NICK KELLY AL.com
Mark Sears is headed to the pros.
After going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, the former Alabama men’s basketball guard agreed to a two-way deal with Milwaukee, the university announced.
The All-American guard spent the past three seasons playing for the Crimson Tide, leading Alabama to the Final Four in 2024 and the Elite Eight in 2025. Sears was also a key piece of the 2022-23 team that earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Sweet 16.
Sears is a Muscle Shoals native. He first played for Ohio before returning to his home state. His 2,841 career points rank 19th in Division I history. Sears tallied 690 of those points this past season, the fourth-most for a single season in program history. One of his signature games: Sears made 10 triples to lead Alabama to a win over BYU in the Sweet 16. That was a program record for 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game.
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Of his career total, he scored 1,950 of his points at Alabama, the second most in program history.
Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats was asked where Sears belongs in Tide history after Alabama fell to Duke in the Elite Eight this past season.
“You’ve got to put him up there with the greats,” Oats said.
Nelson signs with Brooklyn
The man nicknamed the Dakota Durant has earned an NBA opportunity.
Alabama forward Grant Nelson has signed a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, the school announced. Nelson went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Nelson will compete for a two-way spot in training camp with the Nets, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype reported. If Nelson sticks with the Nets, he will join former Alabama forward Noah Clowney
Nelson, a native of Devils Lake, North Dakota, spent the past two seasons with Alabama. He played in 74 games across those seasons, averaging 11.5 points per game this past season to go with 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. The 6-foot-11, 230-pound forward ranked fifth in the SEC in rebounds per game. Nelson tallied double figures in 21 games.
He finished his career, that also included three years at North Dakota, with 1,907 points and 1,017 rebounds.
Nelson’s signature moment of his time at Alabama emerged in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He reached another gear in the Sweet 16, scoring 24 points and 12 rebounds to go with five blocks to upset No. 1 seed North Carolina. That pushed Alabama to the first Elite Eight under coach Nate Oats. Then Alabama beat Clemson to reach the program’s first Final Four.
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