Run it back: Alabama star guard Mark Sears foregoes 2024 NBA Draft to handle unfinished business

Whatever Nate Oats is doing in Tuscaloosa is working! The Alabama Crimson Tide have emerged as an SEC power on the hardwood ever since Oats left Buffalo. Alabama has had a decent history on the basketball side of things, but this is a football school, through and through. However, the Crimson Tide might have a better chance at a national title next season in hoops than even on the ole gridiron.

Oats and company helped guide the Crimson Tide to their first-ever Final Four appearance in program history. Although they came up two wins short of the ultimate prize, it is crazy to think that Oats' team went as far as the final football team led by Nick Saban, the national semifinals. While Saban's career ended in Pasadena, Oats' has begun to take off in Phoenix. He just got great news.

With the 2024 NBA Draft rapidly approaching, Crimson Tide star guard Mark Sears has decided to forego entering the draft and will return to Tuscaloosa to take care of some unfinished business. With how well the Crimson Tide have played under Oats, would it shock you if Alabama won the SEC and then went on another deep run in the NCAA Tournament next spring? It is a Sweet 16 team at least.

Having a veteran star in one's backcourt is usually a great sign for postseason success in college.

Look at how loaded Alabama's roster will be next season. This is a team capable of winning 30 games!

Let's see if Oats has what it takes to do the improbable and bring Alabama a national title in hoops.

Mark Sears will return to Alabama after foregoing 2024 NBA Draft

For all intents and purposes, college basketball and the NBA are two totally different sports. Each level values totally different things. Although the offensive product may be clunky at times, you can see a real commitment to defense in college, whereas it is mostly an afterthought in the pros, outside of the NBA playoffs, of course. So how does Sears returning to Alabama impact the Crimson Tide?

As a very casual college basketball observer, I think Sears' return helps give Alabama a leg up on a few teams it was probably going to compete with in SEC play next year, namely Arkansas and Kentucky. With the Hogs and the Wildcats having new head coaches, it wouldn't shock me if either or both pulled back. As for Alabama's best competition, how about Auburn, Tennessee and even Texas?

What we are seeing now is Oats asserting himself as one of the very best coaches at the college level. In due time, Sears will have his day in the sun in the NBA. Now that we live in the wonderful world of NIL, he can be compensated fairly and have one more shot at cutting down the nets. Sears is what NIL was intended for. He now becomes one of the most marketable players in college basketball.

I don't know if the 2024-25 Crimson Tide win the whole thing, but getting to the Final Four was huge!