difference.
And while the what-ifs will always linger, one thing is clear-Labaron Philon and David Coit are proving they belong on the national stage, even if it isn’t in Allen Fieldhouse.