The Associated Press unveiled its 2026-27 preseason All-America men's basketball team on Wednesday, spotlighting five standout players returning from last season.

Jeremy Fears Jr., the star point guard from Michigan State, led the voting with 57 first-place votes and was named the preseason Player of the Year by CBS Sports, falling just one vote shy of unanimous All-American recognition.

Following closely was Thomas Haugh from Florida, who garnered 56 votes. Rounding out the prestigious five-man team are:

• Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt)
• David Mirkovic (Illinois)
• Motiejus Krivas (Arizona)

Krivas secured the final spot with 17 votes, edging out competitors like Flory Bidunga from Louisville, Braylon Mullins from UConn, and John Blackwell from Duke.

In a season marked by player transfers, it is noteworthy that all five leading vote-getters are returning to their respective teams, highlighting the importance of retention in college basketball roster-building.

Fears averaged 15.2 points and a nation-leading 9.4 assists per game in the 2025-26 season, establishing himself as a prominent figure in the sport. Meanwhile, Haugh, a recognizable name in college basketball, opted to forgo the 2026 NBA Draft to return for his senior year, leading his Florida team, which is set to start the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.

Mirkovic, Krivas, and Tanner are also expected to make significant impacts this season, with Mirkovic and Krivas helping their teams end long Final Four droughts, while Vanderbilt reached the SEC title game for the first time since 2012.