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BOSTON, MA – Ohio men's basketball sophomore guard Mark Sears has been named to the 2021-22 Lou Henson National Player of the Year Mid-Season Watch List, the organization announced today (Jan. 12). 
 
Sears (Muscle Shoals, Ala.) has been unstoppable during his sophomore campaign. The guard is averaging 19.7 points a game, while shooting 48.0 percent from the field, 43.2 percent from three and is shooting 92.1 from the line. He is also averaging 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals a game. 
 
Sears has scored in double figures in every game this season, while recording six 20-point games and a night where he scored a career-high 33 points against USC Upstate. 
 
Sears ranks 11^th in the country in free throw percentage and fifth in the nation in free throws made. Sears has been named MAC Player of the Week four times this season. 
 
The award, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in division I college basketball, honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons. Henson is the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 423 victories. 
 
During his 21 seasons (1975-1996), Henson led the Fighting Illini to 16 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA tournaments and a Final Four appearance in 1989. 
 
Henson, who is also the all-time winningest coach in New Mexico State history with 289 victories, is one of only 11 coaches to take two different schools to the NCAA Final Four. His teams have made 19 NCAA appearances and four NIT appearances.
 
Players on teams from the following conferences are eligible for the award: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast.
 
Sears and the Bobcats are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 15 when they head to Mount Pleasant, Mich.  to take on Central Michigan. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. 
 
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