High-scoring high school guard, originally from Alabama, lists KU basketball, 3 others
Labaron Philon, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound senior point guard from Link Year Academy in Branson, on Monday cut his list of prospective colleges to four: Kansas, Alabama, Cincinnati and Mississippi.
He made the announcement on Joe Tipton’s Twitter account (TiptonEdits).
Philon, who is from Mobile, Alabama, initially committed to Auburn on Feb. 3. He decommitted on April 21 and reopened his recruitment.
Philon — he is ranked No. 27 in the recruiting class of 2024 by 247Sports.com, No. 31 by ESPN.com and No. 37 by Rivals.com — at one time had Tennessee, Houston, LSU, Louisville, Penn State, Arkansas and others on his list.
“Philon plays the game with a lot of swagger,” wrote Andrew Stefaniak of SI.com. “He can distribute the basketball, get to the rim and shoot. His 6-4 frame also helps him to be a lockdown defender. Philon is going to smother smaller guards at the next level.”
Philon as a junior playing for Mobile’s Baker High School won the state’s Mr. Basketball Award last season. He also was Alabama’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He told Tipton he will visit Mississippi on Sept. 15.
Philon averaged 35.0 points a game as a junior and finished the 2022-23 season with 1,075 points. He also contributed 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He’s scored 2,334 points during his high school career according to AL.com.
Noted Jamie Shaw of On3.com: “Labaron Philon is a quick-on-quick lead guard. He has long arms and a projectable frame with wide shoulders. Philon has a quick handle that gets him into the paint. He can knock down a jump shot with 3-point range and consistency. There is a confidence and a competitiveness with Philon. He needs to add strength as he has a slight frame.
“There is upside on the defensive end. He can move his feet guarding the ball and is quick to get into the passing lanes. There is a natural smoothness he has on the ball with an upside to continue getting better.”
