Alabama's Lone In-State Player Dominates in Victory Over Auburn

Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon Jr. scores 25 points in win over rival Tigers

Feb. 7, 2026 at 7:15pm

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Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr., the only player on the Crimson Tide roster from the state of Alabama, had a standout performance with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists to lead Alabama to a 96-92 victory over in-state rival Auburn. Philon, a Mobile native, overcame an early turnover-prone start to take over the game and outperform Auburn's Keyshawn Hall, who is second in the SEC in scoring.

Why it matters

The Alabama-Auburn basketball rivalry is one of the most intense in college sports, and having an in-state player like Philon step up in a big way for the Crimson Tide adds an extra layer of significance to the victory. Philon's dominance also reinforces his status as one of the top players in the SEC, as he continues to outperform highly touted peers like Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford.

The details

Philon committed 3 turnovers early but then settled in, finishing with just 1 turnover the rest of the way. He hit several tough, contested shots to lead Alabama to the victory. Auburn head coach Steven Pearl praised Philon's physical, downhill style of play that was difficult to stop, even with strong defensive efforts from Tigers forward Sebastian Williams-Adams.

  • Philon was a game-time decision due to a thigh bruise, but Alabama head coach Nate Oats said he would "give it a go" and "hopefully look closer to 100 percent" once he got warmed up.

The players

Labaron Philon Jr.

A sophomore guard for Alabama and the only player on the Crimson Tide roster from the state of Alabama. Philon is currently leading the SEC in points per game at 21.4.

Nate Oats

The head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team.

Steven Pearl

The head coach of the Auburn Tigers basketball team.

Keyshawn Hall

An Auburn forward who is second in the SEC in scoring at 20.9 points per game.

Tahaad Pettiford

An Auburn sophomore guard who was consistently ranked in the same tier as Labaron Philon Jr. prior to both players withdrawing from the 2025 NBA Draft.

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What they’re saying

“He's super talented. He got it going, made some tough shots, bailed us out when we had some really bad possessions late. We like to keep the turnovers down, he had three right out of the gate, so to only have one for the rest of the game was a lot better.”

— Nate Oats, Alabama Head Coach

“I thought two of his threes were just heavily contested stepbacks, and that's going to happen sometimes. He is an unbelievable player. He's going to be a first-round draft pick. He does those types of things.”

— Steven Pearl, Auburn Head Coach

What’s next

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The takeaway

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