The combination of the explosion of money from NIL collectives and the last wave of players with a bonus year of eligibility due to COVID-19 means men’s college basketball features more star power than it has in a long time. Five AP All-Americans from a year ago are returning to school, the most in two decades. Combine that with a freshman class that features some elite NBA prospects, and there’s plenty to be excited about talent-wise throughout the nation.
Spots on this year’s All-American teams will be as competitive as ever, so here are Sports Illustrated’s preseason picks.
Mark Sears, Alabama Crimson Tide
2023–24 stats: 21.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.0 apg, 43.6% 3FG%
Sears is the engine of the nation’s most dynamic offense, a hyper-efficient guard capable of playing on or off the ball. He led Alabama to the Final Four last season and now enters 2024–25 with even higher expectations. Sears’s journey from underrecruited mid-major star at the Ohio Bobcats to one of the nation’s best players is a remarkable one already, but he has a chance to cap that incredible story with national player of the year honors … or maybe even a national championship.
RJ Davis, North Carolina Tar Heels
2023–24 stats: 21.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 39.8% 3FG%
Davis scored 784 points last season. With 784 more in 2024–25, he’d match Tyler Hansbrough as the storied North Carolina program’s all-time leading scorer. Davis has had quite the career in Chapel Hill, starring in UNC’s run to the national title game in 2022, being part of an all-time bust of a season in ’23 before rebounding as the leader of a No. 1 seed in ’24. How will he round out his roller-coaster career? He and Sears should be the two best guards in college basketball, and his presence gives the Heels legitimate national title aspirations.
Cooper Flagg, Duke Blue Devils
2023–24 stats: N/A
A freshman hasn’t been named a consensus first-team All-American since Cade Cunningham in 2021, but Flagg seems poised to change that. Despite being one of the youngest players in the nation this season, expect huge things from the do-everything wing. He turned heads this summer playing with NBA stars at USA Basketball training camp and has put up huge numbers in every setting. Expect the same at Duke.
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas Jayhawks
2023–24 stats: 17.9 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 54.8% FG%
Last season was, without a doubt, a disappointment for Kansas, but Dickinson lived up to the lofty expectations attached to him after transferring in from the Michigan Wolverines. He’s a double-double machine who has consistently expanded his game as a shooter and distributor, and he’ll be the centerpiece of what should be one of the best teams in the country. If Dickinson could average nearly 18 points and 11 rebounds while surrounded with poor spacing, what might this season’s numbers look like after Bill Self loaded up on shooters in the transfer portal?
Johni Broome, Auburn Tigers
2023–24 stats: 16.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 54.8% FG%
Our fourth fifth-year player on the first team is Broome, a dominant interior force for an Auburn team with high expectations after last season’s disastrous first-round NCAA tournament loss to the Yale Bulldogs. Auburn’s top-ranked two-point defense a year ago can be attributed in no small part to Broome’s elite rim protection, and offensively he has continued to diversify his skill set as a playmaker and floor-spacer. Perhaps most impressively, he put up those ridiculous numbers a year ago despite playing under 25 minutes per game. On a per-minute basis, it’s hard to find anyone better in college basketball.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton Bluejays
2023–24 stats: 17.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.1 bpg, 64.6% FG%
Kalkbrenner is Creighton’s iron man, taking on near-unprecedented minute loads for a 7-footer as he anchors the Bluejays’ interior defense. No one in college basketball is better at using verticality to impact shots at the rim than Kalkbrenner, and he has improved every year offensively as a threat down low. Life may be a bit harder without two NBA players in Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander sharing the floor with him, but Creighton should still surround Kalkbrenner with plenty of shooting and this group has the potential to challenge UConn in the Big East.
Alex Karaban, UConn Huskies
2023–24 stats: 13.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.5 apg, 37.9% 3FG%
Karaban is a consummate winner, with two national championships under his belt already at UConn and sights set on another. After being a role player as a freshman, Karaban was an essential piece as a sophomore, delivering so many big shots in key moments as the Huskies rolled through March yet again. This time around, he’s the unquestioned star, likely shouldering a more significant offensive load as he looks to showcase his ability to play off the bounce rather than solely as a catch-and-shoot specialist.
Caleb Love, Arizona Wildcats
2023–24 stats: 18 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 33.2% 3FG%
Love can, at times, be erratic, but it’s hard to question his production. Last season’s Pac-12 Player of the Year is back for a fifth season of college basketball and second at Arizona, ushering the Wildcats into the Big 12 with one of the best guards in the country on their side. Love had his most efficient season yet playing in Tommy Lloyd’s fast-paced offense, and continued growth should be expected in Year 2 in the system. The question for Arizona: Can the Wildcats rein him in when struggling to avoid a repeat of last season’s NCAA tournament disaster against the Clemson Tigers, when Love shot a putrid 5 for 18 from the floor.
Braden Smith, Purdue Boilermakers
2023–24 stats: 12.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 7.5 apg, 43.1% 3FG%
With Zach Edey gone, it’s now Smith’s team at Purdue. Can he rise to the challenge? His performance in his first two years as a Boilermaker indicates he can. Smith is one of the best ball-screen distributors in the sport while also improving into a knockdown three-point shooter. Purdue should surround him with tons of shooting, and expect the Boilermakers to pick up the pace a bit this season to play to Smith’s strengths.
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State Cyclones
2023–24 stats: 12.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.9 apg, 2.7 spg
Lipsey is an elite defender, the head of the snake for an Iowa State defense all but assured to be one of the nation’s best units this season. The local product is also the team’s top offensive weapon, a gritty floor general who makes big shots, gets to the rim and gets his teammates involved. He’s a big reason the Cyclones believe they have a chance to cut down the nets in San Antonio this season.
Kam Jones, Marquette Golden Eagles
2023–24 stats: 17.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.4 apg, 40.6% 3FG%
Already a high-usage scoring option for the Golden Eagles, Jones could shoulder an even bigger role in 2024–25 with Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro off to the pros. Expect Jones to get more on-ball reps this season in looks similar to the ones Marquette played with late last season when Kolek was out with an oblique injury. In those six games, Jones averaged 20.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Johnell Davis, Arkansas Razorbacks
2023–24 stats (at FAU): 18.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 41.4% 3FG%
The lone transfer on this list is Davis, the former FAU star who spurned NBA interest for a major payday at Arkansas in his final season of eligibility. He should be the top offensive option for John Calipari’s Razorbacks this season and is capable of shouldering a heavy offensive load.
Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga Bulldogs
2023–24 stats: 12.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.9 apg, 44.5% FG%
Nembhard predictably fit right in at Gonzaga last season after transferring in from Creighton, looking like one of the best point guards in the country down the stretch. Given the success of second-year transfers like Devin Carter and Tristen Newton a year ago, don’t be surprised if Nembhard absolutely explodes in his senior season in Spokane.
Ace Bailey, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2023–24 stats: N/A
There may not be a more talented player in college basketball than Bailey, who wows with his lanky 6′ 10″ frame, explosive athleticism and guard-like ball skills. There may be some growing pains as an 18-year-old playing against older, more physical players, but Bailey will certainly make plays that make your head turn this season.
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee Volunteers
2023–24 stats: 11.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 6.1 apg, 34.4% 3FG%
Zeigler started slow last season coming off an ACL tear but was incredible in SEC play, averaging 14 points, seven assists and two steals per game while shooting 37% from three in conference games. Keep that up in 2024–25, and he should be well on his way to a spot on one of these three teams.
