The Alabama Crimson Tide needs a new version of Mark Sears this year. The SEC Preseason Player of the Year, Sears came into the 2024-25 season as the same player who covered the court last season in the absence of players. But Alabama is a different team this year, with enough guys available to cover positions. But instead of letting Sears fall into the background to let everyone fulfill their role, as the Crimson Tide has been doing so far, one former pro has a different suggestion.

On The Field of 68: After Dark, Randolph Childress chimes in with the player he has been expecting more of this season – Mark Sears. Describing him as “tentative,” Childress discusses how Alabama coach Nate Oats’ strategy seems to be to “let everybody have a piece,” but that won’t work, says the former pro. “I would like to see him get downhill, stay aggressive, stay in attack mode, and make all these guys adjust to him.”

“I think they’re trying to share too much of the pie, trying to balance all these minutes and keep everybody playing in Alabama. And I’m cool with that, I just don’t wanna see it at the expense of Mark Sears.”

Perhaps because he’s trying to fit into the new role of falling into the background like everyone else, Sears’ shooting has not been on point this season. Last week, he went scoreless when Alabama played Illinois, and worked on it late into the night after the game, practicing his throws. But the player who averaged 21.5 points and 33.6 minutes needs to step up, believes Childress.

“He’s a guy that delivers when it matters and that’s not a switch that you can just turn on and off,” he said. While the former player is impressed that Alabama has managed to win, he doesn’t think the current version of the Crimson Tide could grab the ultimate NCAA championship at this rate.

“He just seems too tentative, trying to play more like a traditional point guard. That’s great leadership but man, get downhill, go get buckets, and make these dudes adjust to you.” Next up is going to North Carolina at their home stadium, a team that they have met 15 times on the court before.

Interestingly, Coach Oats had a different perspective regarding his star player and it’s almost the opposite of Childress.

Coach Nate Oats wants attention to shift away from Mark Sears on the court

After giving a display like he did in 2023-24, all eyes are going to be on the Crimson Tide player. Coach Oats knows this and wants his players to understand it too, because rival teams are going to base their strategies around Sears and his usually brilliant play. But talking to the press, his coach took a different approach.

“I think one, he’s got to quit pressing,” Oats said. “He’s not going to average as many points this year as he did last year. We knew that coming in. People are going to focus on him. We’ve got more talent around him. It just is what it is. He’s got to do it takes to help us win games.”

Oats did concede, however, that Sears needs to be more aggressive, “Keep him playing aggressive without being overly aggressive to where he’s trying to score on multiple opponents.” Whatever it takes to win is the motto of the year and if it requires Mark Sears to get comfortable with doing what has never been done before, then so be it.