Kansas Jayhawks hoops pledge Philon: ‘They have one of greatest coaches alive’
Four-star Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball pledge Labaron Philon is counting down the days until he arrives in Lawrence this summer.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound senior point guard from Link Academy in Branson spoke with The Star about joining the Jayhawks in a recent Twitter Spaces Q&A.
Philon is ranked No. 32 in the recruiting class of 2024 by 247Sports.com, No. 30 by ESPN.com and No. 41 by Rivals.com.
Like many Kansas recruits, he prides himself on his defense.
“One of my underrated strengths is being able to guard the ball (and) get steals,” Philon said. “At one point, I led the league in steals, but I think I am second now. I think that’s one of my underrated attributes that a lot of people don’t look at.”
Philon went on to explain more about his playing style.
“My game has evolved to a pass-first, but able to score at will kind of guard,” he said. “Being able to make the right play, understanding floor spacing — wherever you are on the floor. (I) understand how to get guys to their spots and know everything before the play breaks down.”
Still, he knows he has things to improve upon. Number one on his list?
He says it’s making sure he remains in his defensive stance at all times, which means staying low and active overall. His goal is to lock down the other team’s best guard and be able to switch onto bigs with ease.
Philon said he keeps in touch with all of KU’s coaches but has a particularly close relationship with assistant coach Jeremy Case.
Case is constantly in Philon’s ear with advice. He also closely recruited Philon to Kansas after he’d initially committed to Auburn.
“I came down to four schools after I decommitted from Auburn, which was Kansas, Cincinnati, Alabama and Ole Miss,” Philon said. “It was a hard process because of all the coaches they kept it real. With (those) four, I could have chosen any school, but I chose Kansas because they have one of the greatest coaches still alive today in the game of basketball at the college level.
“When he ( Bill Self) got to finally watch me play — he came to my school. He told me, ‘All the things coach Case was telling him all along was true. Like, I can handle the ball (and) that I’ve been one of the best point guards in the country.’”
Philon continued: “He sat down with me and gave me the 100 percent truth that Kansas has had some good guards, but they’ve never really recruited one of the top point guards in the country, so he kept it real with that.”
Ever since KU’s initial interest, Philon has made multiple visits to Lawrence. That’s helped him grow comfortable with everyone on the team. Philon said he’s particularly close with a couple of Jayhawks from the 2023-24 roster, including Dajuan Harris, Hunter Dickinson, Jamari McDowell and Elmarko Jackson.
He adds that he’s excited to play with “whoever returns” and is excited to listen to the older guys who are coming back.
As for whether he thinks Dickinson, in particular, will return?
“I don’t know, that’s a good question,” Philon said coyly. “I couldn’t answer that. I don’t know nothing about that.”
Philon expects his role at KU to be similar to his current one at Link Academy.
“Get guys to their spots, share the ball, and move the ball,” he said. “When it breaks down, if you’re a bucket-getter, you’re going to get a bucket.”
Philon doesn’t have a timeline for how long he will be at Kansas. He prefers to take things day by day.
He does, however, have a message for Jayhawks fans.
“They are going to be getting a great, tough, grimy player next year,” he said. “And a great point guard, a great friend and a great guy. Rock Chalk.”
