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Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina’s RJ Davis looked at the possibility of leaving the NBA before deciding to return for another college season.
Their decisions helped their teams earn a top-10 ranking in the AP Top 25 and also earned both players some preseason honors.
Sears was a near-unanimous selection to 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, receiving 51 votes.
They were joined by Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Auburn forward Johnny Broom, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flag tied for the final spot, making a six-member team that includes only the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.
Sears was instrumental in the Crimson Tide’s first trip to the Final Four a year ago, one of the highest scoring teams in college basketball.
The 6-foot-1 guard was named second-team AP All-America after averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He became the first Division I player in 31 years to break Alabama single-season records with 795 points, 150 rebounds, 145 assists and 95 three-pointers in a season with 26 games with at least 20 points.
Sears worked out for NBA scouts in the offseason before deciding to return to Alabama, earning the Crimson Tide a No. 2 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25.
“I saw the team we had and I wanted to be a part of it and bring home Alabama’s first national championship in basketball,” Sears said.
Across the state at rival Auburn, Broome made a quick decision about his future, announcing in April that he would return for a fifth season.
The 6-10 forward was a third-team AP All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting nearly 55% from the floor. With an eye on an NBA future, Broome worked hard on his perimeter shooting in the offseason, and his return earned Auburn a No. 11 preseason ranking.
“My main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship, to do that as much as I can in March Madness,” Broome said. “When a team lights up, everyone individually lights up.”
Like Sears, Davis has similar aspirations as he returns for his fifth season at North Carolina.
The 6-foot guard was an AP All-American last season and the ACC Player of the Year after averaging 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists on a team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Davis moved within reach of former North Carolina big man Tyler Hansbrough’s all-time ACC scoring record this year.
“I know there’s more work to be done,” Davis said. “I know my jersey won’t go up until I go. So there are more records to break and more work to do. I’m satisfied but I’m not satisfied, if that makes sense.”
On the road at Duke, Flagg was the only underclassman on the preseason All-America team after bringing plenty of hype. The 6-9 swingman was a No. 1-rated high school recruit out of Newport, Maine and projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
Flagg has the skills of a guard but can also play inside and has worked hard on his perimeter shooting, giving him the potential to become one of the most versatile players in college basketball. He’s part of a great recruiting class with No. 7 Duke eyeing a deep March run.
Dickinson leaving Michigan for Kansas was the biggest step in the transfer portal last spring. The 7-2 center lived up to the billing, averaging 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while leading the Jayhawks back to the NCAA Tournament.
With the return of Dickinson and a stream of talented transfers, Kansas is ranked No. 1 for the season that begins Nov. 4.
Love’s decision to return to No. 10 Arizona for a second season raised expectations in the desert for Big 12 rival Kansas.
The athletic 6-4 guard had a high-scoring career at North Carolina and continued that after transferring to Arizona last season. He was the Pac-12 Player of the Year and a third-team All-American after averaging 18 points per game and making 92 3-pointers.
Love tested the NBA waters this summer before deciding to return.
“He’s had a very successful college career so far,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “He’s the last generation player that’s going to get better with that extra year, and so I encourage him to take advantage of it.”
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