Alabama coach Nate Oats called seniors Mark Sears and Grant Nelson into his office to ask one question: to play or not to play. Alabama's regular-season finale against No. 1 Auburn was up next, and on the surface, there wasn't much on the line: Auburn had clinched the SEC's regular-season championship, and Alabama had clinched a double-bye in the SEC tournament.
It was a game purely for pride -- a chance to beat a rival on its senior day and avenge a 94-85 loss a few weeks earlier. But sitting out the game could've meant more recovery for the March stretch.
The decision was easy to play, especially for Sears, a Muscle Shoals, Ala., native.
"It was a resounding, 'Yeah. We don't like those guys. We owe them one. We'll play them looking to win,'" Oats said. "Which is what I wanted to hear, but I wanted them to make that decision. They did and brought it. I think it was huge."
With a few seconds left in overtime and the score tied at 91, Oats put the ball in Sears' hands despite his poor offensive showing: seven points on 2-of-8 shooting. Why? There are few players as qualified as Sears to deliver against top-ranked teams, and he did it again. A floater as time expired lifted the Crimson Tide over Auburn, denying the Tigers a program-record 16th SEC win and 28th regular-season win.
"The last two seasons I've seen it, it seems like every other game," Nelson said. "He's hitting a crazy shot or something to get our momentum going or win the game. I just give a lot of credit to him and what he's done for the state of Alabama."
It was another signature moment for Sears in a long list of notable big-game performances, particularly in March. As No. 2 seed Alabama begins its NCAA Tournament run Friday afternoon against No. 15 seed Robert Morris, can he and the Crimson Tide re-capture that magic?
The game-winner against Auburn has been the lone bright spot as of late for Sears, who became the first unanimous first-team All-American in Alabama men's basketball history Wednesday. He had a five-game stretch from Feb. 19 to March 5 -- all against ranked opponents -- when he averaged 28 points per game. That stretch featured three games with 30 or more points. But in his past three outings, Sears is averaging just 10.3 points per game. His last outing, in particular, left a sour taste: just nine points in a 104-82 loss to Florida in the SEC tournament.
Which Sears shows up in the NCAA Tournament will dictate if Alabama makes a run at a second consecutive Final Four or suffers a disappointing early exit.
"Just have the mindset that it's win or go home -- literally," Sears said. "We don't want this to be our last game and we know that every possession is going to matter, especially in this tournament."
This tournament is the curtain call for Sears, arguably the most decorated player in program history. He's No. 3 all-time in scoring at Alabama, a two-time All-American and a three-time All-SEC selection.
"He's done a lot for us," Oats said. "Leading scorer in the first and only Final Four we've ever played in, National Player of the Year candidate going into the year. We've been a top-10 team all year, and he's been our leader."
Still, this season hasn't been without adversity. Sears returned to Alabama for a fifth year to make another Final Four run and improve his NBA draft stock beyond what he's shown as a scorer. Oats continuously has challenged Sears on that, even taking extreme measures.
In January at LSU, Sears shot 0-for-5 in the first half and had a few turnovers, but his defensive effort set Oats off. The final seconds of the first half were the boiling point as a late defensive rotation by Sears allowed an easy LSU dunk. On the ensuing offensive possession, Sears drove to the basket but missed the layup and did not get back on defense in time as LSU knocked down a 3-pointer.
In 23 seconds, a 38-35 Alabama lead became a 40-35 deficit. Oats had seen enough and benched Sears for the remainder of the game. Sears' 17 minutes played are still the lowest total of his career. Alabama won the game 80-73, but Oats' decision to bench his star player was the much bigger storyline.
"We went with the guys in the second half who we thought gave us the best chance to win this game," Oats said after the game. "And we won the game. Our defense was significantly better than the first half, and we haven't done that very often this year. That's all I'm going to say about that stuff."
It was a sobering moment for Sears and an inflection point in his leadership arc. Alabama charts practice performances, and players vote for practice MVPs. Sears was the resounding choice in the two practices following that game. In the 10 games that followed, he averaged 21.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game on 42.9 percent shooting from the field, 36.1 percent from 3-point range and 89.4 percent on free throws -- all improvements from where his numbers were before being benched.
"I think he's earned his teammates' respect more," Oats said via "Field of 68." "I don't think you'd have a great team if you don't hold everybody accountable. Immediately after the game, I thought he was great, and I think he bought into being the hardest playing guy out there and leading these guys."
It reinforces the notion that Sears is the engine that fuels Alabama, which is among the short list of national championship contenders when it's operating at peak level. The Crimson Tide spent the entire season ranked in the AP top 10 for the first time, and their No. 2 seed is the fifth top-three seed in program history and the second in Sears' career.
Another leadership moment, and perhaps the most important of his career, has arrived. Alabama's set to begin the NCAA Tournament with Nelson, one of its key players, nursing a knee injury, and he is questionable for the first two games. Sears' presence as a leader to prepare his team and his impact on the court will need to improve if Alabama can make another run.
"To me, it's an opportunity for Mark to prove he impacts the game on more than just shooting," Oats said. "How much can you impact the game? Can we win when you're not shooting it particularly well?"
The NCAA Tournament is annually characterized by players who make their name in the biggest moments. There are few more accomplished "big game" players than Sears, which makes him a player to watch whenever Alabama touches the floor.
Sears is the only player in SEC history to play on a team with three wins over AP No. 1 teams, and he delivered in each of those games:
* In his seventh career game at Alabama in November 2022, Sears played a career-high 55 minutes and scored a team-high 24 points with five rebounds and five assists in a 103-101 win over No. 1 North Carolina in four overtimes at the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Ore.
* Two weeks later, Sears made the go-ahead 3-pointer at Houston, capping a 15-point Alabama comeback in a 71-65 win over the No. 1 Cougars.
* Then came his floater in early March that took down Auburn.
Three memorable performances, all away from Tuscaloosa, just like NCAA Tournament games.
"I'd like to know how many players have beaten three No. 1 teams, and none of the games were at home," Oats said. "That shows what he's capable of and how well he plays in tough environments."
Last season's NCAA Tournament was Sears' coming out party as he averaged 24.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Can he replicate that? It will take pulling himself and his team out of a slight slump. In addition to his recent shooting woes, Alabama is 5-5 in its past 10 games.
"We're gonna have to do a little soul-searching and see how bad we want to make a deep run," Oats said. "It's truly player-led more than anything."
Insert Sears, who's not the most vocal leader but has a lead-by-example demeanor, and history in these moments speaks volumes. But how does Alabama unlock the best of Sears one last time?
Despite the recent lull, he feels like as safe a choice as any to show up and play well for his contending team largely based on his history at Alabama. Another run would further cement his legendary status, while a poor effort almost assuredly means a short tournament stint. The feeling on each end of the spectrum is more than enough motivation.
"I want this thing to ride until we win the last game," Sears said. "With that being said, that's going to be a big motivator to not take this jersey off on the wrong side of it."