That's the version of the All-American point guard that Oats is hoping will take the floor for the No. 4 Crimson Tide from here on out, and not the version he thought he saw when he benched Sears for the duration of the second half of last Saturday's win against LSU.

Nate Oats still hasn't locked in Alabama basketball's starting five for Mississippi State. Will Mark Sears be in it after getting benched against LSU?

When Mark Sears did not start the second half of Alabama‘s game against LSU on Saturday, a few eyebrows were raised. They went even higher when Sears wound up not playing a minute to close out the game,