Labaron Philon Jr. previews matchup with Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson: ‘He has a flamethrower’
By David Wasson
Published:
The Alabama Crimson Tide are vying for a trip to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for a fourth straight season. But standing in the fourth-seeded Tide’s way is the fifth-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders and sharpshooting guard Christian Anderson.
Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. knows Anderson all too well, tangling with the Red Raiders standout in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League last summer, and was quick to point out just how effective Anderson can be.
“He’s a great player. He can score at all three levels,” Philon said during Saturday’s media availability before Sunday’s Round of 32 matchup (9:45 pm ET, TBS). “I matched with him in the EYBL last year. … I know that he has a flamethrower, so we have to make everything hard for him.”
Anderson drops 18.9 points per game, second on the Red Raiders roster behind injured JT Toppin’s 21.8 ppg. Anderson is also particularly potent with the pass, delivering 7.5 assists per game.
Anderson and Philon also face similar challenges heading into Sunday’s matchup, as Philon is tasked with carrying an Alabama offense that will be without Aden Holloway after his arrest before March Madness began. Anderson is also carrying the Texas Tech offense after Toppin went down with a knee injury in late February.
Here’s a look at the latest odds for Alabama to advance to the Sweet 16:
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
