Forward Grant Nelson (#4) and guard Mark Sears (#1) play in Alabama's game against McNeese on Nov. 11, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, AL.
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Forward Grant Nelson (#4) and guard Mark Sears (#1) play in Alabama’s game against McNeese on Nov. 11, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, AL.
May 28 brought the official NBA draft withdrawal deadline, marking the last chance for prospects who were unsure about their draft status to remove their name from the pool. In a turn of events,former 5-star guard Labaron Philon withdrew and is set to return for another season in Tuscaloosa.
For those who were hoping to see former Alabama names announced on draft night, Philon’s departure from the pool brings doubt.
Though he was not the Crimson Tide’s leading scorer nor the de facto face of the team,he showed athletic upside alongside offensive shiftiness and defensive prowess. Mock drafts fromBleacher Report andESPN published before the withdrawal deadline had him as the highest-picked Alabama prospect, ahead of players who had greater statistical impact for the team this season.
For those other prospects, all that remains after a full offseason and performances at the NBA draft combine is to wait and see.
Mark Sears, guard
The 6-foot-1 guard from Muscle Shoals has been the face of Crimson Tide basketball for two seasons now, including during the team’s historic run to the Final Four in 2023-24. He led the team in scoring both years and wasnamed a 2025 AP first-team All-American in March.
Sears’ draft situation is tricky. His shorter stature compared to most NBA guards puts him at an automatic disadvantage, especially as someone who doesn’t play with a high level of athleticism. Much of his scoring talent from college, however,is directly translatable to the NBA game, in particular his ability to shoot from well beyond the 3-point line and his relentless downhill drives. Moreover, shorter and stronger guards like Jalen Brunson and Payton Pritchard have seen immense success in the NBA with similar play styles involving crafty footwork and assertive body control.
ESPN’s most recentNBA draft big board has Sears at No. 63, which would in theory place him three spots outside of the 59 picks that will be made on draft night. In the Bleacher Report mock that had Philon going 40th, Sears was projected at 52nd to the Phoenix Suns.Kevin O’Connor at Yahoo Sports has Sears right on the cusp at 59th overall on his big board.
Grant Nelson, forward
After a prolific three seasons at North Dakota State, Nelson was a key contributor in his two years with the Crimson Tide, particularly as an above-the-rim offensive player and at times adefensive stalwart.
The biggest concern for his game in translation to the next level is his 3-point ability — he shot a career-low 26% from 3 in 2024-25 and 29% over the course of five seasons. With the potential to be whatNBA.com calls a “versatile, connecting big,” Nelson will likely find the long-range game to be a nonnegotiable in his quest to make NBA rosters. At a somewhat lanky 6-foot-11 and 230, he will also look to take strides with his perimeter defense.
On the ESPN big board, Nelson is only two spots behind Sears at No. 65. He will likely hope to luck into a draft selection based on his noteworthy performance at the NBA draft combine, where hebroke the all-time combine record in the shuttle drill, tied for first among forwards in standing reach and ranked first individually in forwards for lane agility drills.
The vast majority of mock drafts do not have him listed in the top 59.
Clifford Omoruyi, center
The former Big Ten All-Defensive center came from Rutgers in the 2024 offseason and immediately gave the Crimson Tide a stronger interior presence, something the team lacked the previous season.
In the 2024-25 campaign, Omoruyi put up just over a block per game and 6.5 rebounds in less than 20 minutes; during the season, he wasone of 15 players named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year watchlist. He also scored nearly 8 points per game on solid efficiency — 73.4%, more or less making three out of four shots a night — though there was very little self-creation, and instead reliance on dunks off drop-off passes or lobs.
He is in a similar range on the ESPN big board as his former teammates, ranking 73rd, and he is likewise being given little to no projection within the top 59. NBA Draft Room called him a “super raw prospect but one with elite physical tools,” and Sports Illustrated commended him in a draft profile for how he “approaches the game with physical dominance.” It seems his best hope is for a team to take a flier on his physical potential rather than purely his output in college.
The 2025 NBA draft will take place at 8 p.m. on June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and will be broadcast on ESPN.