Overview
Born in Florence, AL, Sears began his high school career at Muscle Shoals and transferred to Hargrave Military Academy in 2019, helping lead the team to the Final Four of the National Prep Championship. Sears began his collegiate career at Ohio, starting five of his 24 appearances as a freshman and making the MAC All-Freshman Team. He became a full-time starter the following season and was voted to the All-MAC First Team. Sears transferred to Alabama ahead of his junior campaign for 2022-23 and was voted to Second Team All-SEC. As a senior, he made First Team All-SEC and All-American Second Team, averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals in 33.6 minutes.
Analysis
Sears would be the shortest player on almost any NBA roster, but that didn’t stop him from being one of the best college players last season. The lefty has a sturdy frame, which he combines with change-of-pace movement to shed opposing defenders, whether through speed or physicality. That allows him to finish at the rim with good efficiency despite his height. In addition, he’s a three-point marksman. He went 95-for-218 (44%) last season, preferring to shoot from above the break. He can pull up off the dribble but excels in dribble-handoffs or spot-up situations. Passing is a great strength of Sears’ as well, boasting a 21.4% assist rate and working well in the pick-and-roll. The biggest concern for Sears at the NBA level will ultimately be his size. Can he defend at a neutral level and make challenging shots against NBA athletes?
Projection
Finding a current NBA comparison to Sears isn’t easy, but given his height, Jalen Brunson comes to mind, though Sears replaces Brunson’s mid-range craftiness with more three-point shooting. A team that drafts Sears this season will likely hope he can be a microwave sixth man – something like Lou Williams. It’s possible he develops further, but a lot will ride on his ability to defend and make tough shots against NBA size, speed and strength.
— Profile by RotoWire