As the regular season in college basketball comes to an end and the March Madness tournament comes to a head, awards are beginning to be given out to some of the best of the season.
On Monday afternoon, the AP First-Team All-Americans were announced. These were the best of the best of the season, and it’s easy to see why they were picked. Cooper Flagg, Johni Broome, Mark Sears, Walter Clayton Jr., and Braden Smith round out the First-Team All-Americans.
AP First Team All-Americans Announced
Perhaps the most impressive season this year came from the Duke Blue Devils freshman phenom, Flagg. He has averaged 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.5 steals in his 32 games played for the Blue Devils.
“He’s doing things nobody really has ever done before,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “And he’s not about numbers. I’m telling you, when this dude goes home, somebody says to him, ‘Man, you had 42, six and seven,’ he’ll say, ‘OK, cool.’ That’s not what he’s about, which to me makes it even better because you can get caught up with that, especially as a young player.”
🚨 AP All-America First-Team
🏀 Johni Broome
🏀 Cooper Flagg
🏀 Mark Sears
🏀 Walter Clayton Jr.
🏀 Braden Smith pic.twitter.com/x1hBc10Wu2— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2025
As a freshman, Flagg has already accomplished what some players can only dream of. He has reached new heights and is doing his part to help lead the Blue Devils to a March Madness Championship. Flagg is a big reason why Duke is favored to go far in the tournament and maybe even win the whole thing.
Moving from one team with championship aspirations to another, Auburn’s Broome was also named an AP First-Team All-American, to the surprise of nobody. The fifth-year senior is doing his part to bring Auburn championship glory, making Auburn one of the favorites this March Madness season.
Broome has averaged 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. Broome averages a double-double nearly every time he steps out on the court. Broome being named as an AP First-Team All-American is the culmination of an impressive season.
“I’ve proved a lot individually through my career, but my main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship,” said Broome, who played two seasons at Morehead State before spending the past three with the Tigers. “When the team shines, everyone shines individually. Coming from where I came from, it means a lot to me.”
Joining Flagg and Broome, Alabama’s Mark Sears, Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., and Purdue’s Braden Smith round out the AP First-Team All-Americans. Sears, Clayton Jr., and Smith have all had fantastic seasons in their own right, being a big difference-maker for their teams this upcoming season.
Sears was a second-team pick last season after helping lead the Crimson Tide to their first Final Four. After initially declaring for the NBA Draft, Sears decided to come back for one more year to Alabama. He’s the second Alabama First-Team player after Brandon Miller two years ago.
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As for Clayton Jr., he is Florida’s first-ever First-Team All-American. He’s played a pivotal role in getting the Gators up to the No. 2 spot in the Top 25 this past season. He’s the first Florida All-American since Joakim Noah and Al Horford, won that honor all the way back in 2007.
Smith was an honorable mention pick last year after his teammate, Zach Edey was a unanimous First-Team pick for the second straight season. Smith became the guy for Purdue after Edey moved on to the NBA, and he will be doing his part to try and bring them a championship in this year’s tournament.
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