Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears, Florida’s Thomas Haugh among top All-Americans
NCAA basketball
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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 frontrunners 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 points on a team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. The 6-foot-2 guard from Joliet, Illinois, initially declared for the NBA draft before withdrawing.
Fears' return and a loaded roster earned the Spartans a No. 6 ranking in the preseason Top 25 poll. He was a second-team All-American last season.
"I think we have the pieces" Fears said. "We've kind of got a lot of everything and my job is to get them the ball."
Haugh played a key role in Florida's run to the 2025 national title and was the Gators' leading scorer last year at 17.1 points per game, earning third team AP All-America honors.
The 6-9 forward from New Oxford, Pennsylvania, postponed his chances of becoming an NBA lottery pick to remain in school with his two brothers and chase another national title with close friend Alex Condon. With a core of Haugh, Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Denzel Aberdeen -- all members of that championship team -- Florida was the runaway choice as No. 1 in the AP preseason poll.
"It's national championship or bust for this team," Haugh said. "But we're mature enough. We have a really old group now, so I think we're going to be really comfortable coming in this season."
Huggins ailing
Retired Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Huggins has a "progressive cognitive condition" that has started to impact his memory "and aspects of his daily life," his family said.
Huggins' family released a statement on his health in coordination with the University of Cincinnati Athletics Department ahead of the 73-year-old's induction into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame.