Mark Sears’ Alabama basketball career began at a Subway in Ohio.

He sat at the sandwich shop in Athens, Ohio in 2022 with then Crimson Tide assistant coach Antoine Pettway to tell all the other schools that had been trying to recruit him that he was leaving Ohio University and going home.

From there, one of the most notable Crimson Tide careers ever began. The Muscle Shoals native transferred to Alabama and turned into a legend.

Over three seasons in the crimson and white, Sears and Alabama accomplished unprecedented success together. He also became the first ever consensus first-team All-American for the Crimson Tide.

Sears, whose collegiate eligibility expired Saturday when Alabama lost 85-65 to Duke in the Elite Eight, finishes second-all-time in scoring for the program with 1,944 points. Only Reggie King tallied more (2,168) points over his Alabama career from 1976-79.

“I’m just blessed to be able to play for the University of Alabama, especially being from the state of Alabama,” Sears said. “Even though this season didn’t go the way we wanted it to, I’m just very thankful I got the chance to play for Coach Oats and the University of Alabama.”

Sears put together an unforgettable three-year run. The question is, where does he belong in Crimson Tide basketball lore?

“You’ve got to put him up there with the greats,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said.

Sears only managed six points in his final game, shooting 2-for-12 and 1 of 5 from deep. The ending left a bit of a sour taste, but that doesn’t spoil the overall body of work.

Sears led Alabama in scoring each of the past two seasons, one a Final Four team, the other an Elite Eight team. He also led the Crimson Tide in assists this season. The first two years, he had the most steals of any Alabama player, too.

The stats stand out, but his legacy will stem perhaps more from memorable individual performances. That goes all the way back to the 24 points he scored and seven triples he made in the 103-101 four overtime win over UNC the week of Thanksgiving in 2022. Or his 35-point, eight-triple performance in the loss to Purdue in 2023.

Sears’ effort during the run to the 2024 Final Four stands alone, though. The collective body of work was remarkable. But specifically, the 2024 Elite Eight game against Clemson when he scored 23 points and made seven triples to send Alabama to its first ever Final Four.

Then this past season, Sears put together a five-game stretch late in SEC play where he averaged 28 points per game. The first game outside of that run, he floated the buzzer-beater that took down No. 1 Auburn on March 8 at Neville Arena in overtime.

Last but not least, his historic game against BYU in the Sweet 16 will be remembered for a long time. He scored 34 points while making 11 3-pointers, one shy of the all-time NCAA Tournament record for a single player in one game. Sears’ 3-pointers led the way for a 25-triple performance, which is the new NCAA Tournament and Alabama record for one game.

He did it all during three seasons in which Alabama:

1. Earned the No. 1 overall seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and won the 2023 SEC regular season title and tournament championships
2. Reached the Final Four in 2024
3. Made the Elite Eight in 2025

“I don’t know that there’s been a better three-year run in Alabama history,” Oats said.

Sears was part of all of it. No other player can say that.

He might not be the most talented player ever at Alabama. He probably won’t be the best pro ever to come from Tuscaloosa either.

Sears, however, is no doubt the most successful. He took Alabama to unprecedented heights. For that, he’s worthy of a spot on the program’s Mount Rushmore.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.