Alabama Lands Ohio Transfer Guard Mark Sears
Muscle Shoals, Alabama native Mark Sears is deciding to "come home," to play with the Crimson Tide after entering the transfer portal from Ohio University in March. Sears played two seasons with the Bobcats and averaged a team-leading 19.6 points per game through 35 starts in 2021-2022.
"I'M COMING HOME #RollTide," Sears said in a social media post on Thursday.
A first-team all-conference player for Ohio in the MAC, Sears led the Bobcats' starters in minutes per game (35.7), three-point percentage (40.8) and total assists (144) in 2021-2022. He totaled three double-doubles in his last season with the Bobcats and had multiple schools interested upon entering the NCAA transfer portal.
Sears joins a somewhat depleted Alabama roster following an underperforming season in regards to recent expectations. The Crimson Tide is likely to lose at least seven scholarship players heading into the 2022-2023 season, with four players currently in the transfer portal.
Senior forward James Rojas, senior guard Keon Ellis, junior guard Jaden Shackelford and freshman guard JD Davison are all expected to leave the program or go pro, leaving the guard depth slim in Tuscaloosa.
Sears played high school basketball at Hargrave Military Academy, a private school in Chatham, Virginia, as a senior after transferring out of Muscle Shoals High School. Before choosing Ohio, he also received offers from South Alabama and UAB as the No. 11 player out of the state of Virginia, according to 247Sports.
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