The Alabama Crimson Tide had their best season in program history, reaching the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. It was a great coaching performance from Nate Oats who just completed his fifth season as head coach of the Crimson Tide. A big part of Alabama’s run was powered by star guard Mark Sears who has decided to declare for the NBA Draft as per his Instagram page.
While Mark Sears has officially entered the NBA Draft, he has done so while leaving the door open to return to Alabama. He still has one season remaining of college eligibility. Players are allowed to declare for the NBA Draft while maintaining their NCAA eligibility. They can go through the pre-draft process, receive feedback from NBA personnel and return to school knowing what they need to improve upon.
On his page, Sears posted, “I would like to thank God for blessing me with an amazing gift that has allowed me to play the game that I love, basketball. His blessing has provided innumerable opportunities and I am truly appreciative of God’s blessings, lessons and provisions along the way.”
Sears potential departure could leave the Crimson Tide with a thin roster heading into the 2024-25 season. His decision comes on the heels of five Alabama players hitting the transfer portal. Since the end of the NCAA tournament, they’ve lost Nick Pringle, Sam Walters, Davin Crosby, Rylen Griffen and Kris Parker to the portal.
Did Mark Sears’ NCAA Tournament run help his NBA Draft stock?
There’s no question that Mark Sears was the heart and soul of Alabama throughout the season and into the NCAA Tournament. He began his college career at Ohio where he played for two seasons before transferring to Alabama.
He had a solid junior year for the Crimson Tide in 2022-23, but this season was a breakout for him. He upped his scoring average to 21.5 points per game from 12.5. He averaged 4.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals with splits of 50.8 percent shooting from the field, 43.6 percent shooting from the three point line and 85.7 percent shooting from the free throw line.
During Alabama’s Final Four loss to UConn, Sears finished with 24 points on 9-14 shooting from the field and 3-6 from the three point line. But despite his performance, he’s still being projected as a potential second-round pick if at all.
One thing that he might have working against him is his size. Sears is listed at 6 feet 1 inch tall and he’s more of a scoring guard than a point guard. At that height, point guard is likely his projected position in the NBA. He’s also a college senior and NBA teams have an aversion to drafting college seniors high in the draft.
But he could end up being one of those players who doesn’t get a ton of recognition but ends up having a steady and solid NBA career. He could be a good candidate for a two-way contract spot. Since he’s maintained his college eligibility, he’ll have to weight whether or not that’s better for him over returning to school.
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