Nate Oats Celebrates Labaron Philon’s All-American Honor at Alabama
Nate Oats celebrated Labaron Philon’s All-American honor after the AP named Philon to its third team. The announcement came on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The recognition adds to a string of recent program achievements at Alabama.
Team milestones under Oats
Oats led Alabama to its first Final Four two years ago. His tenure also accounts for two-thirds of the program’s Elite Eight appearances.
Alabama received a 4-seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That marks the program’s fifth 4-seed or better in history and the fourth straight season with such a seed.
AP All-Americans: past and present
Labaron Philon became the fifth AP All-American produced under Nate Oats. Before Oats arrived, Alabama had seven total AP All-Americans.
| Year | Player (Team) |
|---|---|
| 1974-75 | Leon Douglas (2nd) |
| 1975-76 | Leon Douglas (3rd) |
| 1977-78 | Reggie King (2nd) |
| 1978-79 | Reggie King (2nd) |
| 1982-83 | Ennis Whatley (3rd) |
| 1986-87 | Derrick McKey (3rd) |
| 2001-02 | Erwin Dudley (3rd) |
| Since Oats | Herb Jones (3rd), Brandon Miller (1st), Mark Sears (1st, 2nd), Labaron Philon (3rd) |
AP third-team announcement
The AP list released on March 17, 2026, included Kingston Flemings, Labaron Philon, Thomas Haugh, Christian Anderson, and Graham Ike. The NCAA March Madness account shared the list publicly.
Philon’s development and NBA outlook
Philon impressed as a freshman and initially declared for the NBA Draft. He then chose to return for his sophomore year.
In his second season, Philon roughly doubled his scoring average. He earned All-SEC and All-American honors while helping Alabama reach the NCAA Tournament.
His draft projection rose markedly. A year earlier he was seen as a late first or early second round pick. For 2026, projections place him near the lottery.
With the NCAA schedule moving toward games in Tampa and later Chicago, Alabama’s postseason remains in focus. Filmogaz.com will follow updates as the Tide compete and as Philon and others pursue pro opportunities.
