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

Duke's Cooper Flagg, left, blocks a shot from Lincoln's Freddie Young, right, during the first half of an exhibition NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) Duke's Cooper Flagg, left, blocks a shot from Lincoln's Freddie Young, right, during the first half of an exhibition NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

By JOHN MARSHALL / AP Basketball Writer October 21, 2024 5 min read

Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina’s RJ Davis looked into the possibility of leaving for the NBA before deciding to return for another college season.

Their decisions helped their teams earn top-10 rankings in the AP Top 25 and earned both players some preseason honors, too.

Sears was a near-unanimous selection for The Associated Press preseason All-America men’s basketball team released Monday, earning all but one vote from a 55-person national media panel. Davis was right behind him, nabbing 51 votes.

They were joined by Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Auburn forward Johni Broome, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flagg tied for the final spot, creating a six-man team that includes only the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.

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