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.”
Tanner was one of the nation's best guards last season, earning third-team AP All-America honors after becoming the only player in the nation to average 19 points (19.5), 5.0 assists (5.1) and 2.0 steals (2.1) for the season.The 6-foot guard from Brentwood, Tennessee, also tested the NBA waters before opting to return, helping Vandy earn its first preseason ranking since 2015 at No. 24.
“There’s not a more valuable player in the country,” Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said. “Just everything that he can do on the court, off the court, what he means to me, what he means to Vanderbilt. I’m glad we got year three with him.”
Mirkovic had a strong first season after moving over from SC Derby of the European ABA League, averaging 13.3 points, a team-high 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists on a team that reached the Final Four for the first time since 2005. The 6-9 forward from Niksic, Montenegro, will likely be eased into the season after offseason foot surgery, but his return with twin brothers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic earned the Illini a No. 3 ranking the AP preseason poll, highest since they were No. 3 in 2001.
“He’s got great charisma and great sense of humor, when you get to know him, you find out how intelligent he is, an unbelievable quick wit to him,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "Then you step across the line and he’s that guy that just wants to rip your throat out and compete. I’m excited for the world to get to know him.”
Krivas was a dominant force inside during Arizona's first Final Four run in 25 years last season.
The 7-2 Lithuanian averaged 10.4 points and a team-leading 8.2 rebounds a year ago. He had an even bigger influence on defense, finishing 17th nationally with 73 blocked shots while teams shot 36.7% while he was on the floor, lowest in the country, according the CBB Analytics.
Krivas was projected as a late first-round pick in this year's NBA draft, but opted to remain in Tucson to continue rounding out his game and hopefully lead the Wildcats back to the Final Four.
“He’s got more experience now and he’s had more success, which comes with more confidence," Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. "This team needs that out of him. We’re going to need him to be a double-double type of guy on a nightly basis.”
___
Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full men’s basketball coverage here
