The 2016 NCAA Tournament is still likely being celebrated in the city of Philadelphia as Villanova upset North Carolina on Monday night — the Heels were the preseason favorites last April — in Houston for the Wildcats’ first national title since 1985. But sportsbooks aren’t waiting for 2017 as they already have posted NCAA Basketball odds for which team will cut down the nets next April in Glendale, Ariz. And the betting favorite is Duke at +450.
Super Early Odds for the 2017 NCAA Basketball Championship
Deadline Affects Early Entrants
I wouldn’t go betting on those NCAA futures just yet. That’s because of a new rule for those players wanting to leave school early for the NBA. For years, the NCAA imposed a strict deadline that forced players to jump in the draft with little more than second-hand information. And players only had until late April to pull out. Now, players can declare for the draft, participate in pre-draft activities, talk to NBA front offices, show up to the combine and, if they don’t hire an agent, withdraw their name by May 25 and return to college with their eligibility intact. In fact, players can do it every year if they want. Every single Kentucky player, for example, has declared. Even walk-ons. The deadline to declare is April 24.
As for Duke, it predictably lost superstar freshman Brandon Ingram, who won’t be back because he’s likely the No. 2 overall pick in this summer’s draft. Ingram becomes the seventh player since 2011 to jump to the pros after one year at Duke, following three last year: Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones. But the good news is that the ACC’s second-leading scorer, guard Grayson Allen, will return.
Allen led Duke and ranked fifth among major-conference players in scoring with an average of 21.6 points per game. His +17.2-point scoring improvement from the 2014-15 season set an ACC record for year-to-year scoring increase. He scored in double figures 34 times in 36 games this past season, including 19 20-point efforts and four games with more than 30 points. Allen’s 779 points in 2015-16 were good for seventh place on Duke’s single-season scoring chart. Allen was just the ninth Duke player to lead the Blue Devils in both scoring and assists in the same season.
Also back for Duke are Luke Kennard (11.8 ppg), Matt Jones (10.4 ppg) and Derryck Thornton (7.1 ppg). Big man Amile Jefferson has requested a medical redshirt after a broken foot kept him out for the season following a Dec. 12 injury. He’s likely to get it. And Duke brings in the best recruiting class in school history. Forwards Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum are potentially the top two picks in the 2017 draft. Frank Jackson is one of the country’s top guards.
Kentucky, which lost to Indiana in the Sweet 16 of this year’s tournament, is the +600 second-favorite. The Wildcats lose their starting backcourt of superstar freshman Jamal Murray and SEC Player of the Year Tyler Ulis. Both have hired agents. Skal Labisseire also has but he underachieved as a freshman. Once again, Coach John Calipari has the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. That it’s ranked ahead of Duke’s even though Duke’s features two future top-five NBA picks says all you need to know about the quality of Kentucky’s prospects. De’Aaron Fox is considered the nation’s top incoming point guard. Malik Monk is considered the nation’s top incoming combo guard. UK’s five-man class is comprised of five top-30 prospects. And a couple of other uncommitted stars could still head to Lexington.
Defending champion Villanova is +800 — check out a story here at Betonsports.com for an in-depth look at what the Cats have coming back in 2016-17. Kansas and Louisville, both +1000, round out the favorites. The Jayhawks lose their two best players in Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden but as usual have a top recruiting class.
