By Loveth 
The College Basketball All-American teams were revealed on Tuesday, and for the most part, there weren’t any big surprises among the top 15 players. Auburn’s Johni Broome and Duke’s Cooper Flagg were easy first-team picks, along with Mark Sears (Alabama), Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida), and Braden Smith (Purdue).
Clayton helped Florida snag an SEC Tournament title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, while Smith was second in the country in assists and played a key role in Purdue’s strong season. But one name on the list stood out as questionable—Mark Sears.
Sears led Alabama with 18.7 points per game, shot 40% from the field, and dished out five assists a night. The Crimson Tide had a solid SEC run, finishing 13-5, but they hit a rough patch late in the season, losing five of their last nine games—including an ugly defensive showing against Florida in the SEC Tournament, where they gave up over 100 points.
Meanwhile, RJ Luis Jr. helped St. John’s win its first Big East regular-season title in decades, all while battling injuries within his squad. If I had a vote, I’d swap Sears for Luis on the first-team. Alabama had plenty of weapons beyond Sears, but Luis had to carry a bigger load for St. John’s.
Both Alabama and St. John’s head into the NCAA Tournament as No. 2 seeds in different regions. Time will tell if Sears can prove he belongs on the All-American first team—starting with Alabama’s first-round matchup against Robert Morris on Friday.