After transferring from Ohio, Mark Sears evolved into the centerpiece of Nate Oats’s offense at Alabama, with complete freedom to shoot from deep and control the pick-and-roll. His sharp offensive instincts and smooth left-handed shot drew comparisons to Jalen Brunson during Alabama’s 2024 Final Four run. However, key differences in their games might prevent Sears from achieving similar NBA success.
Sears departs Alabama as a two-time All-American and arguably the most decorated player in school history, but making the leap to the pros may prove challenging.
Size Could Be a Draft-Day Concern
Unlike Brunson, who measured 6-foot-2 and around 200 pounds entering the 2018 Draft, Sears stands under 5-foot-11 and weighs about 15 pounds less. While both are undersized guards, that three-inch difference is significant. It could cause Sears to fall into the late second round—or go undrafted entirely—and restrict his NBA role to a bench option vulnerable on defense due to his size.
Another hurdle for Sears is his regression in his final collegiate season. In 2024, he was one of the nation’s most efficient scorers, putting up 21.5 points per game on outstanding 51/44/86 shooting splits and posting a 66.7 percent true shooting rate—elite numbers for a high-usage guard (25.8% usage, 16 FGA per 40 minutes, per CBBanalytics.com).
But in 2025, as defenses adjusted to Alabama’s perimeter-heavy attack and forced more mid-range attempts, Sears struggled. He also had more trouble creating space and was increasingly targeted on defense due to his physical limitations. As a result, his efficiency dropped to 18.5 points per game on 40/35/84 splits and a 57.5 percent true shooting mark—still solid, but no longer elite. That slight drop in production could significantly impact his NBA outlook.
Elite Shooting Is Key to His NBA Future
Given his size, Sears’s best-case role in the NBA is as a reserve guard who can occasionally run the offense, provide spacing with his shooting, and operate in the pick-and-roll. But if his shooting doesn’t hold up at an elite level, he won’t stretch defenses, will struggle to create off closeouts, and opponents will go under screens to cut off his drives—limiting his effectiveness.
Rather than following in Brunson’s footsteps, a more realistic NBA comparison for Sears may be Cameron Payne—a fellow lefty who played for the Knicks last season. Payne has carved out a decade-long career as a bench scorer, despite being 6-foot-3 and having similar defensive flaws. Like Payne, Sears could be a valuable role player in short bursts, serving as a third or fourth guard off the bench.