Alabama head coach Nate Oats remains optimistic about Mark Sears’ professional prospects. Sears, a senior guard, was instrumental in Alabama’s NCAA Tournament run, but the team fell short in the Elite Eight, losing 85-65 to top-seeded Duke, led by projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. Sears, who began his collegiate career at Ohio in 2020 before transferring to Alabama, has completed five seasons.
Mark Sears Ends Five-Year College Career, Nate Oats Talks NBA Hopes
Mark Sears wrapped up a stellar five-year college career, spending three seasons with Alabama after transferring from Ohio. The two-time All-American played a key role in Alabama’s historic first Final Four appearance and set multiple school records. Head coach Nate Oats is confident in Sears’ NBA potential, stating,
“I hope he gets a chance to play in the NBA and makes it on a roster.”
Nate Oats on Mark Sears
“I hope he gets a chance to play in the NBA, I hope he makes it on a roster.”
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 30, 2025
Sears declared for the 2024 NBA Draft on April 17 while keeping his college eligibility, allowing him to make a final decision before the May 29 deadline. Speaking at a Yea Alabama event, Oats indicated that Sears’ future remains uncertain as he awaits feedback from upcoming NBA workouts.
“We just kind of met with him to see where he’s at,” Oats said. “He’s got two more workouts – he’s gonna work out for Houston and Milwaukee – and we’ll get the feedback. It’s gonna go right up to the last day because he’s got the workout with Milwaukee on the 29th.”
Sears’ draft stock remains a focal point.
“If the feedback’s not a guaranteed contract, I think he’d love to come back here and try to win a national championship. But obviously, his ultimate goal is to play in the NBA. We’ve told him if he gets great feedback, then he’s gonna get a guaranteed contract, and we’re all happy, and he stays in the draft.”
‘He’s already graduated college and achieves his lifelong goal to play in the NBA. If we feel like it’s more of a two-way (contract), then I think he’s gonna be back here, and we’ll try to win a national championship with him.”
The senior guard led the Crimson Tide this season with 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, shooting 50.8% from the field and 43.6% from beyond the arc. He set Alabama’s single-season scoring record with 797 points and became the program’s first player to record 20 or more points in 26 games. Before the NCAA Tournament, he was named First Team All-SEC and a consensus second-team All-American.
KEEP READING: Mark Sears NBA Draft Projections: 5 Potential Landing Spots for the Alabama Guard
Sears concluded his college career with 2,839 total points, ranking 19th in NCAA history, just 12 points shy of surpassing Larry Bird. Though his final game ended in a tough Elite Eight loss to Duke, Sears leaves as an Alabama legend with a future in professional basketball on the horizon.
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