Rough go over the last week. Even so, we are still hitting at a 55% clip overall and 57% on the Best Bets for the year. Still an elite level in the legit/non-phony gambling space. There will be ebbs and flows all year long. Long game, folks. Definitely want to be doing better on the Best Bets. We usually hit at a 59% clip. I will say that we are getting the shit end of the stick on late game luck though. THREE of our Best Bets have lost on the last shot of the game in the last week or so. If just one of those go the other way, then we are right where we should be & it is a different story. The luck will swing our way shortly. We will continue to grind until it does!
11/20 Write-up coming tomorrow!
11/19 Card :
USF +4.5 -105 (DK)
Creighton team total over 92.5 (Caesars)
Alabama +3.5 (FD) **Best Bet**
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Time to get on a heater after an awesome Thursday night! I absolutely love this card & hope we are able to pull off another sweep! Scroll down for a breakdown of each matchup:
25/26 Season Record: 22-14
25/26 Best Bet Record 7-3
11/14 Card :
Illinois State/USC over 156.5 (7:30pm – Peacock)+
UAB +2.5 (7:30pm – ESPN+)(FD)**Best Bet**
Colorado ML -110 (9:00pm – ESPN+)(FD)
UCLA +3 (10:00pm – Peacock) **Best Bet**+
+ Given on X last night
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Illinois State/USC over 156.5 : We snagged a good number here last night. I see this touching 158 to 158.5 across the board at the books. The movement is justified. I think we see some efficient scoring paired with pace tonight.
The Trojans come into tonight’s game rated 13th in adjusted tempo per KenPom. They will be setting the pace tonight so that is important to note. Also, USC has scored 94 and 114 points in their first two games of the season. The offense was of high quality in both of those buy games. Shot Quality backed both performances up with SQ scores of 103 and 117 in those games. Illinois State is currently ranked 302nd in allowing shots at the rim per Shot Quality. KenPom shows that they are ranked 245th in 2pt% allowed. It should be another excellent night offensively for USC.
Illinois State will be a great dance party for an over. Both of their totals have gone under this season, but Shot Quality graded both games well over the closing total. Water finds it’s balance here in regards to the looks they are allowing + the unlucky splits they’ve had on offense so far. This is one of the most talented mid-major rosters in the country from an offensive perspective. Chase Walker has an excellent chance to win the Valley player of the year this season. He has been in foul trouble in the first two contests (needs to clean that up), so I feel tonight could be his chance to explode offensively & get his season headed in the right direction. The Redbirds backcourt is also littered with shooters led by former Wisconsin Mr. Basketball, Johnny Kinziger. I love their offensive make-up.
This game is being played at the Intuit Dome. This will be a semi-home for USC, but I expect a zero crowd for a 4:30pm local tip. This should help Illinois State carry us to the over. Let’s score some points!
Score Prediction:USC 88 – Illinois State 74
UAB +2.5 : Fellas, this was the spot we were waiting on. It appears Vegas will be on our side here, so we are not going to see the market move we had hoped for. Public money is pouring in on High Point and the books aren’t flinching. We know what to do.
Postgame: Andy Kennedy after the 74-77 loss to Alabama State at home:
“Again I don’t want to call these kids out of course. I don’t know why we don’t do that anymore, are we not gonna change that now that we are paying them?” – @CoachAK13
Andy Kennedy was heated after dropping a home game to Alabama State on Tuesday night. That is just not an acceptable performance for the program he has built in Birmingham. I do have a feeling that this was the wake up call this new group of guys needed. There is talent here. UAB suffered a 94-70 defeat to NC State before this loss to Alabama State. Shot Quality shows that that game was way more competitive than it appears from the box score. The SQ score was 79-78 in NC State’s favor.
This is an ultimate regression to mean spot here. High Point is shooting way above the predictive metrics. They are scoring 1.34 PPP and Shot Quality shows that should be closer to 1.17 PPP. UAB is also due for better luck on the offensive AND defensive end. There should be a decent true home atmosphere on a Friday night in Birmingham. I love this spot. UAB outright. Best Bet.
