Duke’s Cooper Flagg makes preseason AP All-America team as ACC, Big 12, SEC each place 2 players

Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina’s RJ Davis appeared into the potential of leaving for the NBA earlier than deciding to return for an additional school season.

Their choices helped their groups earn top-10 rankings within the AP High 25 and earned each gamers some preseason honors, too.

Sears was a near-unanimous choice for The Related Press preseason All-America males’s basketball staff launched Monday, incomes all however one vote from a 55-person nationwide media panel. Davis was proper behind him, nabbing 51 votes.

They have been joined by Kansas massive man Hunter Dickinson, Auburn ahead Johni Broome, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flagg tied for the ultimate spot, making a six-man staff that features solely the ACC, Massive 12 and SEC.

Alabama twin invoice

Sears was a key cog within the Crimson Tide’s first journey to the Closing 4 a yr in the past, orchestrating one in every of school basketball’s highest-scoring groups.

The 6-foot-1 guard was named a second-team AP All-America after averaging 21.5 factors, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He was the primary Division I participant in 31 years to have 795 factors, 150 rebounds, 145 assists and 95 three-pointers in a single season whereas breaking the Alabama single-season file with 26 video games with not less than 20 factors.

Sears labored out for NBA scouts through the offseason earlier than deciding to return to Alabama, incomes the Crimson Tide a No. 2 rating within the preseason AP High 25.

“I noticed the staff that we had and I wished to be part of it, and produce residence Alabama’s first nationwide championship in basketball,” Sears stated.

Throughout the state at rival Auburn, Broome made a rapid choice about his future, saying in April that he can be again for a fifth season.

The 6-10 ahead was a third-team AP All-American final season after averaging 16.5 factors and eight.5 rebounds whereas taking pictures almost 55% from the ground. With an eye fixed on an NBA future, Broome labored laborious on his perimeter taking pictures through the offseason and his return earned Auburn a No. 11 preseason rating.

“My important aim is a staff aim, which is to win the nationwide championship, to make it so far as I can in March Insanity,” Broome stated. “When a staff shines, everybody shines individually.”

Alongside Tobacco Highway

Like Sears, Davis has related aspirations after opting to return for his fifth season at North Carolina.

The 6-foot guard was an AP All-American final season and the ACC participant of the yr after averaging 21.1 factors, 3.6 rebounds and three.5 assists on a staff that reached the Candy 16 of the NCAA Event. Davis enters this yr inside attain of former North Carolina massive man Tyler Hansbrough’s all-time ACC scoring file.

“I do know there’s extra work to be performed,” Davis stated. “I do know my jersey’s not going up till I depart. So there’s some extra information to interrupt and a few extra work to be performed. I’m glad however I’m not glad, if that is smart.”

Up the highway at Duke, Flagg was the one underclassman on the preseason All-America staff after arriving with tons of hype. The 6-9 swingman was the No. 1-rated highschool recruit out of Newport, Maine and has been projected because the No. 1 general choose within the NBA draft.

Flagg has the talents of a guard, however also can play inside and has labored laborious on his perimeter taking pictures, giving him the potential to be one in every of school basketball’s most versatile gamers. He’s a part of a stellar recruiting class that has No. 7 Duke eyeing a deep March run.

Massive 12 duo

Dickinson was the most important transfer within the switch portal final spring after leaving Michigan for Kansas. The 7-2 middle lived as much as the billing, averaging 17.9 factors and 10.9 rebounds whereas main the Jayhawks again to the NCAA Event.

With Dickinson’s return and an inflow of proficient transfers, Kansas is ranked No. 1 going into the season that begins Nov. 4.

Love’s choice to return for a second season at No. 10 Arizona has ratcheted up expectations within the desert for the Massive 12 rival of Kansas.

The athletic 6-4 guard had a high-scoring profession at North Carolina and continued it after transferring to Arizona final season. He was the Pac-12 participant of the yr and a third-team All-American after averaging 18 factors per sport and making 92 3-pointers.

Love examined the NBA waters this summer time earlier than deciding to return.

“He’s had a really profitable school profession so far,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd stated. “He’s sort of this final era of participant that’s going to get higher with this additional yr, and so I simply encourage him to benefit from it.”

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