Watch Labaron Philon, 2024 guard, commit to Auburn, calls decision ‘easy’

Labaron Philon, the four-star guard from Mobile’s Baker High School, committed Friday to Auburn and coach Bruce Pearl, calling it an easy decision, during a press conference in front of the student body at the school.

Philon said his decision was made a couple of weeks ago. Still, he was excited to make the news public.

“Coach Pearl kept his promise throughout the whole process,” Philon said after he made the announcement. “Even the last couple of nights, I talked to him on the phone, and he was excited to get me down there.”

Philon had narrowed down his choices to Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kansas, Ole Miss, and Tennessee.

“It was an easy decision,” he explained. “I just wanted to choose a school that was best for me.”

He had taken an official visit to Auburn and an unofficial to Alabama.

Philon’s Hornets are ranked No. 2 in Class 7A and are coming off a 69-68 overtime loss to Blount on Tuesday. The Hornets are now 21-6 heading into Friday’s final regular-season finale at Class 3A No. 1 Cottage Hill.

“I waited to the last game of the season and got it off my shoulders, so now I can just go play basketball.”

He expects to play the 2 when he gets to the Plains and added he looks up to guys like former Auburn stars Sharife Cooper and Jabari Smith.

“I think it was the right decision for him,” Baker coach David Armstrong told AL.com. “I think Auburn is the good place for him. We really enjoyed talking coaching staff and getting to know them. I think it is going to be a great fit for him both on the basketball court and off the basketball court.”

Philon, already Baker’s all-time leading scorer, is the reigning Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 7A Player of the Year and a top contender for this year’s Mr. Basketball Award.

In addition to averaging 38.6 points a game, Philon also is averaging 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.5 steals. He is shooting 51 percent from the field, 35 percent for 3-point range and 83 percent from the free throw line. That is coming off a sophomore season when he averaged 24.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in helping the Hornets to the Class 7A final four.

Philon is ranked as the top junior in the state of Alabama, according to the 247 composite rankings, and is No. 40 nationally.

His goal, however, remains the same. “To win a state championship,” he said.

Philon broke down his final six schools with 247Sports on Thursday.

“Auburn has been recruiting me since I first started playing basketball at 14 years old,” he said Thursday. “They were there then and when I started to getting hot and blowing up. They’ve been there with me through the whole process and stayed there along the way.”

On Alabama: “Ever since the 9th grade coach Oats and coach Pettway showed love and wanted to help me. They got good coaches over there and have done a really good job this season.”

On Arkansas: “Coach Musselman is a great coach who can help me get to the next level. I talk to him every day and we built a relationship by him recruiting me this year.”

On Kansas: “I like Coach Jeremy Case and that staff. Coach Case is a really good guy. He came down to my school and I don’t know how far it is but it’s far from Alabama. For him to come all the way down here for me was something special.”

On Ole Miss: “I went to an Ole Miss camp when I was 14 and did really well even though they were already recruiting me. From there me and coach Brock relationship grew and it was a great process. You never know what can happen but those guys kept it real with me throughout the whole process.”

On Tennessee: “I really like Tennessee because coach Barnes and coach Gregg. They tell me everything a student athlete wants to hear and It’s not just about basketball with them. They check up on my mom, see how my dad is doing, and my family all together. Every time they call it’s not always about basketball.”

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.

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