Score Prediction: UAB 86 – High Point 81
Colorado ML -110 : This Providence defense is completely non-existent to start the year. That is a recipe for disaster when traveling across the country to Boulder. Providence has allowed 79 to Holy Cross, 107 to Virginia Tech (86 in regulation), and 81 to Penn in their first three games of the season. You would think that this would be simply pace driven, but they are only 57th in adjusted tempo at KenPom. The warts of this defense begin to show when you take a deep dive further into the data. The Friars are 306th in the country in defending the three point line to start the year. They are allowing opponents to shoot 39.3% from distance. Providence is also 303rd in forcing turnovers, and are even worse at 334th in non-steal turnover percentage. This is an effort thing on that end of the court. The Friars are not closing out on threes & they are not trying to force bad passes. This is a really poor unit at the moment.
Colorado looks poised to take advantage of these Friar defensive shortcomings. The Buffaloes offense is in high gear to get the 25/26 season started. They are 27th in protecting the ball on offense, and are 47th in the country in 3PT % at 40%. Love the matchup edges there. Look, I could see you giving me pushback on the Colorado defense struggling out of the gate as well. That is why we love our friends over at Shot Quality.
The Colorado defense is showing unlucky splits from 3pt, mid-range, and post-up scenarios. They are allowing 1.21 PPP when it should be closer to 1.03. I am just fine backing this team tonight.
I think Colorado squeaks out a win here in a true home spot. Happy to take a -110 ML.
Score Prediction: Colorado 83 – Providence 79
UCLA +3 : I love, love, love this spot for the Bruins. This is not a true home game. It is also being played at the Intuit Dome where USC is getting our night started. However, I see these teams closer to PK on a neutral at this point in the season.
Mick Cronin told reporters that UCLA's Donovan Dent (muscle strain) will play on Friday against Arizona.
Arizona was fantastic against Florida to get the season started on opening night. They were our first Best Bet cashed! However, the Florida guard play has been pretty poor to start the season. Donovan Dent is a completely different animal. Him being active for this game is MASSIVE for the Bruins. His facilitating and scoring will stretch the Arizona defense. This will also allow Bilodeau to get his work. It should be a nice night offensively for the Bruins.
The main angle of the handicap in this one is the defensive end for UCLA. We saw Koa Peat absolutely shred Florida with his rise up mid-range shots in the paint. That will not fly against Mick Cronin. He will have the Bruins in a defensive shell with Booker, Jamerson, etc clogging the paint in a semblance of a pack-line. It is not going to be easy for Peat in the interior. Arizona will have to beat UCLA from the three point line. That is not going to be easy. UCLA is allowing opponents to shoot 35.4% from 3 to start the year, but Shot Quality shows they should be closer to 32%. Arizona is also due for heavy regression on three point percentage. Not a good mixture for the Wildcats. The Bruins defense is currently rated 29th in KenPom. I expect that to improve as we move on throughout this year. I believe it has a chance to be an elite unit once again coming off of a final KenPom defensive rank of 2nd in 22/23 & 14th a season ago.
I like Mick Cronin to get the best of Tommy Lloyd here in this early season battle. Give me the points as a Best Bet. Bruins win this game outright.
Tough one last night. Time to flush it and move on. Short card with the short slate. Write-up for the 11/14 Card coming in the AM. Will have some early adds for that card posted on Twitter/X later tonight.
11/13 Card :
Purdue +4 **BEST BET** (given last night on X)
FIU +21.5 (FD)
If you would like to leave a thank you, the tip jar is below. Not required. Always appreciated!
Got back to the winning ways last night with a 4-3 record (with a cashed Best Bet!). Had a couple of flatlines in 2H’s that kept us from have a monster night. Will take it though. Let’s build on it today!
