BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The No. 8 Alabama basketball program got back on track on Wednesday defeating the No. 25 Illinois Fighting Illini 100-87. The Crimson Tide program is still in the process of getting to know its personnel as Alabama welcomed eight new scholarship players for the 2024-25 season.

The Crimson Tide faithful knew it had a lot to be excited about with the talented players returning and a highly rated recruiting class that included two McDonalds All-Americans in Derrion Reid and Aiden Sherrell, however, the biggest surprise may be one of the team’s best players in freshman guard LaBaron Philon.

The freshman guard from Baker High School by way of Link Academy in Missouri logged his fourth college game with double digit scoring as he tied for third on the team in points against Illinois with 16. Additionally he chipped in nine assists with seven rebounds, two steals and a block.

“Philon showed why he’s a pro and moving up everybody’s draft board. That’s a bad boy right there,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said.”

Has the Alabama product surprised Oats in his ability to assimilate to the college game so quickly?

“Go back to last spring when he opened his recruitment up and we took him. Yes, I’m surprised from then, but if you’d have asked me after the summer after watching what he did in June, July, August. He came in an established himself as one of the best guards in the program right out of the gate in the month of June.” Oats said.

“I think he came in and competed. He had the right mindset coming in. When he opened up his recruitment he made the point, ‘If I’m not going to play much, because Kansas took a lot of transfer guards, that’s where he’d signed. ‘If i’m not going to play much I’d rather be home in Alabama at Alabama, if I’m not going to play much’. I just said ‘Look, just come in and work hard and we’ll see what you can earn’. So he kind of just came in expecting nothing, had to earn everything. When you feel like you’ve got to earn everything, that’s when I feel like you starting playing your best. That’s why we don’t ever promise anybody minutes, starting spots, really anything around here. I think you make everybody come in and earn it. All of the sudden you get guys like Labaron that blossom”

Oats said in his Tuesday press conference he’s already hearing from NBA scouts about his freshman sensation. Philon is third on the team in scoring through five games and added a hard hat award for his efforts against the Fighting Illini. He credited preparation and a calm mindset for his quick start tot the current year.

“Really just being in the moment. As a young guy you probably get nervous or a lot of butterflies. I just try to stay calm in every moment and confident. Once you get in the gym, once you get on the court it’s all confidence then.”