Matt McMahon reacts to Mark Sears not playing for Alabama in second half

On Saturday, Alabama head coach Nate Oats stunned viewers around the nation when he benched star guard Mark Sears in the second half against LSU. Without Sears, Alabama outscored the Tigers 40-33 in the second half and ultimately won 80-73. After the game, LSU head coach Matt McMahon commented on Sears’ unexpected absence in the second half.

“We have great respect for him, 2,500 points in his career, First-Team All-American,” McMahon said. “I thought our effort on him in the first half and multiple guys shouldered that burden, but I thought we did a really nice job defensively on him in the first half. I hope he gets back quickly.”

Oats benched Sears after the All-American guard failed to score through 17 minutes of play in the first half. Sears recorded three rebounds and three assists but also committed two turnovers.

Sears is Alabama’s leading scorer this season, averaging 18 points per game while shooting 34.8% from beyond the arc. Additionally, he was the SEC Preseason Player of the Year.

In short, it was nothing less than befuddling to see Sears not touch the court in the second half. Evidently, fans weren’t the only ones surprised by Oats’ decision. Sears seemed emotional on the bench while cheering on his teammates in the second half of the game.

After the win, Nate Oats discussed his surprising decision.

“This is all I’m gonna say about playing time stuff,” Oats said. “We played the guys in the second half that we thought gave us the best chance to win the game, and we on the game. Our defense was significantly better in the second half than in the first half, and we haven’t done that much this year.”

While Matt McMahon acknowledged Mark Sears’ talent after the game, he also echoed Oats’ sentiments, praising Alabama’s role players.

“But I think one of the reasons Alabama is so good is they have so many weapons on the offensive end of the floor, and [Chris] Youngblood stepped up, gets 13. [Aden] Holloway puts so much pressure on your defense. He’s one of the best shooters in the country.

“He doesn’t need much time or space. And so he really stretches you with his ability to shoot the 3 from deep. But, they’re a very well-balanced team and I know Sears is the head of the team.”