PS: The write-up this week will be for Friday’s card
11/12 Card :
Longwood +1.5 (DK)
NC State team total under 93.5 (FD)
Little Rock/Marquette over 156.5 (FD) **Best Bet**
If you would like to leave a thank you, the tip jar is below. Not required. Always appreciated!
First stinker of the year last night. It will happen many times over the course of this season. Just have to flush it and get back on the winning train!
I know I promised a write-up today, but I am just too busy with the day job to get it done. I will make it up this week on another day. Sorry gents. Heavy card tonight. Best slate of the year to this point. Let’s have a good one!
11/11 Card :
Michigan -15.5 (Caesars)
EIU/Notre Dame over 143.5 (DK)
Radford +19 (DK)
Murray State +12.5 **Best Bet** (given last night)
Kentucky team total over 83.5 (DK)
Texas Tech/Illinois under 168 (Caesars)
Creighton/Gonzaga over 164.5 (DK)
If you would like to leave a thank you, the tip jar is below. Not required. Always appreciated!
What an incredible start to our 25/26 season! 15-7 overall & going 5-1 on Best Bets is about as good as you can hope for starting out the year. We are starting to get data points that will help us get even stronger moving forward I hope. This season should be one hell of a ride. The domestic and international freshmen are absolutely unreal. The level of college basketball continues to rise & I am here for it!
Appreciate all of you! Even the trolls (worry about y’all though)
11/10 Card :
UNCW +2.5 (DK) **Best Bet** Miss St./Iowa St. under 151.5 (given last night)
If you would like to leave a thank you, the tip jar is below. Not required. Always appreciated!
Damn, it feels good to be back! I’m ecstatic that we have been able to get off to a great start. 10-5 & 4-0 on Best Bets is a great way to get our season kicked off. If you are new here, welcome! There will be good nights & good weeks, but there will also be bad nights & bad weeks (hopefully a minuscule amount!). Please bet responsibly and within your means. No phony AI algorithms or “+50000 Unit BOMB WHALE PLAY”‘s here. I am just a regular guy that enjoys the college game and is skilled at wagering on it. I don’t post with units won because I am not trying to snail oil sales anyone. I am simply just trying to provide y’all with winners. I want you to wager your own money how you please. I personally 2u my Best Bets, but it is completely up to how you want your strategy to be.
The best part about winning is cashing our slips together. Keep interacting on X. It pumps me up!
25/26 Season Record: 10-5
25/26 Best Bet Record 4-0
11/8 Card :
Duke -34.5 (1:30pm – CW Network)+
Virginia Tech +2.5 (4:00pm – Peacock)(DK)**Best Bet**
Arkansas/Michigan State under 156.5 (7:00pm – Fox)(DK)
UNLV -4.5 (9:00pm – MW Network)+
Oklahoma +11.5 (10:30pm – ESPN2)+
+ Given on X last night
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Duke -34.5 : I was very excited to back the Blue Devils for several days now. I was hoping that the books would open this near the KenPom margin of 27. Unfortunately, Vegas was wise to it. I had a personal limit of 35 so this was still a play when it opened at 34.5. Duke has still taken a ton of money at this price. The spread is up to 37 and 37.5 at most places. It is justified.
The defensive ceiling of this Blue Devils team is Top 5 in the country. There were concerns if that end of the court would experience a drop off with the loss of Flagg and Maluach, but Cameron Boozer and Dame Sarr look like they are going to fill in those gaps perfectly. We saw Western Carolina on opening night when we cashed a Cincinnati ticket against them. That offense is putrid. The Catamounts scored 59 points and Shot Quality shows that was pretty spot on with a SQ score of 64. Western Carolina is now ranked 266th in KenPom and 324th on SQ for adjusted offense. I do not see a path to Western Carolina breaking the 60 point mark today.
Duke should get whatever the want on the offensive end today. Western Carolina allowed Cincinnati to go 13/17 on shots at the rim on opening night. They also put the Bearcats to the stripe 30 times. Cameron Boozer is going to have his breakout performance today. Guaranteed. It should also be a fantastic day for the Duke snipers. Cincinnati was able to make 10 threes against the Catamounts the other night, and Duke’s shooters lap Cincy’s in ability. If you want to look at Isaiah Evans made threes props, I wouldn’t be mad at ya!
