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Nate Oats praises Mark Sears, team's last two practices entering Mississippi State game

63571867_t466o7i5ncby:Blake Byler•01/28/25•

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MarkSearsVandy
Alabama G Mark Sears vs. Vanderbilt (courtesy UA Athletics)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama guard Mark Sears was benched in the second half in the Crimson Tide’s 80-73 win over LSU on Saturday. He scored zero points for the second time this season, and played just 17 minutes on the night, his lowest total of the season.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats was brief when discussing it after the game, saying he played the players who gave the team the best chance to win. Addressing the media again before the Crimson Tide’s game against Mississippi State, Oats raved about the way Sears has practiced the last two days.

“I think he’s had the best two days of practice leading into a game since, probably he’s been here,” Oats said on Tuesday. “We kind of poll our guys on who – we have them grade themselves as a team in various categories after practice. I picked this up when I went to Mavs training camp a couple years ago, I thought it was good and we’ve been doing it with our guys. We have them vote a practice MVP. Cliff [Omoruyi] and Mark, between the two of them had every vote for practice MVP yesterday, so not only did I think he had a great practice, his teammates thought he had a great practice.

“I thought he repeated it with another great practice today. We won’t see the polling from his teammates until tonight, tomorrow morning when we poll those responses, but I think he’s been great the last two practices.”

Sears seems to have responded well to the challenge Oats gave him, as has the rest of the team.

“I thought the last two practices were the best two practices back-to-back going into a game we’ve had all year,” Oats said. “I think we’ve been on these guys about practice habits, leadership, accountability. I think they’re starting to get it. I’ve said we’ve had a great group of guys all year, but we also need to practice hard.”

Alabama will hit the road for its next game, traveling to Starkville to take on No. 14 Mississippi State at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday night. The game will air on SEC Network.

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