Alabama HC Nate Oats reflects on senior guard Mark Sears' benching

Alabama coach Nate Oats discussed holding senior guard Mark Sears accountable by cutting his minutes against LSU in January, saying he wanted to get the "best version" of the player. On Saturday, Oats joined "The Field Of 68: After Dark" podcast following the No. 7 Crimson Tide's 93-91 overtime win over No. 1 Auburn.

During the conversation, co-host Jeff Goodman pressed Oats on his blunt approach to managing Sears, who has emerged as one of the SEC's most productive players this season.

"I think he's earned his teammates' respect more," Nate Oats said (4:17). "So when you hold your best player accountable and in the moment, maybe the LSU game in the second half, he didn't handle it as well as we would have liked.

"The next two practices, the hardest I've ever seen him practice in my life, and I think he just bought into let's be the hardest-playing guy out there, let's try to lead these guys by example."

Nate Oats highlighted that even in Saturday's narrow victory over rival Auburn, Sears had just five points in regulation. He did not score again in the overtime period, aside from two free throws and a game-winning shot in the final second.

Oats further praised Sears for his unselfish play, noting he finished with seven assists and just one turnover.

"I don't know if you see that a year ago, I don't know if you see that two months ago, so I think he's starting to peak at the right time," the coach said.

Nate Oats encourages Mark Sears to prioritize defense and team play

After two back-to-back losses against No. 4 Tennessee and No. 5 Florida before their trip to Auburn, costing the Tide the Southeastern Conference regular-season title, Nate Oats wanted his team to bounce back in a big way against its in-state rival in the final game before the SEC Tournament.

During the postgame press conference, Oats explained how he has challenged Mark Sears to buy into the team mentality rather than individual stats.

"I just kept talking to him. 'Be a great teammate. Play hard on D.' We're not worried about scoring points," Oats said. "We've established that as a team. The team met. We're just trying to be the hardest-playing, best team on the floor."

Sears entered the weekend averaging 19.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game for the Crimson Tide. He scored nine points against Auburn but made impactful plays, dishing out seven assists and hitting a clutch shot in overtime that gave Alabama the win.