Isaiah Evans is one of the best movement shooters I’ve ever seen in the college level, the way he moves without the ball you will have to blitz him off screens because he’s that good of a shooter. pic.twitter.com/RdKI8IxxnE
This will get ugly. Quickly. I am confident laying the big number here.
Score Prediction:Duke 95 – Western Carolina 56
Virginia Tech +2.5 : I absolutely love that we are getting points here. This is my Best Bet.
I have mentioned my international scouting over the summer. We hit big with Murray State in the opener because we knew of Domon before anyone else. Neoklis Avdalas is definitely not under the radar, but he is going to introduce himself to the masses today.
Just 8 points in the opener for Va Tech's Neoklis Avdalas but the 9 assists are extremely promising. He also had 2 blocks and @EvanMiya already grades him as the best defender on the team pic.twitter.com/sbQQ8XDEEL
— Maxwell Clark – West Coast Hoops (@ClarkieCaps) November 4, 2025
It is going to sound corny, but this guy is the closest to Luka Doncic’s game that we have in the country right now. He is a 6’9 true facilitator that can score at an elite level. The points weren’t there in the opener (think that changes today), but he was able to record 9 assists (!!!) and only one turnover in his debut. Providence is going to struggle heavily on the defensive end today in my opinion. They allowed Holy Cross to score 79 points in the opener. SQ Score backed it up with a total of 77. The Friars do not have an answer for Avdalas.
I also love what Virginia Tech brings defensively this year. The tweet above mentions it, but Avdalas projects to be an elite defender in the college game as well. Also, Tobi Lawal is one of the most fun shot erasers that we have in the game. His athleticism is off of the charts. Amani Hansberry was another important add this offseason by Mike Young. He brings an interior toughness that the Hokies have needed for a few years now.
The coaching edge in this matchup is heavily in Mike Young’s favor. I am still not a believer in Kim English. I also don’t love his roster construction. They will undoubtedly be better than a season ago, but by how much? I have VT favored by 3.5 on a neutral, so getting 2.5 brings this to a Best Bet. Go Hokies.
Score Prediction: Virginia Tech 79 – Providence 75
Arkansas/Michigan State Under 156.5: I think this is going to be a war at the Breslin Center today. Pace is a reason for pause, but I believe the defenses will reign supreme and get us under the total here.
Michigan State returns an awesome frontcourt this year, but I worry about their guard play. This should be one of the worst three point shooting teams in the Big 10 this year in my estimation. The Arkansas guards really bought in to the defensive end of the court near the end of last season. That matters. Billy Richmond is a defender that has really impressed me. I think the points from the Michigan State backcourt could be hard to come by with the pressure defense the Hogs will impose. On the other end, I believe that Arkansas is going to have fits trying to get points in the paint. Nick Pringle’s offensive game is solely at the rim. Whether it is from offensive rebounds or dump-offs/lobs. That isn’t going to fly with Cooper, Kohler and Carr. These guys attack the glass and protect the rim at an elite level.
I love the defensive edges mentioned above. You worry about the pace that Arkansas will try to impose in this game, but I truly believe Izzo knows his back-court limitations and will drag this out into a halfcourt game as much as he can at home. Give me the under here.
Score Prediction: Michigan State 76 – Arkansas 75
UNLV -4.5 : I got chirped a bit for this play on Twitter last night, but look at the potential CLV we are gaining! This is up to -8 across the board at the books at the time of me writing this. Listen, I get it. The opening night loss to UT Martin was embarrassing. However, we back numbers here. Not teams.
This was a sneaky scheduling spot that I had my eye on this week. Chattanooga had to fly across the country to Moraga last night to get their ass kicked by Saint Mary’s. They were rewarded with a turnaround quick flight to Vegas to play another game today. Luckily, we got our play in before the ass kicking last night. I am just not a fan of the Mocs roster this season. The stalwarts of this team over the past few seasons have exited the program through graduation and the portal. I obviously will grade them even worse when coming off of a back-to-back & also playing a well rested squad.
