Mark Sears Impactful Despite Inconsistent Shooting Night Versus Houston

The Alabama guard has had his ups and downs, but was clutch when it mattered for the Tide.

Nov 26, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) drives the ball towards Houston Cougar guard Emanuel Sharp (21) during the second half at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey (Tyge) O'Donnell-Imagn Images / Jeffrey (Tyge) O'Donnell-Imagn Images

Last night, the Alabama Crimson Tide impressed in an 85-80 overtime victory against the sixth-ranked Houston Cougars behind 24 points from Mark Sears, a game played in Las Vegas as part of the Players Era Tournament. Though he was inefficient overall from the field, Sears made it a point to get to the free-throw line, converting 12 of his 14 attempts from the stripe despite being just 4-for-13 from the field.

A defensive game for the first half, both teams struggled to shoot the ball as they adjusted to each other's schemes. Sears did not get off to an ideal start, going just 1-for-5 shooting in the first half, though he did score eight points with five coming on free throws. He struggled to create rim pressure throughout the game, taking eight threes, and though he hit four of them, this lack of ability to create shots in the lane was a problem throughout, and is his primary flaw as a prospect.

Given the fact that Houston is an elite defensive unit (ranked third on KenPom in defensive efficiency), this is not super surprising. However, if Sears wants to make it in the NBA, he has to increase his rim production, and can't rely completely on the outside shot as a lead initiator.

Houston's defense relies on trapping the ball handler and blitzing the pick-and-roll, which was very effective last night against Sears. What the Alabama guard did do well though was demonstrate his aforementioned skill of scoring at the line, getting seven more of his points in the second half in this manner.

It was encouraging to see him shoot 50% from beyond the arc in this game, however, as he was just 1-for-10 in his last two games combined. After scoring 0 points against Illinois on 0-for-4 from the field, having a bounce back game where he hit some shots was certainly good for his confidence. While the concerns about driving the ball are legitimate, his three-point shot could be the skill he needs to carry him to the next level.

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