Jay Bilas names Duke basketball freshman Cooper Flagg as a preseason All-American

From one Duke basketball star to another, Jay Bilas put Cooper Flagg on his Preseason All-American team on Thursday.

Former Duke basketball star Jay Bilas showed some love to the next generation of Blue Devils on Thursday when he released his Preseason All-America teams.

Bilas put five-star freshman Cooper Flagg, the Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year, on his Preseason All-America First Team ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Flagg, who also made the Preseason All-ACC First Team and the Preseason AP All-America Team, is considered the heavy favorite for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. The 6-foot-9 forward is one of the most anticipated high-school talents of the decade thanks to his combination of athleticism and speed, allowing him to handle the ball and guard along the perimeter while also being one of the most prolific shot-blockers in the nation.

“He is the best thing to come out of Maine since lobster,” Bilas wrote. “Skilled, competitive and talented.”

Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears, North Carolina Tar Heels guard RJ Davis, Kansas Jayhawks center Hunter Dickinson, and Creighton Bluejays center Ryan Kalkbrenner.

Flagg put together 22 points, six assists, and four blocks in his first exhibition performance against Lincoln, looking the part on both ends of the court.

Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo named preseason AP All-American

The Irish truly have one of the best players in the country.

Anyone following women’s basketball knows about Notre Dame sophomore guard [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag]. She tore up the landscape as a freshman and even was named a finalist for national player of the year. She is the primary reason the Irish are expected to contend for the Final Four this season, though a returning [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] isn’t far behind.

The Associated Press realizes how special Hidalgo is and has named her to its preseason All-American Team. She is part of the first trio of sophomores to be named to this team alongside JuJu Watkins of USC and Madison Booker of Texas. Paige Bueckers of UConn and Watkins teammate Kiki Iriafen round out the team.

Hidalgo already has been named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year for this season. She led the country with 4.6 steals a game last season and was sixth nationally with 22.6 points a game. It would be shocking for her not to build upon that this season:

Congratulations to all five players who were selected for this honor.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

CBS Sports nominates Duke freshman Cooper Flagg to Preseason All-America First Team

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg made the CBS Sports Preseason All-America First Team, the only freshman on the five-man squad.

CBS Sports released its Preseason All-American teams for the 2024-25 college basketball season on Monday, and one freshman made the First Team. Would anybody like to guess who it was?

Cooper Flagg, the top Class of 2024 recruit, joined Mark Sears of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Hunter Dickinson of the Kansas Jayhawks, North Carolina‘s RJ Davis, and Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner on the top five-man squad.

CBS Sports also named Flagg its Preseason Freshman of the Year, which looks nice on the resume next to his Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year nomination from Tuesday’s conference poll.

The Maine native, who helped Montverde Academy finish with an undefeated record as a senior in high school, possesses a rare combination of traits that have basketball scouts throwing words like “generational” around with abandon. The 6-foot-9 forward has the speed and agility to keep up at the perimeter while also operating well inside, and thanks to the strides he’s made as a shooter over the past few years, he looks like a complete package.

After clips emerged of him scoring over NBA superstars at Olympic training camp, analysts around the country started dubbing the 2025 draft a competition for Flagg’s talent.

Davis beat Flagg out for the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year, but all but four ballots picked one of those two, so they seem like the top dogs in the ACC for 2024-25.

Notre Dame football has four players named to USA TODAY preseason All-American team

The Irish have some star power entering the 2024 season

Heading into the 2024 college football season, Notre Dame is expect to be one of the top teams in the country.

They carry a No. 7 ranking in both the US LBM Coaches and AP Poll’s, so expectations are high. With that comes some recognition, as four Irish players were named to the USA TODAY Sports preseason All-American team.

It’s fairly obvious to guess who made the list, but where they ended up is the bigger question. Find out below where each of the Notre Dame stars landed on this preseason All-American team.

The transfer from Marshall had a huge season as a kickoff returner in 2023, totaling 705-yards with two scores. If Harrison can replicate those numbers with the Irish, he’s going to have another monster year as a return specialist.

You are thinking exactly what I am, why isn’t he on the first team? Morrison has been a star since he stepped foot on campus, and is viewed as a potential 1st-round NFL draft pick. Guess he’ll just have to prove them wrong this fall.

Another slight to a Notre Dame secondary member, the reigning Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner should also be on the 1st team. Like Morrison, Watts is just going to have to prove doubters wrong again.

It’s about time that Cross is getting some recognition, as he’s been the unsung hero for the Irish defense the past few years. His return to South Bend solidified the interior of the defensive line, and we once again expect big things from the senior.

Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Benjamin Morrison (20) celebrates after an interception in the first quarter against the Boston College Eagles at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

As mentioned above, having Morrison and Watts on the second team is a bit low. It would have been an easier blow if one or the other was on the first team. Still a great list to be on, as four total members of the Notre Dame squad made it.

It’s hard to say they got this wrong, as it’s clear these are the best four Irish players on the team.

