TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— To say that the Alabama basketball team is familiar with the repertoire of junior Mississippi State point guard Josh Hubbard would be understating the level of impact Hubbard has had against the Crimson Tide in the recent past. On Tuesday night, No. 18 Alabama (11-5, 1-2 SEC) gets to deal with him again in its trip to Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville (8 p.m. CT).
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Hubbard led all Bulldogs scorers both times Mississippi State played Alabama last season, putting up 38 points during the matchup in Humphrey Coliseum last January and 21 in a lopsided loss in Tuscaloosa the following month. This season, he averages 29.3 points per game against SEC opponents. He’s one of the best guards in the league, and plays like it opposite the Crimson Tide.
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Alabama head coach Nate Oats hasn’t forgotten what Hubbard has done against his squad. Alabama may have escaped Hubbard’s season-high scoring game with a win last season in Starkville. That doesn’t mean the team is comfortable giving him a chance to repeat a performance where he made 14 shot attempts from the field and six three-pointers.
Oats said the coaching staff advised last season’s team of Hubbard’s talent before facing him in his home arena, but felt like there were too many plays the 2024-25 Crimson Tide let up against him on the road, especially early on.
“We better have a better plan than we did last year when he had 38. They’re a good team, and he can score it. We gotta have some guards be ready to play him. They can’t fall asleep off the ball,” Oats said on Monday afternoon. “As soon as you fall asleep, he’s sprinting off an off-ball screen or sprinting back to get it back from the big after he threw it to him.”
The Bulldogs’ (10-6, 2-1 SEC) star player is currently averaging 22.8 points, 2.3 boards and 3.8 assists per contest while shooting 42.8 percent from the field. Unsurprisingly, Hubbard is Mississippi State’s leading scorer; he also leads the Bulldogs in assists. Oats (as many would) interprets the challenge of stopping Hubbard as an approach requiring the Crimson Tide to spare no expense defensively.
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“You gotta be alert that he’s probably coming back towards the ball at any point. When he’s got the ball in his hands, he’s been elite in ball screens. If you don’t have your big up to level the ball screen, he comes off. He’s pretty good shooting pull-ups,” he said. “It’s a lot of pressure to put your guards on, but if you bring your big up, [and] he gets too aggressive, he’s also been splitting and turning around.”
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Oats has been vocal about wanting Alabama’s guards to defend better. On Monday, he chalked up sophomore Jalil Bethea’s recent decline in minutes to his defensive form. If the Crimson Tide coach wanted a trial-by-fire test in that department for his backcourt players, Hubbard is more than capable of obliging. That goes for the frontcourt as well.
“Our bigs gotta be ready to do their job correctly, and we probably gotta have a little bit [of] change-up in our ball-screen coverages with him,” Oats said. “Our guards can’t fall asleep. They gotta be elite, and he’s also pretty good at drawing fouls… He kinda kicks his legs out on his jumper. Seems like it’s kinda part of his jumper, but he seems to draw a lot of fouls, so we gotta be able to guard him without fouling too.”
Defending without the foul was not an area in which the Crimson Tide excelled during Saturday’s loss to Texas at Coleman Coliseum. Four players finished the game with four fouls, one of whom was junior shooting guard Aden Holloway. Freshmen Amari Allen and London Jemison, along with forward Keitenn Bristow, also picked up four fouls. Guard Houston Mallette had three.
Alabama has won eight games in a row against Mississippi State. Its last loss in the series came at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 15, 2022. Four of the Crimson Tide’s past five losses against the Bulldogs have been on the road. Keeping Hubbard, who has reached 30 points or more in three of his past six games, in check is a critical component to Alabama avoiding that fate in 2026.
Additional performers include Chuck Leavell, Act of Congress, Roman Street, Will McFarlane and the Muscle Shoals All-Stars, Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee, the Montevallo Community Band and numerous other artists representing Alabama’s diverse musical traditions.
Beyond the music, visitors will find historical reenactments, military encampments, battle demonstrations and the popular America’s Stories presentation series, where historians and costumed interpreters bring pivotal moments from American history to life.
The festival will also showcase Alabama’s culinary heritage through America’s Kitchen, featuring live cooking demonstrations and competitions from chefs across the state, including Columbiana native Jonathan Harrison.
Families can expect a full lineup of children’s activities, hands-on educational experiences, games, crafts, puppet shows and performances by Perondi’s All-Star Stunt Dogs.
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One unique addition to the July 4 schedule will be a screening of “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero” at 6:30 p.m. inside the West Wing Theatre. The animated film tells the true story of America’s most decorated war dog and is designed as a family-friendly tribute to service, courage and patriotism.
Organizers say Sweet Home 250 will also place special emphasis on Alabama’s role in the nation’s story.
In addition to exploring America’s founding, the event will highlight Alabama’s contributions to 250 years of American history through music, art, education and cultural programming.
“The Semiquincentennial gives us a rare opportunity to pause and consider the remarkable journey of our country,” Steed said. “We can honor the courage of those who came before us while also thinking about the kind of nation we want to continue building together.”
The celebration will culminate with a fireworks display over Independence Hall on the evening of July 4, providing a fitting finale to Alabama’s largest America 250 event.
