This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. One of the biggest benefits of the NIL era is that college basketball has more elite talent than ever, now that players are returning for bigger paychecks instead of bolting for NBA money at the first opportunity. That made selecting our 2026-27 CBS Sports Preseason All-America teams especially difficult, but our experts nailed it.
Each of the three teams features players who will be performing at the next level very soon, but the best of those might be Florida superstar Thomas Haugh. As our own Isaac Trotter explains, if Haugh can improve his range shooting, he won't have to wait long to hear his name called in the 2027 NBA Draft. When it comes to how the talent broke down by conference, it was a a pretty level playing field for the most part.
Not to spoil anyting, but Arizona freshman Caleb Holt did not make the cut. He did, however, turn some heads in the Wildcats' exhibition game. Loyalty is an excellent quality to have in a friend or partner.
It's also why we love dogs. It should not be quite as prevalent among college football coaches, some of whom have been undone because they did what was comfortable, not what was necessarily best for the team. Our own John Talty highlighted five high-profile coaches who have been loyal to a fault, making hires and personnel decisions that have come back to haunt them.
One of those coaches is Mike Elko. After a shaky season from Marcel Reed in 2025, Texas A&M chose not to pursue an upgrade in the portal. Instead, the Aggies gave Reed a major payday, and they'll miss the College Football Playoff because of it.
Look, it can happen to the best of us. Dan Lanning and Dabo Swinney wound up on the list, despite the success that those two have had throughout their careers. Steve Sarkisian is another coach who has fallen into the trap of being too loyal, but he may have a huge decision on his hands in the offseason.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
