Texas Tech coach shares high praise for Labaron Philon Jr. ahead of showdown with Alabama
By David Wasson
Published:
Southeastern Conference basketball observers have seen Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. excel all season long. And now Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland is a fan as well.
The Red Raiders coach met with the media Saturday in advance of the Texas Tech-Alabama second-round NCAA Tournament game Sunday (9:45 pm ET, TBS) and talked about how strong Philon looks on tape – even when he isn’t actively scouting the Crimson Tide.
“Yeah, really impressed,” McCasland said. “It’s fun, you watch him play a lot, because we’re not scouting him for our league or for the purposes of playing, I’ve just watched him play and had it on in the background of watching other teams we’ve played.
You know, I tried to dissect some of it last night and then again this morning to try to get a feel for him, and I kept thinking, like, what can you take away — what can he not do? Every time I think I have a beat on it, it’s something else that he shows.”
Philon is dropping 22.0 points per game this season for Alabama, including a 29-point outburst for the fourth-seeded Tide against 13th-seeded Hofstra on Friday.
“Man, he can score at all the levels, passes so well, he’s competitive,” McCasland continued. “His motor runs non-stop. Just really impressed with his ability to orchestrate wins and figure out a way in different possessions to create advantages at all times.”
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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.
