Thursday, January 30, 2025

Alabama’s Mark Sears returns to starting lineup, sparks Crimson Tide to road win vs. Mississippi State

Alabama’s Mark Sears returns to starting lineup, sparks Crimson Tide to road win vs. Mississippi State
USATSI

Alabama star Mark Sears returned to the starting lineup and helped lead the No. 4 Crimson Tide to an 88-84 win at No. 14 Mississippi State on Wednesday night after he was benched for the entire second half in Saturday’s win over LSU. Sears finished with 17 points and nine assists on 6 of 11 shooting while logging 35 minutes.

Though Sears also committed a season-high seven turnovers, his extensive playing time was an indication of how he’s regained the favor of coach Nate Oats since Saturday’s shocking spectacle. Sears was visibly emotional on the bench in the second half of Alabama’s win over LSU as Oats opted to send a message by sitting his leading scorer.

Oats shed further light on the thought process behind his controversial decision during a Wednesday appearance on The Next Round before the Crimson Tide took on the Bulldogs.

“Sometimes you need somebody to push you a little bit,” Oats said. “I try to read the proverb of the day. It tells you if as a parent, you love your son, you discipline him. I love Mark. Sometimes we need to push him a little bit. I think he understands we’re just trying to push him, make him better, and I think he’s going to be a lot better for it.”

Sears spearheaded Alabama’s Final Four run last season, averaging 21.5 points on a blistering 43.6% 3-point shooting while earning All-American honors. Entering Wednesday’s top-15 road showdown, Sears was averaging 18.1 points on 34.8% 3-point shooting.

While his shooting percentages have dipped, Oats suggested in his appearance on The Next Round that it was not offensive factors that led to Sears’ benching.

“He can also really guard when he puts his mind to it,” Oats said. “He can also lead, which he’s shown this year when decides that’s what he wants to do. We need his leadership. We need his defensive ability. We need his play-making ability to be the best team we can be. They all know it, they all love him. They’re trying to make him better. They’re trying to help him out. I think we’ve got a real good group of guys.”

Related articles

Share article

Latest articles

Newsletter

Subscribe to stay updated.