"Always going to prove them wrong": Mark Sears shuts down two major concerns about his game (EXCLUSIVE)

Modified Apr 16, 2025 16:20 GMT

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament East Regional-Alabama at Duke - Source: Imagn

Last May, Mark Sears withdrew from the 2024 NBA Draft and returned to Alabama for his final season of college eligibility. This season, the guard saw his stat values decrease in every major category except assists. On Wednesday, Sears sat down with Sportskeeda to address a number of topics, including concerns about his game going into June 25's NBA draft.

"I played in the SEC this past year. That is the best conference," Sears said. "We had a national champion in that conference. For me to have the numbers I had with 18 [points] and five assists, being the top three in scoring and top two in assists, I was doing all of that while we were winning.

"So I feel like I was playing against the best athletes this whole year and in my conference. The size and athletic concerns, they're just going to say that because of my height. I feel like I'm always going to prove them wrong. That's my mentality."

There is no doubt that the SEC was the best conference this season. The conference sent 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament, the most teams from a single conference to be selected. The SEC had two No. 1 seeds in Auburn and Florida and brought home the national title with Florida's win.

The SEC also had two No. 2 seeds, Tennessee and Sears' Alabama. Sears helped lead his squad on a March Madness run to the Elite Eight and played some of his best basketball in the postseason. Still, concerns remain about Sears being undersized, at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, and about his level of athleticism. Sears assures that critics have nothing to worry about.

What Mark Sears brings to the 2025 NBA Draft

As previously mentioned, mock draft analyses have expressed concerns about Sears being undersized and how that impacts his game, particularly on defense. However, his skill set and accolades could make him a valuable NBA player.

Sears is a strong shooter. This season, he averaged 40.3% from the field, including 34.5% beyond the arc. These were both decreases from the year before when he shot a 50.8% field goal percentage and 43.6% from beyond the arc. Sears knows how to set up shots for himself and others and emerged as a leader for Alabama.

"I was able to have good games where I'm hitting the big and reading the defense," Sears said of his skill set. "If they leave me open for a wide-open mid-range, I'm capable of knocking that down. I didn't feel like I showed my inside game during my three years at Alabama, but I feel like I'm very capable."

The Crimson Tide guard was named a 2025 Associated Press Men's Basketball First Team All-American and a Naismith Player of the Year semifinalist. Despite dips in his stats this season, Sears is a strong guard with a high ceiling in the pros.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Ribin Peter