Villanova put a bow on a very impressive season by handling Michigan in the final of the NCAA Tournament on Monday night, winning their second national title in three years. But of course, the odds for next year’s season have been posted by BetDSI as interest builds on who will be crowned next year’s champ.
Duke leads the way at +600 after their Elite Eight exit, and they have a wealth of talent coming in with R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish entering as the top three recruits in America. The veteran leader maybe Gary Trent Jr., who is a sophomore, along with another sophomore, Trevon Duval. But as per usual, it is all about how long it takes the freshmen to get used to each other and the college-basketball game.
Villanova is next at +800, and Jalen Brunson could end up returning after winning his second national title. Even if he doesn’t, the Wildcats will still have the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, Donte DiVincenzo, along with Omari Spellman and Eric Paschall. Villanova isn’t going anywhere.
Kansas and Kentucky come in at +900 and +1000, respectively, and the Jayhawks are coming off a solid Final Four run in which many people thought they didn’t deserve to be a #1 seed. If Malik Newman comes back to school, that would be a huge help, while Lagerald Vick and Udoka Azubuile should also return. The Jayhawks have a nice combination of recruits and transfers coming in next year. Meanwhile, Kentucky will once again be led by freshmen and this class is powered by Keldon Johnson and Immanuel Quickley. However, if Kevin Knox decides to come back, that would be a massive boost for Kentucky.
Finally, North Carolina comes in at +1500, Michigan State, Virginia and Gonzaga at +1800 and Michigan State at +2000. For the Wolverines, if they can convince Mo Wagner to come back for another year, they will be a force. Virginia has to get over being the first #1 seed to lose to a #16 in the first round of the Tournament, and that could be harder than you think. Gonzaga probably has the most talent of any team in this group, and they’re also in the easiest conference. North Carolina is next in terms of talent; they just picked a bad time to have their worst game of the season, in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, Michigan State will be losing Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr., but they also have a lot of off-court issues to deal with as well.