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For organizers, however, the festival’s lasting impact will extend beyond concerts, exhibits and fireworks.
“We hope people leave inspired,” Miller said. “We want families talking on the drive home about what they saw, what they learned and what it means to be part of this ongoing American story.”
As America approaches its 250th birthday, Sweet Home 250 offers Alabamians an opportunity not only to celebrate the nation’s past but also to reflect on the principles that continue to shape its future.
“America’s story is still being written,” Miller said. “Every generation adds its own chapter. Sweet Home 250 is a chance for all of us to celebrate the chapters that came before us and consider what we will contribute to the next ones.”
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. with the 22nd overall pick of the 2026 NBA draft Tuesday night.
Philon is the first pick of the Mike Gansey era after he replaced Daryl Morey as the team’s president of basketball operations.
Who is Labaron Philon Jr.?
Philon, 20, led the Crimson Tide in scoring last season, averaging 22.0 points on nearly 40% shooting on 3-pointers. He was the focal point of one of the nation’s most potent offenses, as Alabama led the country in points per game in the 2025-26 season. The Crimson Tide (No. 16) finished the season with a 25-10 record and went 13-5 against conference opponents.
Philon, who helped lead Alabama to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament, earned Third-Team All-American and First-Team All-SEC honors in his sophomore season.
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In 33 games last season for Alabama, Philon scored 725 total points, which is ranked third-most by a player in a single season in program history.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Labaron Philon Jr. after he is drafted twenty-second overall by the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City.
Arturo Holmes / Getty Images
Philon was the 34th-ranked basketball recruit in the country entering his freshman season at Alabama, according to 247sports. The four-star guard initially committed to playing at Auburn, but decommitted. He then signed a letter of intent to play at Kansas, but didn’t play there, either. He then committed to the Crimson Tide in April 2024.
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Philon impressed as a freshman at Alabama and averaged 10.6 points in 37 games. He declared for the 2025 NBA draft but then withdrew and returned for his sophomore season, where he saw his scoring average jump more than 10 points.
Philon is a Mobile, Alabama, native and played at Baker High School in Mobile County, where he scored 2,334 points in three seasons. He was named the Class 7A Player of the Year twice.
As a junior, he averaged 35 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists and was named Alabama Mr. Basketball, which is given to the best high school boys’ basketball player in the state. Philon transferred to Link Academy, a boarding school in Missouri, for his senior year of high school.
Philon now joins a backcourt headlined by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe heading into the 2026-27 season. Quentin Grimes could return to Philadelphia next season and add even more depth, but he’s an unrestricted free agent.
The pick the Sixers used to pick Philon was acquired in the deal that sent Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the trade deadline.
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Labaron Philon Jr. scouting report
CBS Sports had Philon ranked as the 14th-best prospect in the 2026 NBA draft.
Here are his strengths and weaknesses, according to CBS Sports:
Strengths
On-ball creator who made an extreme leap as a sophomore, ranking in the 99th percentile in isolations (was 24th percentile as a freshman) and 94th as a pick-and-roll handler (was 32nd percentile as a freshman). Combines smooth attack with sudden change of speed and direction, dexterity, and finishing craft in the lane.
Shot-maker who can make tough shots off both the catch (36% on contested catch-and-shoot 3-pointers), dribble (38% from deep), and has extreme gravity when he’s spacing the floor (46% on unguarded catch-and-shoot 3-pointers).
Shown pliability to thrive in different roles over the years and is a similarly versatile creator, because he’s a scoring threat at multiple levels and also an accurate, and somewhat creative, passer with both hands off the dribble.
Weaknesses
Inconsistent defensive approach. Showed more engagement and potential as a freshman, but couldn’t maintain that as a sophomore when taking on a bigger offensive role.
Lacks overwhelming physicality or highest level explosiveness, and didn’t add any notable muscle mass between his freshman and sophomore seasons (175 pounds at 2025 combine and 176 at 2026 combine).
Unclear how well his creation scales to the NBA level when he will have less usage and volume coupled by more physicality in opposing defenders.
Alabama football hosted a hometown kid for an official visit last weekend when it got Jeremiah Beverley on campus for an official visit.
Beverley attends Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and ESPN currently has him rated as a four-star recruit. He is considering Alabama, Cincinnati, Wake Forest and others.
The Crimson Tide offered Beverley earlier this month and got him on campus for an official visit last weekend. The Alabama target told Touchdown Alabama he used the visit to learn what the Tide has planned for him if he commits.
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“I’m truly happy that I went on that official visit,” Beverley said. “Blessed for that. All I was talking about was the next step, what I got to do? So, just knowing what they have planned for me, knowing what they have set for me.”
At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Beverley makes plays for Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa as a defensive end. Alabama has plans to use him similarly at the next level.
“They’re going to have me at wolf mostly,” Beverley said. “I know coach (Kane) Wommack and coach (Christian) Robinson, I think they see me at other positions, but I know it is guaranteed they’re going to see me at Wolf and me working my way up on special teams, and they expect that out of me.”
Beverley is expected to announce a commitment decision on Friday.
Watch Jeremiah Beverley’s Highlights Below:
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Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.