There is talent on this UNLV team. I promise you. I am willing to overlook this opening night loss. The roster and coaching staff was completely overhauled. I believe there is enough talent there for a bounce back tonight at home against an inferior opponent on a B2B. We got a great number here. Let’s win.
Score Prediction: UNLV 79 – Chattanooga 70
Oklahoma +11.5 : I love backing Porter Moser getting this many points in a non-conference game. This number was posted here due to the KenPom projected score, but it is simply too many points.
Moser is a coach that always has his team in prime form to start the year. Over the last two seasons the Sooners have knocked off Iowa, USC, Providence x2, Arkansas, Arizona, Louisville, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State etc. all before Christmas. The Kennel is a different animal and y’all know how I feel about the Zags this year, but I will take 11.5 with Moser in the non-con any day. Outside of the Moser angle, I also believe that OU has the interior length and toughness to not get overwhelmed by Gonzaga in the post. Wague and Davis can take the blows in the interior, and I love what we saw from Atak in the opener. This freshman is going to excel in pulling Huff and Ike out of the paint to stretch the floor for his own looks, but also for the OU guards and wings to slash the lane.
Oklahoma freshman Kuol Atak had 18 points in just 20 minutes versus SFU,
Hit four threes at 6-foot-9 with a plus wingspan — has real length and showed some touch: pic.twitter.com/tlDwmgrDPA
I am pretty much in agreeance here with the Shot Quality projected score. I just think there will be a little bit more scoring, but 7 is spot on with my prediction. Give us the points. Boomer Sooner.
Damn, it feels good to be back! The 24/25 season was better than anything we could have dreamed of. We hit at an amazing 55.4% clip. The fantastic season all culminated on the night of the national championship game where we had 15-1 and 60-1 national title futures squaring off in the championship game. Literally as good as it gets. I will never forget it!
This offseason went by in a blur. It has been pure elation basking in our 60-1 Florida win over the last several months. Today is when we put that to rest. A new season is upon us. Time to lock back in and grind!
The tip jar is below. Your generosity means the world.
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National Title Winners:
We are going with a four team portfolio again this year. “If it ain’t broke”. Our two title contenders are going to be Kentucky and Houston. Additionally, we are going to take prices on two teams that I believe are criminally mispriced in the market. Those will be Gonzaga & Virginia. The goal for the Gonzaga and Virginia plays will be to gain massive value on our tickets throughout the season and then look at hedging/cash out opportunities to make cash come tournament time (or just win the whole damn thing like Florida!). I will keep you posted later in the year when we get to that point.
Kentucky +1600 (Caesars):
Kentucky is my pick to win it all. Go Big Blue! (i just threw up in my mouth). This will be the longest write-up of the blog. Buckle up.
This is the deepest team in America. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. When at full strength, this team can go 12 deep if they want to. Seriously. Kentucky is reminding me so much of my preseason thoughts of Florida a season ago. Equal amounts of front-court and back-court depth. An exceptional coach that is putting major emphasis on analytics. There are ingredients here to be the best team in the country by the end of the year.
