Mark Sears Embraces High Expectations By Having the Hunted Rather Than Hunter Mentality

Sears is using the recognition that he is going to be the one being "hunted" this offseason as motivation. Last year, no one viewed the Tide as a threat to make a deep tournament run. The script has flipped and the team is now bestowed with lofty expectations, embracing that mentality is Sears's focus going into this year.

Sears, after having previously been a transfer himself, is now the longest-tenured player of the program. He still views Alabama as his "dream school," and that appreciation makes him not take the role as leader for granted.

Sears is the leader of what may very well be the most talented and deepest roster in the country. Just to summarize: the team returns Sears, senior Grant Nelson, sophomore Jarin Stevenson, senior Latrell Wrightsell, sophomore Mohammad Dioubate and senior Max Scharnowski from last years final four run and added the number-seven transfer class and the number-two recruiting class.

This has kicked up the competition during practices to a new level, as the players compete for early-season minutes with many talented players at risk of being left out.

Newcomers such as transfers in sophomore Aden Holloway and graduate senior Cliff Omoruyi as well as freshman Labaron Philon and Derrion Reid were all mentioned numerous times by Coach Oats during his media availability.

Oats has not been shy about these expectations, not dismissing or downplaying them and even embracing the praise his team has gotten.

"Our roster is not such that anybody is picking us fifth, so people have asked me whether we would rather come in under the radar and surprise people or -- obviously we got picked in the AP poll second, or be picked to win, and I'd say I'd much rather have the roster I currently have and deal with where we're picked:" Oats during his press conference.

Sears was asked about this confidence from Oats and whether he likes the idea of not downplaying the team's goals this season:

There was no shortage of enthusiasm and high-spirits from the Tide at media day. The group clearly isn't lacking in confidence in what the standards for themselves are this year, in what is unquestionably the most highly anticipated Tide hoops season in the program's history.