The Wildcats were deserved winners in 2012, but why not look ahead now to next year? Who will be the best teams to back in college basketball sports betting? With so many going to the NBA draft, is the door open for a new contender?
Another thrilling ride in the NCAA tournament has come to an
end, with Kentucky the last one standing. In the title game the Wildcats ended
up covering as favorites in the college basketball odds, winning 69-61.
It was John Calipari's first national title and I don't
think anyone would argue he didn't earn it. He assembled some terrific talent
through his famous recruiting tactics and then molded them into an unbeatable
team.
As we look towards the 2013 tournament, there are again some
familiar faces who should contend, but there are also some under-the-radar
squads that I'm certainly keeping my eye out for.
Final Four followups
Even with the Kentucky Wildcats losing most, if not all of their
starting five to the NBA draft, Calipari is so good at recruiting that he may
just have another contending team. Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress and Willie
Cauley are three freshmen that you will be hearing a lot about in the near
future.
Kansas, who will likely lose Thomas Robinson in addition to
senior Tyshawn Taylor, should also be in the mix again with another stellar
recruiting class on the way to Lawrence. Considering few though the Jayhawks
would be so good this season, you can't really dismiss Bill Self and the work
he's been able to do.
The two other Final Four teams should also return with style
next season. Louisville gets Peyton Siva back and their young guys such as
Chane Behanan, Gorgui Dieng and Wayne Blackshear all picked up some vital
postseason experience too. This past season Louisville was also one of the
better teams in spread betting, logging a 23-13-1 ATS mark.
The Big East, or should we say the entire country, better
watch out for the Cardinals once again.
Ohio State, meanwhile, has become a perennial contender in
college basketball and next season should be no different. Jared Sullinger may
leave for the draft, but Aaron Craft will be back, as will Lenzelle Smith Jr.
and potentially even Deshaun Thomas too.
Ones to watch
Assuming Cody Zeller stays, Indiana is going to be quite a
special team next season. The Hoosiers return practically their whole team and
have another good class coming in. They were one of the better teams to back
with your sports picks this past year but NCAA basketball odds makers aren't going to keep
undervaluing them anymore.
Florida should also be in the mix but we'll have to see
whether or not Bradley Beal stays. With a lot of nice pieces (Patric Young,
Kenny Boynton, Erik Murphy), the Gators will surely contend for the SEC title
regardless.
I had fun watching NC State during the madness and I believe
the Wolfpack could really make their mark in the ACC next year. C.J. Leslie's
status is still in question, but if he does come back to Raleigh, watch out.
Mark Gottfriend has an excellent freshmen class incoming, led by Rodney Purvis.
How about Arizona too? The Wildcats were mildly disappointing
this past season, failing to even make the Big Dance, but they have the number
one rated recruiting class in the country and also have Solomon Hill returning.
Michigan State loses Draymond Green but you can never count
out a Tom Izzo-led team. The Spartans were ranked in the top five in ATS
betting, going 22-12 versus the number last season.
In-state rival Michigan could also be right there again if
Trey Burke decides to stay put.
Top dogs fade out?
North Carolina and Syracuse had awesome seasons but are
likely to lose a bulk of their talent. The Tar Heels have already lost Harrison
Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall early to the draft and Tyler Zeller
will be graduating.
The Orange lose Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, Fab Melo and
Dion Waiters. Jim Boeheim's coaching prowess is really going to be tested next
season as he looks to start over anew.
Along with Duke, although
the talent level may not be as high as they're used to, all three teams are led
by outstanding coaches who seem to always have their guys playing at an elite
level. On a personal level you may hate these teams, but the public loves
betting on them and the top college basketball betting sites are well aware.