MAC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
25. Mark Sears
A 6’1 guard from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, it was a solid start for Sears’ career under Jeff Boals at Ohio. He joined the Bobcats in 2020, arriving during the peak of the pandemic. After a solid showing as a freshman, he blossomed into a star in the MAC, though he’d transfer from the school following that sophomore year.
Among the top freshmen in the MAC that season, Sears averaged 8.5 points and 3.4 assists for the Bobcats, mostly coming off the bench and contributing to an NCAA Tournament upset win over Virginia. Year two was a major step forward, as Sears put up 19.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, taking quite the sophomore leap. He helped lead Ohio to a 25-win season and dropped a career-high 35 points in a loss to Abilene Christian in the CBI.
That major progression saw him lead the MAC in scoring as a sophomore, earning First-Team All-MAC honors. Sears, on the brink of stardom, was also among the league’s leaders in assists and steals and has been an elite free throw shooter. He’s fresh off a successful junior year at Alabama, much closer to his hometown, and will return next season for the Crimson Tide, though it’s easy to see how he found his footing in the MAC.