TUSCALOOSA — Mark Sears is still soaring to new heights in his fifth season of college basketball. The best player for No. 4 Alabama was just that yet again in the Crimson Tide’s 96-83 win over Kentucky. He led the Tide with 30 points in the win, following up a 35-point performance in Alabama’s loss to No. 15 Missouri. It’s the first time in his career he’s put up back-to-back 30-plus scoring performances.

After his latest performance, Alabama coach Nate Oats said Sears is playing his best basketball on both ends since his arrival in Tuscaloosa. When asked where he thinks the spark has come from, Oats offered a simple explanation.

“I think he just wants to win,” Oats said after the game. “I think he came back to try to win a national championship. He came back to try to play his way into the NBA. Winning solves a lot of that stuff.”

It’s as good a motivator as any for Sears and Alabama has reaped the benefits of his individual determination. In the past two games, Sears has combined for 65 points on an efficient 20 of 37 from the field. His scoring helped Alabama to a badly needed bounce-back game after he failed to lift the Tide past Mizzou and No. 1 Auburn.

A change to Alabama’s lineup deserves some credit for Sears’ recent scoring. The Tide re-introduced freshman guard Labaron Philon to the starting five, and Oats has made it more of a point to run lineups that allow Sears to play off the likes of Philon and Aden Holloway to take some of the scoring and playmaking burden off Sears’ shoulders.

According to Oats, Sears went 5 of 7 at the rim against Kentucky. He only had one shot blocked and went 11 of 11 from the free-throw line, showcasing better decision-making as a driver and making good rim reads. He’s been a much more smooth operator of Alabama’s offense and had just two turnovers against the Wildcats, while also providing positive leverage on the defensive end.

“I think 17 [field goals] is the same that he got against Auburn two games ago,” Oats said. “His output on these 17 shots was better than it was against Auburn. So he’s scoring more points on the same amount of shots, at least to Auburn. So, he’s playing well. His efficiency on offense, his effort on defense. I’m looking at defensive leverage, he had a positive defensive leverage which that hasn’t always been the case. We were 18 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor than when he was off on defense today and that’s great for him.”

Sears’ form is a testament to Oats’ lineup management, but also his own trust in his coach and teammates to help put him in positions to be successful. Before Philon’s return to the starting five, Oats told Sears he needed to put the same faith in Philon as a playmaker as he did for Aaron Estrada last season. He also praised Sears for his on-court leadership against the Wildcats after Alabama fell into a 16-9 hole early.

Coming into the season, it was clear Sears would have to adjust his game slightly to fit with Alabama’s re-loaded roster and deal with the inevitable extra attention he would receive from opposing teams after an All-American season. Sears has had his fair share of ups and downs. He was held to zero points against Illinois in non-conference play and benched for the second half of Alabama’s win over LSU for lacking the effort Oats was looking for.

Sears has responded to those challenges like the veteran Alabama needs him to be. Since the LSU game, he’s averaging 21.2 points and 4.5 assits per game. He along with the rest of the Tide’s veterans are continuing to embrace their roles as leaders, which Oats is hoping will especially translate to improvement for Alabama on the defensive end.

“Sears’ leadership in the huddle is the best it's ever been,” Oats said. “His leadership on the floor — it’s great to have Chris Youngblood there, Grant [Nelson]. We’ve got four fifth-year guys, this is the best Cliff [Omoruyi] has played all year. Sears is playing his best basketball of the year. Chris Youngblood, this was as good as he played. Obviously that Mississippi State one where he hit all the 3s was huge. You gotta give Grant a little bit of a pass because of the foul trouble tonight.

“But those four guys are determined to change the narrative about this team on the defensive end and I liked what I saw after the first four minutes [against Kentucky].”

Alabama seems to have found its offensive flow after struggling to get Sears going early in conference play. Sears’ sustained scoring numbers will be vital for Alabama in massive games moving forward starting with No. 21 Mississippi State on Tuesday. But more important to Oats is Sears' sustained leadership, which will elevate the Tide even further as it contends for a return to the Final Four.

“He’s trying to play the right way,” Oats said. “He’s as coachable as he’s ever been. “His effort on defense has been through the roof, really the last three, four weeks or so. So just a combination of ‘Let's get him to lead. Let’s play the right way on both sides of the ball. Give us total effort on defense.’ And I think he’s been doing that. I’ve been super happy with the way he’s been playing."