Philon Leads Alabama in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 20, Alabama basketball enters the 2026 NCAA Tournament with big hopes, thanks largely to Stargarde, LeBaron Philone. The fourth seeded crimson-tied face, 13th-seated Hofstra on Friday, March 20, with tip-off at 2.15pm, Central Time on True TV. Alabama leaves the nation in scoring and wants to go deeper than last year's Elite 8 run. Philone earned third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, National Association of Basketball, Coaches and Sporting News. He also made first-team All-SEC this season after landing on the SEC All-Fresseron team as a rookie. Fans and scouts rave about Philone's impact on the court. He leads Alabama with 21.7 points per game, hitting over 50% of his field goals and 40% from three-point range. He's the only Division I player this year, averaging those numbers, plus 4.5 assists. His play has NBA teams paying close attention.

1:02Mark Drafts from ESPN and CBS Sports Project, Philone as a late first-round pick in the 2026 draft, potentially going as high as 17th overall. As the tie chase a title, all eyes stay on Philone to carry them through March Madness and boost his pro-stock even higher.