NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats mentioned during the regular season that he felt like the Crimson Tide was embracing the "villain role" on what it hopes will be return to the Final Four.
As the three-seed Crimson Tide brought out the belts against Kentucky in SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, freshman guard Labaron Philon was living proof.
After tying a career-high 21 points against the 'Cats, Philon told reporters in the locker room that he's seen as the "villain."
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A known movie buff, Philon showed his tattooed sleeves, depicting icons of the horror scene like Michael Myers from "Halloween," Chucky from "Child's Play" and Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in "The Dark Knight."
Then, Philon pulled out his basketball shoes, which feature an outline of the Joker's ear-to-ear grin with his quote from the film, "Why so serious?"
Philon didn't want to say exactly why he preferred villains over heroes, but he did share why his teammates, and those who have faced him, know the kid from Mobile, Alabama , as a bad man.
"They look at me as a villain guy because I always try to be good on the defensive end," Philon chuckled. "It just comes from some of my favorite movies."
To help Alabama (25-7) seal its first three-win streak in history Kentucky, Philon rounded out his stat-line with a team-high four assists and another three steals to lead the roster.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Labaron Philon loves being 'villain' for Alabama basketball as first March Madness nears
