Former Alabama assistant coach and Tide star Antoine Pettway, currently the head coach at Kennesaw State, shared a story on the NextRoundLive show about Mark Sears and why he came to Alabama.
“There was a day we were having a tough practice and coach asked the guys why they came [to Alabama]…”
Mark Sears response:
“I came here to get to a Final Four”@AntoinePettway @AlabamaMBB @imcsears pic.twitter.com/CKTPsTDLog— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) April 1, 2024
Pettway discussed the detail that goes into scouting a transfer talent like Sears and how much attention is paid to each before discussing Sears’ arrival on campus.
“Winning is just at the forefront,” Pettway said.
“I’ll never forget there was a day we were having a tough practice and coach [Oats] asked the guys why did they come [to Alabama]. And he got to Mark, and he said ‘I came here to get to a Final Four.’ And you just see that hard work come to fruition, I love it. I’m enjoying every minute of it.”
Pettway had been on Alabama’s coaching staff since 2008 and was retained when Nate Oats came in, becoming one of the most important members of the entire staff.
He had the opportunity to coach Sears for a year before taking the job with Kennesaw State.
As it happens, Pettway was also a critical piece to the 2003-04 team as a senior, which was the first Crimson Tide team to play in an Elite Eight.
Pettway’s 2004 group made a miracle run that was stopped short of the Final Four, ironically at the hands of eventual national champion Connecticut.
He spoke about what it means to him that Alabama has finally gotten over the hump and made the Final Four.
“Every basketball player to ever put that Alabama jersey on, every fan that ever came to a game in Coleman Coliseum…this is what you’ve dreamed of.”@AntoinePettway on @AlabamaMBB reaching the Final Four for the first time in program history. pic.twitter.com/knUmWTXNaX
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) April 1, 2024
“Every basketball player to ever put that Alabama jersey on, every fan that ever came to a game in Coleman Coliseum…this is what you’ve dreamed of,” Pettway said.
“And I feel it. It’s like everybody that ever played a part in it, you feel a part of it. You helped lay the foundation, and for that team to get us there, man…I know everybody in the state of Alabama is on cloud nine right now.”
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP
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