Mark Sears is weighing his options. Alabama basketball’s star point guard, arguably coming off the best single season in school history, provided an update on his future Wednesday morning via Instagram.

Sears will declare the 2024 NBA Draft and maintain his collegiate eligibility, potentially giving him another year in Tuscaloosa with the Tide.

“I would like to thank God for blessing me with an amazing gift that has allowed me to play the game that I love, basketball.” Sears wrote. “His blessing has provided innumerable opportunities and I am truly appreciative of God’s blessings, lessons and provisions along the way.”

Sears is permitted to keep his plans open-ended according to NCAA rules. Sears can partially go through the draft process, gather feedback on his potential draft stock, and then reevaluate by May 29.

Sears would make UA one of the best teams in the country should he return, giving coach Nate Oats a consistent 20-points-per-game scorer in the backcourt. Sears’ departure would task Alabama with replacing at least 60% of its starting lineup after Aaron Estrada’s graduation and Rylan Griffen’s transfer.

Sears averaged 21.5 points, 4.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game as a senior, propelling UA to its first Final Four. In NBA.com’s post-NCAA Tournament mock draft, Sears was not among the 60 players selected.

Sears’ stellar season was recognized by the Associated Press, Southeastern Conference coaches and Sporting News. He earned various All-American honors, including second-team per the AP. Sears was named the NCAA Tournament’s West Region MVP after scoring 111 points across five games.

Sears is a native of Muscle Shoals and attended Hargrave Military Academy. He spent two seasons at Ohio University before transferring to Alabama and developing into a Tide legend. Against North Carolina in the Sweet 16, Sears made a layup to break Reggie King’s record (set in 1979) for points in a season.

Sears would be the focal point of Oats’ efficient offense should he choose to use his final year of eligibility. If not, Alabama will need to handle his departure better than Charles Bediako and Jahvon Quinerly from a year ago, who both sought counsel from NBA scouts before ultimately leaving Alabama.

Alabama has weathered roster changes since its season ended in Arizona against UConn. Davin Cosby, Sam Walters and Nick Pringle have all opted for the portal. Alabama has also pulled USF guard Chris Youngblood and Pepperdine’s Houston Mallette to fill out its roster.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].