posted May 9, 2008 at 15:36 in NCAA B Betting Trends
NCAA Basketball Futures Betting – Longer Shots, Longer Looks
BetUS Sportsbook has its odds to win next season's NCAA online basketball betting title, and we're taking a look at who might present some value on this futures list. In this era of the 'one-and-done,’ plenty of factors are involved, including who's staying, who's going and who is the fresh new face coming in - for the time being. Prize freshmen are being counted on for immediate help, and so their potential contributions are very material to the discussion.
We are going to make reference to several players who have declared themselves early entries to the June 26 NBA Draft, but remember that they can pull their name out of the pool by June 16 if they did not hire an agent. .
Last time, we looked at how the top sports betting favorites on the BetUS future odds betting list might fare. Today we examine some of the teams that come in at longer online betting odds and whether they have any real possibilities. There may be some surprises here for you:
PURDUE (+2500 in the BetUS odds) -- The Boilermakers, who were picked by the Sporting News pre-season publication to placed 8th in the Big Ten, surprised everybody by finishing the regular season 15-3 in the conference, beating Wisconsin twice, along with Ohio State and Michigan State, and scoring an out-of-conference win over Louisville. Over the team went 25-9 and bettered the record of the 22-12 team from the year before that lost Carl Landry to the NBA. But Matt Painter rebuilt in a hurry, winning Big Ten coach of the year honors. The key was an outstanding freshman class that included E'Twaun Moore (12.9 ppg) and Robbie Hummel (11.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg). Sixth man Scott Martin is transferring, but all five starters return to the guard-oriented lineup. Seven of the top eight scorers in the rotation are back. Purdue will make a lot of noise on the national scene even without a big-time recruit.
ARIZONA STATE (+5000 in BetUS odds) -- In Tempe, the great news is that the team's two stars, James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph, will be coming back to school, although they could have easily gone into the NBA draft process. Harden (17.8 ppg) was maybe the Pac-10's second-best freshman (behind Kevin Love) and Pendergraph (12.4 ppg), who will be a senior, is an ideal power forward for Herb Sendek's system. there was only one senior on the roster last year, so just about everybody is back, including Duke transfer Eric Boateng, and guards Ty Abbott and Derek Glasser. ASU has had a couple of solid recruiting classes in a row. They surprised many by starting the season with 14 wins in 16 games, including a romp over Xavier, and gained a national ranking. They faded when the conference schedule started, then rebounded to the point where they were considered worthy of an NCAA bid. The NIT experience, where they beat Southern Illinois before losing to Florida, didn't hurt them. This is a very real Pac-10 contender next year.
UCLA (+2000 in BetUS odds) -- Kevin Love is going into the NBA draft, and that's a blow, but you have to remember that Ben Howland took this team to two straight Final Four appearances before Love arrived. Darren Collison, the cat-quick point guard, had previously declared for the draft but has since said that he is coming back to school. that gives UCLA a great place to start. He's going to be joined in the backcourt by Jrue Holiday, who could be the best freshman guard in the country. The Bruins also hit paydirt with guards Malcolm Lee and Jerime Anderson, as well as Drew Gordon, a 6'8" shot-blocker out of San Jose who gives them strength down low. Chase Stanback, a big recruit from last year, is transferring, and holdovers like Russell Westbrook, Josh Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute have made themselves eligible for the draft, but I'm thinking at least one and maybe two of them will return, having not signed with an agent. The big news this week, however, was that J'Mison Morgan of Dallas (6'10", 265), one of the best big men available from the high school ranks, wants out of his commitment to LSU (signed before the Tigers hired Trent Johnson as coach) and wants to go to UCLA. This is a team that could be loaded once again and should challenge for the national title.
OHIO STATE (+2000 in BetUS odds) -- Last year, Thad Matta had the unenviable task of having to replace the stars that had taken his team to the NCAA championship game the year before - Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook among them. But his Buckeyes progressed throughout the season and won the NIT. Now there are key players departing again, with Jamar Butler and Othello Hunter graduating and freshman center Kosta Koufos declaring for the NBA draft. But there is an infusion of new blood that rivals that of anyone int he country. Matta went out and got perhaps the best center available in B.J. Mullens, described this way by Rivals.com, which rates him as the #1 recruit in the country: "He has the type of athleticism that makes you think of Bill Walton and then he has the shooting touch that makes you wonder if he could develop into a Dirk Nowitzki-type player." Mullens could very easily be a #1 overall pick in the NBA. To add to that mix, Ohio State grabbed William Buford, a big guard out of Toledo, and Anthony Crater, a point guard with a lot of upside. After all that, Matta went out and got Jeremie Simmons, who averaged 21 points on his way to becoming the national junior college player of the year. Nicola Kecman, another Juco signee, was actively recruited by other schools, including Kentucky. His eligibility is currently in question because he may have played with pros previously in Serbia. There is a slim chance Koufos, who didn't hire an agent, might return (or he may go overseas). If he does, that's a bonus.
PITTSBURGH (+2000 in BetUS odds) -- The Panthers were waylaid by injuries to Mike Cook and Levance Fields early in the season, but they recovered to beat Duke and Georgetown, then won the Big East tournament and vault themselves into a high seed for the NCAA's, where they lost in the second round to Michigan State. Fields, the team's second leading scorer who came back at the tail end of the season, will be back, and so will the front court stars - Sam Young, who should have gotten All-America consideration after averaging 18 points per game in picking up the scoring slack, and DeJuan Blair, the prize recruit from the Pittsburgh area who is a load in the middle (11.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg). Both resisted the urge to enter the draft and should challenge people like Luke Harangody for Big East player of the year. Pitt is dominant at its home - the Petersen Athletic Center - but the knock on them has been that they can't win the big one away from home. The Big East tourney win could help them get over that hump.
Go to the BetUS.com online sportsbook today to bet on NCAA basketball. We have the most current NCAA basketball odds and lines, as well as player and game props. Join BetUS.com to experience the best in online sports betting action!
(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)
