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NBA Draft 2026: Scouting Notes From Alabama, Auburn Exhibition Games

Ben Pfeifer Written by Sports EditorBen Pfeifer
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College basketball unofficially kicked off this week with two exhibition games in Birmingham, Alabama. Oklahoma State knocked off Auburn in overtime and Alabama beat Florida State in the two televised games. While these games are only preseason, we watched and previewed four fairly new-look rosters with NBA prospects galore.

Let’s dive into some of the most intriguing NBA prospects I watched in the two games, from 2026 projected top 10 picks to older sleepers to long-term development projects. The defensive play especially felt like preseason, but there’s some relevant information we can glean here.

Labaron Philon┃Guard┃Alabama┃Sophomore

Labaron Philon was easily the most impressive prospect across the two games, dominating Florida State in a preseason win. After a strong freshman season, Philon elected to return to college basketball to boost his stock from the late-first-round projections he saw in the spring. Against Florida State, he dropped 28 points and 4 assists on 8-12 shooting with multiple 3-pointers.

I have viewed him as a lottery-plus talent for nearly a year, but some of his limitations as a driver and interior scorer as a freshman raised red flags. That version of Philon, who struggled to draw fouls (28.7% free-throw rate) and finish at the rim (45% in the half-court) last season, was nowhere to be found against the Seminoles. Philon drew 10 fouls in that game, good for an unofficial career high.

Across his 114 career college, high school and AAU games logged by Synergy Sports, Philon’s only double-digit free-throw attempt game was 14 free-throw a 15u EYBL game in 2021. Against the Seminoles, he carved the defense with a live dribble, maintaining his handle deep into drives and living at the hoop. He looks significantly stronger and sturdier in his legs and core, which helped him absorb blows and finsish through contact.

Philon nailed a few impressive, in rhythm off-dribble threes alongside his usual playmaking and defensive goodness. A much weaker Alabama roster than last season will rely on Philon for more creation than ever. If the results are anything like what we saw in Birmingham, it will be difficult to keep him out of the top-10 or even top-5 picks in 2026.

Elyjah Freeman┃Wing┃Auburn┃Sophomore

The Division II transfer took a bit of time to settle into his first D1 college action, struggling to find his feet early on. Elyjah Freeman erupted in the second half, though, finishing the contest with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists (no turnovers) on 13 shots. The 6’8 wing dominated DII college basketball as a freshman and flashed his talent against Oklahoma State.

Freeman is a stellar driving prospect and looked comfortable attacking off the bounce in the second half, burning defenders to the rim for layups and free-throws. He nailed an impressive movement 3-point shot and made some plays on the defensive end. As he gains more experience at the D1 level, these flashes will continue turning into winning impact.

Defending the ball was Freeman’s major area of weakness on his DII tape and Oklahoma State consistently beat him off of the dribble to the rim. Young athletes like Freeman tend to improve on defense with experience and time on the court. His offensive talent is that of a lottery pick and Freeman will continue to prove himself an NBA talent throughout the season.

Sebastian Williams-Adams┃Forward┃Auburn┃Freshman

Despite only scoring six points against Oklahoma State, Williams-Adams consistently imprinted himself on the game throughout his minutes. Most of his impact came on the defensive end, where Williams-Adams weaponizes his 6’8 frame, exceptional movement skills and sharp instincts to thrive as an on and off-ball defender.

He has a sixth sense for defensive rotations, pointing towards high level awareness, a rare trait among freshman defenders. Williams-Adams put some high-level off-ball defensive flashes on tape this week, showcasing the mental and physical tools to make out-of-area rotations and defend the rim as a helper.

Williams-Adams scored six points on just a few shots, but has the movement skills and handling coordination to take other bigs off the dribble, especially from dribble handoffs. Significant scoring warts mean Williams-Adams likely won’t enter the 2026 NBA Draft, but his feel for the game and defensive potential warrant real prospect consideration.

Thomas Bassong┃Wing┃Florida State┃Freshman

Bassong’s physical tools were easy to spot on tape; the 6’8 Frenchman with a reported 7’3 wingspan has unteachable traits NBA teams covet. He’s quite mobile for his size, often taking the primary perimeter assignment for the Seminoles. Great length, instincts and movement skills resulted in some impressive plays recovering at the point-of-attack.

Alongside his defensive flashes, Bassong drilled a confident catch-and-shoot three and drove to the hole with some guard-like crossovers and fluidity. If he continues playing as he did against Alabama, Florida State won’t be able to keep him from their regular rotation. At the very least, his flashes this week make him a draft prospect worth paying attention to.

Amari Allen┃Wing┃Alabama┃Freshman

On a night where most of Alabama’s young players struggled mightily, Allen was a bright spot, adding necessary scoring punch next to Philon. He primarily added value as a complementary player, scoring opportunistically, finding cutters in the open floor and rotating to defend the rim.

Allen received a few on-ball possessions in the second half and made the most of those chances, flashing impressive burst and explosiveness on drives. The 6’8 freshman looked like a possible NBA prospect against Florida State as an oversized two-way wing that Nate Oats will have to rely on this season.

Robert McCray V┃Guard┃Florida State┃Senior

McCray spent his previous two college seasons dominating for Jacksonville University and picked up where he left off against Alabama. He scored 26 points on 16 shots, living at the basket to the tune of 13 free-throw attempts. McCray was simply too explosive, fast and aggressive for the Tide to slow down, especially with a weak defensive backcourt.

On multiple occasions, McCray split ball screens to create shots for teammates, stringing the ball behind his back on one of those plays. The senior guard has a chance to be one of the ACC’s strongest scorers who also makes plays on defenses. That’s enough to earn him NBA Draft buzz if he plays as well as he did against Alabama.

Anthony Roy┃Guard┃Oklahoma State┃Senior

Roy looked the part of a professional offensive player against Auburn, translating his scoring dominance from the low-major level. The Green Bay transfer dropped 28 points and 12 boards on 20 shots in the exhibition game, showcasing NBA-caliber shotmaking, playmaking and creativity with the ball in his hands.

If he does end up leaving for the NBA after this season, Roy will turn 25 as a rookie, which will make his path to a consistent rotation home more challenging. His slighter frame and inconsistent could lead some teams away, but offensive talents like Roy usually earn pro opportunities in some capacity.

Taylor Bol Bowen┃Forward┃Alabama┃Junior

Bol Bowen figures to be a key role player for the Tide as one of their few capable two-way wings. He looked confident as a complementary offensive player, hitting threes off the catch and flashing some ball skills in the open floor after a closeout or botched defensive rotation.

The former Seminole will bring much needed rim protection to the Tide, ranking second in the ACC in block rate (7.1%) last season. He flashed his movement skills and secondary rim protection against Florida State. A breakout season for Alabama will place him on NBA radars, especially if he continues to shoot efficiently from deep.

Ben Pfeifer Written by Sports EditorBen Pfeifer
Ben Pfeifer graduated from the University of Missouri with degrees in Psychology and Journalism. He has worked in basketball scouting covering the NBA and the draft for over a half-decade, working for various outlets. Now, he covers the NBA, the draft and high school basketball.
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