Labaron Philon not expected to be 100% for rest of Alabama basketball season

• Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats does not expect point guard Labaron Philon to be fully healthy for the rest of the season.
• Philon's specific injury has not been disclosed, but he has previously dealt with contusions and a thigh-groin issue.
• Oats stated that the team's focus is now on managing Philon's injury rather than a full recovery this year.

Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats isn't expecting Labaron Philon to finish out the rest of the season healthy.

When asked for an update on the point guard in the days after the 79-73 win at Tennessee, Oats seemed careful to speak.

"I think he's a lot better than he was after LSU," Oats said Monday, Mar. 2.

Philon's injury still has yet to be disclosed. However, he has previously dealt with in-game "contusions," per Oats, and a thigh-groin issue.

Sitting Philon in the mid-week against Mississippi State before the trip to Knoxville paid off to Oats, who saw "a lot more pop" from the potential first-round pick with his 23-point performance off the bench at Tennessee.

"We didn't practice yesterday. We practiced today. He's not 100%. I don't know with what he's dealing with if he will be for the rest of the year," Oats said.

The Crimson Tide has to be "smart" with Philon for the remainder of the season, according to Oats, as Alabama trainers are now more focused on managing the injury rather than a full recovery by the final game of the year.

"If he had to play a game today, he'd play it, but it wouldn't look great. Hopefully, he looks a lot better tomorrow," Oats said.

Oats added that more rest time between Tuesday at Georgia and Saturday, Mar. 7 at home against Auburn will be beneficial for Philon

"We're probably not going to practice him hard for the rest of the year, so we just got to get these guys that are playing in the rotation as healthy as we can," Oats continued.

Oats did not provide an official status for Philon ahead of the game at Georgia on Tuesday, Mar. 3.

No. 16 Alabama (22-7, 12-4 SEC) and the Bulldogs tip off at 5:30 p.m. CT on ESPN News.

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at [email protected].