I truly didn’t know where to begin with my thoughts on this team. There is so much to like. However, I need to put an early emphasis on the defensive potential that we have here with this group. The defensive shortcomings were ultimately the downfall for Pope’s Cats a season ago in his first year back in Lexington. The offense ranked Top 10 in KenPom, but the defense ranked just outside of the Top 50 at 51. Kentucky ranked dead last in the country at 364 in non-steal turnover percentage and were gashed 53.9% in 2pt FG percentage allowed. Gross. Mark Pope made damn sure to address this in the offseason. The portal additions of Mo Dioubate, Denzel Aberdeen, Kam Williams and Jayden Quaintance instantly provide the Cats with established elite defenders at their positions. A far cry from the turnstiles of Koby Brea and Andrew Carr. Sorry for the ricochets fellas. There is MASSIVE potential to get this side of the court in-line with their offensive firepower. I think it is a mistake to put a ton of stock into exhibition final score results. BUT, I do believe that you can pull from stretches in these game to give you a glimpse into a team’s potential. I was OVERLY impressed by the defense that this group (without Quaintance) displayed in their exhibition a few days ago against Purdue. The Boilermakers are the consensus #1 team across the board to start the season. There was a stretch in this game where Purdue’s starters went almost 7 minutes without scoring a FG against this Kentucky defense. The defensive pressure that the Cats were displaying was night and day from a season ago. KenPom is currently projecting Kentucky as the #4 defense in America. That might be a touch high for me, but I think that this is a Top 10 unit.
My bold prediction is that we will see Kentucky’s offense as the #1 KenPom unit by the end of the year. They currently sit 9th in the KenPom preseason projections, but this is my favorite offense in the country this year. The freshman class that we have in college basketball this year is the most loaded in recent memory in my opinion. A name that sliding under the radar at the moment (relative to the Dybansta’s, Boozer’s & Peterson’s of the world) is Jasper Johnson. This dude is an absolute bucket.
Kentucky freshman Jasper Johnson with 15PTS in a win vs. no. 1 Purdue 😳🪣
Adding this type of scorer/shooter to a back-court that consists of Otega Oweh and Jaland Lowe as downhill drivers/creators is such a great fit. Denzel Aberdeen, Kam Williams and Trent Noah will also provide sparks as outside shooters. This back-court is as well rounded as it gets.
I am also loving what we are seeing from the front-court newcomers.
Liked a lot of what Malachi Moreno showed vs. Purdue. Will only become more productive as his body improves imo
Curious to see how Kentucky will use him as a passer this season. Could quickly become Mark Pope's most important big depending on how Jayden Quaintance is eased back pic.twitter.com/Z5vdS3ql1b
It's quite the luxury to have a 6'11" forward who can make a DEEP three-point shot off of a simple perimeter exchange.
Andrija Jelavic is used to shooting deeper three-point shots in the Adriatic League. That deep range will certainly benefit him as a shooter at UK this season. pic.twitter.com/PtqZ6mp6My
Malachi Moreno will be another freshman to keep your eye on. The 7 footer is dominating around the rim in preseason practice/exhibitions and should be in-line for a big role while we wait on the return of Quiantance. Andrija Jelavic also brings a different punch to the offense as an international transfer. He is a very skilled 6’11 big that can pass and shoot the three ball at an elite level. Adding these two skilled bigs to the tough nosed Dioubate & Garrison tandem will be a great mixture. Last, but CERTAINLY not least.. we received some massive news earlier this month. It was already heavily implied, but we got a matter of fact statement from Mark Pope that Jayden Quaintance will be playing college basketball for the Cats this season.
He will be eased back into the rotation very cautiously when he returns in a month or two, but the reports are that he is getting extremely close to live ball action. Quaintance has a chance to make a leap to All-American level good when he is back to full strength this year. The potential of this team when he returns is off of the charts.
Ok, I will shut up for now. I didn’t even get a chance to gush over Otega Oweh and Jaland Lowe, but I am sure y’all are already very familiar with their game. I hope BBN welcomes this Gamecock to the wagon this year with open arms. I feel gross doing it, but we are here to win right?!
Houston +1000 (Caesars & FanDuel):
The Cougars were our pick to win it all in last year’s preseason blog. They made it all of the way to the title game and fell to our 60-1 Florida value ticket. It was a very bittersweet moment because you just felt so bad for Kelvin Sampson at the end of that game. I am not turning my back on this culture though. The floor of this team is INSANELY high. Betting this team to make the Elite 8 if that is offered where you place your wagers is probably just as safe as investing in an index fund (not a financial advisor).
