Alabama's Mark Sears declares for NBA draft while maintaining eligibility
Alabama guard Mark Sears is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft while still maintaining his college eligibility, he announced via his social media accounts on Wednesday afternoon.
“I would like to thank God for blessing me with an amazing gift that has allowed me to play the game that I love, basketball,” Sears said in a statement. “His blessing has provided immeasurable opportunities and I am truly appreciative of God’s blessings, lessons, and provisions along the way.
“After much consideration and deliberation, I have decided to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility.”
Sears, a senior, has one year of eligibility remaining after spending two seasons at Ohio and two seasons at Alabama. Sears went through the draft process last offseason and ultimately decided to return to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the Crimson Tide’s 2023-24 campaign.
It proved to be a wise decision as Sears was Alabama’s leading scorer this season during the program’s first-ever Final Four run. Sears averaged 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 43.6 percent from 3-point range in 37 straight starts. He also started 37 games in a row as a junior at Alabama in 2022-23.
Scoring 20 points in 26 games this past season, which is a new school record, Sears set the Alabama single-season mark for points (797). Before the Crimson Tide’s NCAA Tournament run, Sears was named First Team All-SEC and a consensus second-team All-American.
Sears is the first Alabama player to enter the 2024 NBA Draft, which is scheduled for June 26. The deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the field and return to school is May 29.
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