His parents are Alicia and Labaron Sr. He has two sisters and a brother. Philon grew up in Mobile, Ala., and went to Baker High, where he was dominant from the jump.
He won his classification’s Player of the Year award as a sophomore and junior and was an elite scorer. He averaged 35 points his junior year, on his way to winning Alabama’s Mr. Basketball award. Philon played for Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit and wasn’t as successful, averaging 12 points and four assists. He challenged himself in his final year, heading to high school basketball powerhouse Link Academy. There, he played with a ridiculous roster that included 2025 lottery pick Tre Johnson, five-star 2025 recruit Jasper Johnson and other future high-major players. Philon and Johnson carried Link to the national semifinals at the Chipotle Nationals tournament.
Philon was a consensus top-40 recruit but wasn’t seen as a potential one-and-done. His recruitment had many twists and turns. He originally committed to Auburn during his junior season but decommitted after his primary recruiter, assistant coach Wes Flanigan, went to Ole Miss to join Chris Beard’s staff. Philon chose Kansas before the start of his senior season but decommitted after the team made its final roster choices for the 2024-25 season.
He committed to Alabama the summer before his freshman year and made an immediate impact, even though the Crimson Tide brought in several older guards who were expected to play ahead of him. Philon played the third-most minutes on the team, starting 29 games and winning All-Freshman honors in the SEC. He declared for the 2025 NBA Draft after the season and was invited to the NBA Draft Combine. However, he was the final player to decide to return to college at the early-entry deadline.
Philon took advantage of his sophomore season, winning first-team All-SEC honors as one of the most productive players in the country. He was named a third-team All-American by a few outlets and earned NCAA Tournament All-Region honors in the Midwest while leading the Crimson Tide to the Sweet 16. He declared for the 2026 draft after the season and is a likely first-round pick.
