Alabama men’s basketball graduate guard Mark Sears, graduate forward Grant Nelson and graduate center Clifford Omoruyi were named to the John R. Wooden Award preseason top 50 watch list on Thursday.
Sears has been showered with preseason recognition and honors as he was predicted by both the media and coaches to win the conference’s Player of the Year award and also land a spot on the All-SEC First Team. Sears also received the most votes to land a spot on the Preseason AP All-American Team and is on the Bob Cousy Award (nation’s top point guard) watch list as well.
The 6-foot-1 graduate point guard was named an AP All-America Second Team member and All-SEC First Team member last season after averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists last season. He became the first Division I player in 31 seasons to record 795 points (Alabama record), 150 rebounds, 145 assists, and 95 three-pointers in a single season.
Nelson’s effectiveness on both sides of the ball in 2023-24 has persuaded the media and the conference’s coaches to place him on the Preseason All-SEC Second Team. Additionally, Nelson, who finished with the fourth-most blocks in the SEC and was tied with former Alabama guard Aaron Estrada as the team’s most Hard Hat Award wins, was named to the Karl Malone (nation’s top power forward) watch list. He didn’t play in the scrimmages due to an injury and will come off of the bench tonight with a minutes restriction.
The 6-foot-11 graduate forward averaged 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks last season, leading the Crimson Tide in the latter two stat categories. Perhaps his breakout game occurred in the Sweet 16 against one-seeded North Carolina, when he dropped 24 points, 12 rebounds and monstrous five blocks.
Numerous players have been asked throughout the offseason which member of the Crimson Tide is the toughest to score on and it’s certainly unanimous that the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (nation’s top center) watch list candidate is the ultimate disruptor. Alabama’s 81.2 points allowed per contest last season were bottom-10 in the country, but the addition of Omoruyi, plus longtime NBA defensive assistant Brian Adams, should seriously lower that number.
The 6-foot-11 graduate center’s transfer was imperative for Alabama as the Tide lost multiple forwards and bigs to the portal, but also the interior defense was one of its main weaknesses last season. The former Rutgers big man’s 2.9 blocks per game in 2023-24 led the Big Ten and his rim-protecting efforts the year before helped him earn a spot on the conference’s All-Defensive Team in each of the last two seasons.
