Thomas Haugh returned to Florida for a chance to win a second national title. Jeremy Fears Jr. put off the NBA in hopes of leading Michigan State to its first national championship in 27 years. The two stars' decisions made their teams among the front-runners to cut down the nets next spring and earned them preseason All-America honors from The Associated Press.
Fears received 57 votes from a 58-person media panel on the team released Wednesday, and Haugh earned 56. Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner (43 votes), Illinois forward David Mirkovic (24) and Arizona big man Motiejus Krivas (17) rounded out the team.
Fears had a superb second season as Michigan State's starting point guard, averaging 15.2 points and a nation-leading 9.4 assists per game. Haugh played a key role in Florida's run to the 2025 national title and was the Gators' leading scorer last season at 17.1 points per game. Florida was the runaway choice as No. 1 in the AP preseason poll.
Tanner was one of the nation's best guards last season, becoming the only player in the nation to average at least 19 points, five assists and two steals for the season. Mirkovic averaged 13.3 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds per game, and his return earned Illinois a No. 3 ranking, its highest since 2001. Krivas, a 7-2 Lithuanian, averaged 10.4 points and a team-leading 8.2 rebounds, and he was projected as a late first-round pick before opting to remain in Tucson.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing