The Alabama Crimson Tide once again made a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, led by veteran guard Mark Sears, who recently completed his fifth season of college basketball.
Alabama advanced to the Elite Eight with victories over BYU, Saint Mary’s, and Robert Morris before falling to the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils.
After the season, Alabama’s official social media celebrated a major achievement for Sears, announcing that he had been named a Top 5 finalist for the Wooden Award, which honors the nation’s most outstanding college basketball player.
“Wooden Award All-American,” Alabama posted. “Congrats to Mark Sears for being named a Top 5 candidate for the Wooden Award.”
Sears joins Auburn’s Johni Broome, Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Purdue’s Braden Smith, and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. as finalists for the prestigious honor.
The game against Duke marked the end of Sears’ collegiate career, having spent two seasons at Ohio before transferring to Alabama for three seasons. Over the course of the season, he emerged as one of the nation’s top scorers while also showcasing his improved playmaking abilities.
Sears posted impressive stats, averaging 18.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, leading Alabama in both scoring and assists.
His contributions helped propel Alabama to ranked victories over North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Kentucky, and Auburn.
