Not to be outdone by his Alabama teammate Grant Nelson, who set an NBA Draft Combine record on Tuesday, Mark Sears had his shining moment in front of NBA scouts in Chicago.
Despite hitting just 34.5% of his three-point attempts in his final year in Tuscaloosa, Sears was still one of the most feared shooters in college basketball. He has unlimited range, and when he gets hot, like he did against BYU in the Sweet 16, he can shoot the lights out.
Sears caught fire during shooting drills on Tuesday:
Mark Sears just put on a shooting exhibition here at the Combine. Shot 26-for-30 on off-dribble mid-range pull-ups (tied for first); 21-for-25 on spot-up 3s (first); 16-for-25 in the 3-point star drill (tied for 11th); 25-for-27 in the side-mid-side 3-point drill (first).
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) May 13, 2025
Despite it not being a staple of Nate Oats's offense, Sears still put on a mid-range clinic, connecting on 26-of-30 attempts on mid-range pull-ups. That shouldn't come as a surprise, considering it was a mid-range shot that beat Auburn at the buzzer to close out the regular season.
In the combined three-point drills, Sears connected on 62-of-77 attempts for a sizzling 80.5% clip.
Sears struggled with inconsistency with his shot this past season, but he's still one of the most dynamic shot makers in the country. Sears hit 43.6% of his three-point attempts during the 2023-24 season at Alabama. His big-time shot-making helped lead the Crimson Tide to the program's first-ever Final Four.
Mark Sears will need a lot more eye-opening combine performances to get drafted
Even with his dazzling shooting display on Tuesday, it's an uphill battle for Mark Sears to be one of the 59 players selected in June's NBA Draft. His measurables - 5-foot-10 without shoes - will be a major red flag for teams.
That's especially true when they turn on the tape and look at how much Sears struggled against length this year.
In Sears's final college game, he managed just six points on 2-of-12 shooting from the floor in Alabama's Elite Eight loss to Duke. The Blue Devils had length at guard, and Sears was smothered. He had similarly poor performances in the two games against Auburn, despite his hero turn at the end of overtime in Neville.
Sears played harder on the defensive end this past season, which was one of the main points of feedback he received last year when he went through the draft process. He's a skilled player, but his size limitations are nearly impossible to overcome.
Sears will get a pro opportunity. Even if he is ultimately undrafted, some team will give him a Summer League invite, and he will find his way into the NBA's developmental G-League. From there, he can potentially work himself into the NBA as a role player.