Final Four stalwarts Milos Uzan, Emanuel Sharp, JoJo Tugler and true freshmen Chris Cenac Jr. and Kingston Flemings being introduced as the starters for Kelvin Sampson's University of Houston team. UH is playing its final tuneup game here in exhibition at Fort Bend Epicenter. pic.twitter.com/iTuSSeKnP8
The trio of Milos Uzan, Emanuel Sharp and JoJo Tugler is as good as it gets in the country. Their talent and experience will keep the Cougars in the Top 10 for the duration of this upcoming season. The ceiling will hinder on the performances of Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. These true freshman are extremely talented, but can they handle the weight of replacing Roberts and Cryer in this starting lineup? Time well tell. If both of these guys hit, then Houston can absolutely win the national championship. We know we are going to get another Top 5 defensive unit from Sampson. It is a yearly occurrence. With the floor as high as it is, I feel comfortable in investing at this team at 10-1.
Gonzaga +4500 (DK):
This number is just silly in my opinion. The Zags have disappointed in recent seasons and that is likely the reason why we are seeing this number where it is, but I actually like this roster construction much better than we have seen from those recent teams.
This team has experience. Lots of it.
Gonzaga’s roster (not counting redshirt years):
Graham Ike – 5th college season Braden Huff – 3rd college season Steele Venters – 4th college season Adam Miller – 5th college season Braeden Smith – 3rd college season
Tyon Grant-Foster – 6th college season Emmanuel Innocenti -…
The new look back-court is something that I can get excited about. I believe that Braeden Smith going to the Mark Few school of PG’s will bring a different animal out in him. He is ready for this role in my opinion. The Zags are also littered with very capable shooters. I am so ready for the return of Steele Venters!
The front-court remains loaded with the likes of Graham Ike and Braden Huff. I am also extremely excited about the sophomore jump for Ismaila Diagne. I wrote about him last offseason and was excited about his transition to the college game. He was blocked minutes wise with a stacked front-court rotation, but I think we will see much more of him this year.
Ike and Huff are getting all the attention in Gonzaga’s frontcourt, but don’t be surprised to see a sophomore leap for 7’0 big man Ismaila Diagne after he showed glimpses of greatness last year! https://t.co/Rfuz8nUeJc
The most important piece of this roster is Tyon Grant-Foster.
Understandably emotional scene inside the courtroom as Tyon Grant-Foster gets the preliminary injunction granted, allowing him to play for #Gonzaga this season. pic.twitter.com/PrUt4SCY6Q
I am so happy for Tyon. He was being unfairly punished for dealing with a heart condition years back, and I am glad he is getting another crack at the college game. Especially now that we are just letting G Leaguers walk-in on the daily, but that is a rant for another day. Grant-Foster brings a real wing explosiveness that you rarely find in a Mark Few roster. I think he could be the X-Factor in gelling everything together for Gonzaga. The WCC will be down this year in my opinion. The oddsmakers have Gonzaga priced at -160 to win the conference. There is an excellent chance for a great seed entering the dance for Gonzaga if they pick off some of these early non-con matchups. I like investing at this value point.
Virginia +13000 (FanDuel):
I just simply cannot fathom how this Virginia team is 130-1. One hundred thirty to one. DraftKings is usually the sharpest when it comes to college basketball prices in my opinion, but FanDuel and Caesars have this priced at 80 and 90. You simply must place this at DK. KenPom is starting the Cavs out at 59th in the country. I could not disagree more. I see this as a Top 25 squad by season’s end.
Things got very sour in Charlottesville in recent years. Tony Bennett had no interest in participating in the portal recruiting/NIL era, and the Hoos paid the price for that. It eventually drove Bennett out of coaching and then we had to see the slop that was leftover for an entire season a year ago. UVA had to get the next coaching hire right. I believe they did just that in Ryan Odom. Odom has coached Utah State and VCU to Top 35 KenPom finishes in two out of the last three years. This man can win anywhere in the portal era. The Virginia collective was quick to back him immediately for this season, and boy did he spend the money wisely. I absolutely love this roster.