Four Alabama players named preseason All-Americans by Walter Camp Football Foundation

Quartet of Alabama football players land on Walter Camp Football Foundation preseason All-American team

June was a busy month on the recruiting trail for Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team and now that we’ve officially made it to July, the college football season is just around the corner and that means preseason watch lists and rankings will be dropping daily.

On Monday, the Walter Camp Football Foundation released its 2024 preseason All-Americans and Alabama landed four players on the two-deep.

Tyler Booker and Graham Nicholson earned first-team honors while Parker Brailsford and James Burnip earned spots on the second-team.

Booker and Prailsford make up two-thirds of one of the best interior offensive lines in the country while Nicholson and Burnip combine for the top specialist duo.

Stay connected to Roll Tide Wire for more coverage of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Three Texas Longhorns named preseason All-Americans by Phil Steele

This trio of Longhorns will be crucial for success in the SEC this season.

With the summer months upon us, Phil Steele once again has released his college football season preview magazine. It is chock full of analysis and nuggets for the upcoming year.

In what seems to be an annual tradition, we were interested to see where he projects several Texas Longhorns for his preseason All-American team. There were a trio of Horns on the list but not one came from the defensive side of the ball. They will have an opportunity to prove their worth in due time.

As for the three who were named, two play offense, and one is a special teamer.

Fourth-Team Quarterback: Quinn Ewers

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Texas starting quarterback Quinn Ewers checks in at No. 4 at quarterback and No. 3 in the SEC. Carson Beck of Georgia and Jalen Milroe of Alabama were the No. 1 and No. 2 quarterbacks with current Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel coming in at No. 3.

Ewers has yet to play a full season without injury. However, Ewers led the Horns to the College Football Playoffs and a Big 12 title in 2023. Texas looks to compete for the SEC title in 2024 as well as a return trip to the CFP. With a new set of receivers, it is important for QE to set the tone for the season against Colorado State and Michigan in the first couple of weeks.

Second-Team Offensive Tackle: Kelvin Banks

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Standout offensive tackle and likely top 10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, Kelvin Banks was named to the second team. Oregon’s Ajani Cornelius and LSU’s Will Campbell took the top two spots. Banks is one of the major reasons for the success of the offensive line.

Banks and three other starters return from last year’s team that finished 12-2. He should pave the way for CJ Baxter and the rest of the backs as they join a loaded SEC that will test them.

Second-Team Kicker: Bert Auburn

Tim Warner/Getty Images

The lone special teamer to earn preseason praise is Bert Auburn, who is the second-team kicker behind Alabama’s Graham Nicholson. Auburn is more proven given that Nicholson wasn’t the Crimson Tide starter at placekicker last season.

Provided Auburn can continue converting kicks at the same rate, he should be among the finalists for the Lou Groza Award this upcoming season.

Anthony Hill named to On3’s preseason true freshman All-American team

Anthony Hill is a star in the making

Of all of the talented freshmen that Texas brought in from the 2023 class, only one of them was named a preseason true freshman All-American by On3.

Former five-star linebacker Anthony Hill, who they ranked as the No. 4 player in the country, is the sole Longhorn named to the team. When talking about what he brings to the table, On3’s Charles Power raved about his aggressiveness and physicality.

“Aggressive, physical, downhill linebacker with versatility to also be a situational pass rusher. I think that skill set, his level of development, coming from a top HS program … has him set up to really make an impact early on as a freshman for Texas.

Hill has reportedly been emerging as a young star during fall camp, and has even been moved to a couple different spots. He was an elite athlete at the high school level, racking up 303 tackles, 13 sacks, and nine forced fumbles.

Texas’ Xavier Worthy, Kelvin Banks named AP preseason All-Americans

The duo earned second-team honors.

On Monday, Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy and left tackle Kelvin Banks earned preseason All-American honors from the Associated Press. Continue reading “Texas’ Xavier Worthy, Kelvin Banks named AP preseason All-Americans”

Texas WR Xavier Worthy earns preseason All-American honors

Xavier Worthy is approaching a pivotal year three at Texas. 

Star wide receiver Xavier Worthy is approaching a pivotal year three at Texas. Continue reading “Texas WR Xavier Worthy earns preseason All-American honors”

10 Oklahoma Sooners named to Softball America’s Preseason All-American teams

Led by five first-team selections, 10 Oklahoma Sooners were named to Softball America’s preseason All-American teams.

The Oklahoma Sooners begin their quest for a third-straight national championship at the Mark Campbell Invitational on Thursday, February 9, against Duke.

The unanimous preseason No. 1 team in the country, and back-to-back national champions, the Sooners, are expected to make another run despite the loss of Jocelyn Alo and Hope Trautwein. Patty Gasso has assembled another talented group to take on all comers in the 2023 season.

It won’t be easy, it never is, but the Oklahoma Sooners will be the team to beat for the 2023 national title. With the season under two weeks away, Softball America released their preseason All-American teams. 10 Sooners were selected, including five to the first team. UCLA was the only other team with multiple first-team selections with three and they had just five total selections to the three All-American squads.

Here’s a look at the Sooners’ selections.