The trials of the 2024-25 season have paid off for Alabama basketball‘s Mark Sears.
For the second straight season, the All-American is a Top 5 finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which honors the top point guard in college basketball.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Sears as a top contender with Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., Marquette’s Kam Jones, Purdue’s Braden Smith and Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler on Monday afternoon.
Lately, the senior from Muscle Shoals, Ala. has been playing what coach Nate Oats has said to be “the best basketball of his career.”
Since 11 points and six turnovers in a scary one at Arkansas, Sears has been on a tear, notching back-to-back 18 point games before eclipsing 30 in consecutive performances against Missouri and Kentucky.
Sears reached 1,815 points in a UA uniform with 24 points at Tennessee and now stands at seventh place on the Crimson Tide’s all-time scoring list. He’ll find himself in another top-tier matchup in Clayton and the Gators on Wednesday after facing Zeigler over the weekend.
Averaging 19.1 points per game for Alabama (23-6, 12-4 SEC) heading into the final week of the regular-season, Sears ranks second in the SEC in scoring and third in the league with an average 5.0 assists per game.
Who takes home the award will be decided by a Selection Committee of media members, head coaches, Hall of Famers and more, but fans have a say in who takes home the award, too.
Starting on March 7 at hoophallawards.com, fans can cast their votes, which will count as one committee vote during the selection process before the award is presented during Final Four weekend.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
