Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson return to Alabama: What this means for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama men’s basketball’s top player from last season has made his decision for next season, and speculation of a preseason No. 1 ranking now seems plausible.
Senior guard Mark Sears has decided to use his final year of college eligibility and withdraw from the 2024 NBA Draft. Sears worked out with numerous clubs, including the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, until the selection deadline, but will return to Tuscaloosa the next season.
Sears was a breakout star last season, especially during the Crimson Tide’s Final Four run, as he averaged 24.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 53% shooting. He started all 74 games for Alabama over the last two seasons, as the Tide went 56-18.
Sears had a couple setbacks at the NBA Draft Combine, including measuring in at 5 feet 10 when he was classified as 6 feet 1 at Alabama and missing the 5-on-5 scrimmages due to injury.
Sears’ best-case scenario was to advance to the first round, which would result in a guaranteed contract for the first two years with a two-year team option, or to secure a second-round exception deal.
If not, Sears would have signed a conventional contract (minimum salary of $1.12 million) or a two-way deal at half that amount. To secure a second-round exception, Sears would have needed assurances that he would be one of the top second-round picks.
“If the feedback isn’t a guaranteed contract, I think he’d love to come back here and try to win a national championship,” coach Nate Oats said last week about Sears’ situation. “But obviously, his ultimate goal is to play in the NBA.”
Sears’ decision shows that guaranteed money was not a certainty, bringing him back to Alabama for the 2024-25 season, which will have the highest preseason expectations in programme history.
Sears, a consensus All-American, returns to the Tide’s 2024-25 team after setting the single-season programme points record (797) last season. He has shown scoring talent and leadership qualities that will appeal to NBA organisations, but he will benefit the most from a final season at Alabama by demonstrating consistent defensive effort.
And a fifth year in Tuscaloosa, which might include conference/national accolades and possibly another good tournament run, will solidify his place as a programme legend.
In 2025, Sears still has the opportunity to secure the aforementioned guaranteed money. With Sears’ height validated, a second consecutive year of high-level productivity for a championship-caliber club should allay NBA teams’ doubts about his ability to contribute professionally.
The Tide’s backcourt is now complete with an undisputed leader (Sears), veteran starters (Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Houston Mallette, and Chris Youngblood), and young, exciting depth players (Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon).
Alabama’s No. 2 recruiting class, returners from last season, and Sears combine to form a team with the talent to return to the Final Four and even win the national championship.
The Tide got more good news later Wednesday as freshman forward Jarin Stevenson announced he will return for his sophomore year and forgo the draft. Stevenson, a former five-star recruit, played in all 37 games last season, averaging 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
Stevenson’s best performance came in arguably the biggest spot when he had a career-high 19 points in Alabama’s Elite Eight win over Clemson, including five made 3-pointers and a pair of blocked shots. He wasn’t invited to the combine but did take part in the G-League Elite Camp, a similar combine environment where players can earn an NBA combine invite, but he took part in pre-draft workouts.
Taking the choice up until the deadline demonstrates that Stevenson had more NBA interest than initially thought, but he ultimately couldn’t secure the assurances in draft placing required to justify losing his NCAA eligibility.
His return bodes well for the Tide since it brings back a strong prospect who has gained confidence through this process and has received specific input from NBA organisations on where he needs to improve.
Throughout the process, Stevenson weighed 210 pounds and stood 6 feet 8.5 inches (with a wingspan of 7 feet). He possesses the right body type and skill set, since the NBA is looking for versatile wing players that can shoot and guard various positions.
But the most important aspect of Stevenson’s judgement is that he was the youngest player going through the selection process after reclassifying from the 2025 class to 2024 to join Alabama last season.
With a year of experience, he is well-positioned for a larger role on the Tide’s 2024-25 roster. Last season, he showed flashes, but this season will be about establishing consistency as a two-way player, and if he can, he will be a very intriguing potential for the 2025 draft.
He averaged around 17 minutes per game last season, so increasing that to more than 20 minutes per game appears to be a natural development. A lineup of Sears, Wrightsell, Youngblood/Mallette, Nelson, and Clifford Omoruyi is likely, with Stevenson serving as a high-level bench contributor and spot starter in the event of an injury.
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