NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Labaron Philon calls them his lucky plays. It's a modest descriptor for the free layps he gets when Alabama’s opponent turns the ball over.

“When I'm guarding somebody else and I can just turn around the see the ball loose, grab it, see a blur in the open floor, that's going to be easy for me,” Philon said. “That's because of my teammates turning them over and I get the chance to go down and lay the ball up. I credit them the most.”

It’s a humble response from a player who is typically the one creating most of those “lucky plays” for himself and his teammates on the defensive end. Philon did just that Friday night, grabbing three steals in No. 3 seed Alabama’s 99-70 win over No. 6 seed Kentucky in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.

The freshman was anything but fazed in his first poseason appearance at the college level. He finished with a team-high 21 points on 8 of 14 shooting, grabbed three rebounds and dished out four assists. He was a major catalyst on both ends in the Crimson Tide’s third victory of the season over the Wildcats.

According to Alabama coach Nate Oats, Philon’s performance on the offensive end needed a bit of a jolt to get going. He only shot 1 of 4 from beyond the arc, but Oats was happy to see his star freshman not fold after a few early misses in a postseason setting.

"He shot the one, I don't know if it got tipped or not, it was an airball," Oats said. "He passed up a couple immediately after. I said 'Because you miss a shot, we're not passing up open 3s. That's not how we're doing.' He stayed aggressive. He only hit the one. At least he was aggressive, which keeps him honest. He's able to get downhill.

"I thought the steals and the points off turnovers kind of got him going out in transition a little bit, got him aggressive going downhill, finishing at the rim. He was good. He's an instinctual player. Ends up with three steals. I thought his defensive intensity fueled his offense and got him going downhill."

Philon’s defensive intensity may be the most valuable part of his versatile game. He’s also a constant energizer, telling jokes to his teammates when they need a pick-me-up and showing plenty of emotion when he or someone else on Alabama converts a layup after another one of his trademark steals.

“It’s contagious,” Alabama guard Chris Youngblood said. “When you see somebody like Labaron, a young boy getting all hyped up. It’s contagious to everybody whether it's him, Mark [Sears], Grant [Nelson], Cliff [Omoruyi] blocking the shot. It’s always good when somebody just shows energy and passion on defense.”

Philon has been one of the Tide’s breakout stars this season, but his strong freshman campaign hasn’t been without its ups and downs. Philon hit a rough patch of form during the middle of SEC play. After starting the campaign in the Tide’s starting lineup, he was moved to the bench and dealt with a nagging ankle injury. His scoring dipped and he wasn't able to be as impactful on the defensive end.

Following Alabama’s loss to Auburn on Feb. 15, Philon was re-introducted to the Tide’s starting five. He got healthier and found his role in a three-guard lineup that includes himself, Sears and Youngblood.

Alabama’s offensive flow has increased since the switch. It’s allowed Sears to thrive as an off-ball scorer while Philon has seen a return to form and has averaged 14.1 points in Alabama’s last seven games. The move has brought the best out of Alabama’s offense and coincided with an increase in confidence from the freshman guard.

“I would say it’s good,” Philon said of his confidence level. “I don’t really think about it no more. I used to do a lot of overthinking and the coaches just told me, ‘Go out and play your game. You know what you’re capable of. But, just being able to have a chill mindset and go out there any play.”

Alabama will need Philon’s continued best if it wants to take down Florida in the semifinal round of the SEC Tournament. The freshman hasn’t shied away from the big moment and grew from some mid-season adversity to become one of the most impactful players on Alabama’s roster. While it’s been a pleasant surprise for Tide fans who are now enjoying the two-way impact of Philon’s presence, his coaches and teammates know his high impact is no accident.

“Since the day he stepped on campus, he was one of the most competitive guys,” Nelson said of his younger teammate. “He had something to prove, he felt like in the summer being a freshman, and I think that just shows a lot to his character and what he’s done to grow since he’s been here, and I mean, he did have a little tough stretch throughout the season but I think that just makes him a better player throughout.”