We have to start with the international flair. Odom has an all Euro front-court that I am absolutely drooling over.
🇧🇪 Thijs De Ridder is one of the most productive youth players overseas, wrapping up a stellar season for Bilbao at 22 years old
6’6 wing with great physicality who’s been efficient at nearly every level he’s played at.
I also love the veteran back-court that Odom is pairing with these guys. Malik Thomas is an alpha guard. Devin Tillis is a winner. Jacari White is a sniper. Sam Lewis is a scorer. Dallin Hall is a fighter. Four of these guys are seniors and one is a junior. How can you not love this mixture of attributes? This team is just flat out good.
Give me 130 to 1 here. We will be holding some tremendous value entering the dance with this one.
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Conference Title Tickets:
ACC: Louisville +230(Fan Duel)
I absolutely love this roster. Snipers everywhere
Louisville's now up 95-72 at the final media timeout.
Mikel Brown Jr has 28 points, Isaac McKneely has 18 and Ryan Conwell has 15. Those three have combined to hit 18 of Louisville's 23 threes.
The back-court is unbelievable and I believe that Pat Kelsey addressed key issues in the interior. I like this veteran group + Mikel to make a great run through the ACC conference schedule. +230 is good value here if you are of the belief that Duke might not be as fantastic as the masses are touting.
American: USF +300 (DK)
Brian Hodgson wins the American in his debut season. Calling my shot.
Big 10: Purdue +200 (Draft Kings)
The model of consistency in the regular season. Boiler Up.
Big 12: Houston +160 (Draft Kings)
I will continue to bet this until it loses.
Mountain West: San Diego State +120 (DK)
The MW is not as top heavy as we have seen in recent years where everyone could lose to the other top contenders on a given night. SDSU is the clear class of the league in my opinion. I am happy to get a + sign here.
SEC: Kentucky +400 (Fan Duel)
See above. Go Big Blue.
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Individual Awards:
Bob Cousy Award(Best PG):Braden Smith -120 (DK)
Do not overthink this. Especially if one of the freshmen take down the Wooden Award. Braden Smith is going to be handed another Bob Cousy as a lifetime achievement award. Smith has a very real chance to break the all-time assists record in a legit 4 years. This award is locked up before the season starts as long as he remains healthy for the full season.
Braden Smith is the predicted to be the best player in college basketball this season at https://t.co/cegyfz96ax, and it's not even close.
Wayman Tisdale Award (Best Freshman): Darryn Peterson +290 (DK)
Darryn Peterson is the best freshman in the country. He is also in the best scenario to put up the gaudiest numbers of the bunch due to his situation. His usage is going to be through the roof in the Jayhawks offense. I love this value.
Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson is the real deal 🔥
Finished with 26 points on 9-15 shooting (6-10 from 3) in tonight's exhibition against Louisville. pic.twitter.com/y6bEejMqhn
This will be a good refresher to get your minds right before next week. Below is a list of notable newly sitting head coaches:
Auburn: Steven Pearl
Colorado State: Ali Farokhmanesh
Drake: Eric Henderson
Florida State: Luke Loucks
High Point: Flynn Clayman (Alan Huss moved to be coach in waiting at Creighton)
Indiana: Darian DeVries
Iowa: Ben McCollum
Maryland: Buzz Williams
Miami: Jai Lucas
Minnesota: Niko Medved
NC State: Will Wade
New Mexico: Eric Olen
USF: Brian Hodgson
Texas A&M: Bucky McMillan
Texas: Sean Miller
UNLV: Josh Pastner
Utah: Alex Jensen
VCU: Phil Martelli Jr.
Villanova: Kevin Willard
Virginia: Ryan Odom
West Virginia: Ross Hodge
Xavier: Richard Pitino
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A big thank you if you have made it this far! This preview took some time and I hope you enjoy it. The season kicks off next Monday with the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon starting at 8am. LFG!
If you would like to leave a thank you, the tip jar is below. Not required, always appreciated!
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