TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The wait is over and decision have been made. On Wednesday, Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson both withdrew their names from the 2024 NBA Draft and opted to return to the University of Alabama for another season.
Alabama's Mark Sears will withdraw from the NBA draft and return to school for his final season of eligibility, he told ESPN on Wednesday.
"I got good feedback from the NBA," Sears told ESPN. "But I can still get better in a few areas. I want to show I am a dog on defense next season, continue to bring vocal leadership, and work on my body and get into better shape. NIL has changed basketball and NBA teams told me that age isn't a factor in today's game, so I was comfortable coming back to try and bring home a national championship to Alabama."
The NCAA deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA draft and maintain college eligibility is Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Sears was one of the best players in college basketball in 2023-24, earning second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honors. He led Alabama to the Final Four, with several big outings in the NCAA tournament.
The Alabama native averaged 21.5 points (shooting 44% from 3), 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists, spearheading one of the country's fastest-paced and most potent offenses.
Sears made a significant jump from the previous year, becoming a far more dynamic shooter and prolific overall scorer, something he says will continue in his fifth season of college basketball.
"I've gotten better every year and next season won't be any different," Sears said. "I got a taste of the Final Four, and now I want to finish it off and bring it home."
Sears' return to Tuscaloosa is a major boon for Nate Oats' Crimson Tide, who will enter the season as one of the early favorites to win the national championship.
Alabama returns another March Madness darling in Grant Nelson for his final season of eligibility, likely Sears' strongest competition for preseason SEC player of the year, as well as part-time starter Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
The Tide reeled in one of the top transfers in the portal in Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi, as well as USF wing and AAC co-player of the year Chris Youngblood, former five-star point guard Aden Holloway from Auburn, and shooting guard Houston Mallette from Pepperdine.
Oats will also enroll several talented high school recruits in Derrion Reid, Labaron Philon, Aiden Sherrell and Naas Cunningham.
"I'm very excited about the team we have coming in," Sears said. "I will have to do a good job of leading these guys in the right direction. I'm confident we can win the national championship."
Alabama basketball has received an expected, but welcomed boost as forward Jarin Stevenson has withdrawn from the NBA Draft and will return to the Crimson Tide for his sophomore season.
Stevenson declared for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility on April 30, and was able to go through the valuable NBA Draft process, including partaking in the G League Elite Camp and completing workouts with various teams in order to get feedback on his game.
At 6-foot-11 and with a capable 3-point shot, Stevenson has the size and skillset that projects well into today's NBA, he will just need to refine his game at the collegiate level to get there. He was one of the youngest players in college basketball last season, being only 18 years old after skipping his senior year of high school and reclassifying.
Stevenson will plug in immediately as key frontcourt depth for the Crimson Tide this upcoming season, and should be able to improve on his 5.3 points per game average as well as his 31.7 percent clip from deep after another season of acclimation to the college game.
There was a chance he could compete for a starting spot, but after Grant Nelson's return for his final season and the addition of Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi via the transfer portal, it looks like Stevenson will likely come off the bench come November. But whether he starts or not, he has the potential to make a great impact for Nate Oats and his loaded 2024-25 squad, as his return fills the roster's final open scholarship.