Mark Sears Named to Sporting News All-America First Team

The Alabama guard is starting to rake in the postseason accolades after a dominant regular season.

Mar 5, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama guard Mark Sears (1) goes to the basket at Coleman Coliseum. Florida defeated Alabama 99-94. The shot was blocked and initially ruled goal tending but was later reversed on replay review. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Alabama guard Mark Sears was named to The Sporting News 2024-25 College Basketball All-America First Team on Wednesday. This is the first NCAA media outlet to reveal their list as Sears aims to be a consensus or unanimous All-American.

Sears, who was a Preseason All-American and is currently a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, is a 2024-25 All-SEC First Team member. Sears is second in the SEC in points per game with 19.2 and his 5.0 assists average is the third-most in the conference.

Sears has had plenty of outstanding performances this season but The Sporting News said his defining game came in the 102-97 road win over Kentucky, when he had 24 points and nine assists with one turnover in 38 minutes of action.

"Sears is a tough player to categorize because he can play either backcourt position brilliantly," Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy wrote. "He is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, indicative he’s one of the top five point guards in Division I, but he could have been on the Jerry West Award list if voters had preferred.

"He plays often in that role when he shares the backcourt with gifted freshman Labaron Philon, but when it matters most, Sears has the ball – as was the case in the waning seconds of the regular season-ending road game at Auburn, which he won by driving for a buzzer-beating pull-up. With 594 points and 156 assists, he accounted for at least a third of Alabama’s scoring."

Sporting News First Team:

• Johni Broome, Forward, Auburn
• Walter Clayton, Guard, Florida
• Cooper Flagg, Forward, Duke
• Mark Sears, Guard, Alabama
• Braden Smith, Guard, Purdue

Sporting News Second Team:

• Eric Dixon, Forward, Villanova
• PJ Haggerty, Guard, Memphis
• Kam Jones, Guard, Marquette
• John Tonje, Forward, Wisconsin
• JT Toppin, Forward, Texas Tech

Sporting News Third Team:

• LJ Cryer, Guard, Houston
• Ryan Kalkbrenner, Center, Creighton
• Chaz Lanier, Guard, Tennessee
• RJ Luis, Forward, St. John's
• Zakai Zeigler, Guard, Tennessee