Alabama’s Mark Sears returned to the starting lineup for the No. 4 Crimson Tide on Wednesday night against No. 14 Mississippi State, following a surprising benching in the second half of Saturday’s win over LSU. Sears, who had a scoreless 17 minutes in the first half against LSU, was benched by coach Nate Oats to send a message to his leading scorer.
Oats explained his decision further during an appearance on The Next Round before the SEC matchup, emphasizing the need for tough love and discipline. “Sometimes you need somebody to push you a little bit,” Oats said. “I love Mark. Sometimes we need to push him, make him better, and I think he’ll be a lot better for it.”
Sears was a key player in Alabama’s Final Four run last season, averaging 21.5 points and earning All-American honors. Heading into Wednesday’s game, he was averaging 18.1 points, though his shooting numbers had dipped.
Oats clarified that it wasn’t just Sears’ offensive game that led to the benching but also his leadership, defense, and playmaking. “He can really guard when he puts his mind to it,” Oats noted, stressing the team’s need for his all-around contributions. “We need his leadership and defensive ability to be the best team we can be.”
The coach reiterated that the team, while pushing Sears to improve, has full support for him and aims to help him reach his potential.
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