by Al McMordie
Friday, Nov 01, 2024The Connecticut Huskies' reign of dominance will likely end this season, as only Alex Karaban returns from last year's starting five. Still, UConn is ranked #3 in the preseason Associated Press poll. Besides the Huskies, the AP's Top 10 consists of #1 Kansas, #2 Alabama, #4 Houston, #5 Iowa State, #6 Gonzaga, #7 Duke, #8 Baylor, #9 North Carolina and #10 Arizona.
The 2025 Championship odds reflect how wide open this season will be. Here are the current odds at FanDuel for the leading contenders:
Kansas: 10-1
Connecticut: 10-1
Duke: 10-1
Alabama: 13-1
Houston: 16-1
Gonzaga: 20-1
Baylor: 20-1
North Carolina: 20-1
Auburn: 25-1
Iowa State: 30-1
Arizona: 30-1
Arkansas: 30-1
Kentucky: 35-1
Creighton: 40-1
Tennessee: 50-1
UCLA: 50-1
BYU: 55-1
Purdue: 55-1
Indiana: 55-1
Rutgers: 55-1
Michigan: 55-1
St. Johns: 55-1
Florida: 55-1
Ohio State: 55-1
Texas Tech: 55-1
Illinois: 55-1
I'm going to go with Jon Scheyer's Duke Blue Devils as my preseason pick, at 10-1 odds, to win the 2025 National Championship. (Last season, my pick (Purdue at 15-1 odds) fell one game short, as it lost to UConn in the title game.)
It was always going to be a tough act to follow in legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski's footsteps, but Scheyer has done well, even if he has not won a national title. His teams have gone 54-18, and reached the Elite Eight round last season, before being eliminated by DJ Burns and the NC State Wolfpack. This season, Duke will be led by phenom Cooper Flagg, who will likely be the NBA's #1 draft pick next June. And, beyond Flagg, Scheyer has recruited five other highly-rated freshmen, including sharpshooter Kon Knueppel (currently projected to go as high as #6 in the 2025 NBA Draft) and 7'2" center, Khaman Maluach, the #4 prospect in this year's incoming freshman class (who is projected to be drafted #8). Although there will no doubt be hoopla throughout Flagg's season, the staff at Duke will be able to handle all the distractions. After all, the players who have called Durham home include the likes of Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, Brandon Ingram and Jayson Tatum. Scheyer will be able to handle the incredible attention that will no doubt come.
There are many who will shy away from betting on teams loaded with "one-and-dones" to win the championship. But I love the talent on this Blue Devils team and believe it will be playing its best basketball toward the end of the season after the freshmen have been able to find their footing. I also like the veteran players that Scheyer has brought in through the transfer portal, like ex-Purdue Boilermaker, Mason Gillis (6.5 ppg), and ex-Syracuse Orange, Maliq Brown (9.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg), as well as the Duke holdovers in the backcourt, Tyrese Proctor (10.5 ppg, 3.7 apg) and Caleb Foster (7.7 ppg).
Take Duke to win the National Championship.
Good luck, as always,
Al McMordie
The 2025 Championship odds reflect how wide open this season will be. Here are the current odds at FanDuel for the leading contenders:
Kansas: 10-1
Connecticut: 10-1
Duke: 10-1
Alabama: 13-1
Houston: 16-1
Gonzaga: 20-1
Baylor: 20-1
North Carolina: 20-1
Auburn: 25-1
Iowa State: 30-1
Arizona: 30-1
Arkansas: 30-1
Kentucky: 35-1
Creighton: 40-1
Tennessee: 50-1
UCLA: 50-1
BYU: 55-1
Purdue: 55-1
Indiana: 55-1
Rutgers: 55-1
Michigan: 55-1
St. Johns: 55-1
Florida: 55-1
Ohio State: 55-1
Texas Tech: 55-1
Illinois: 55-1
I'm going to go with Jon Scheyer's Duke Blue Devils as my preseason pick, at 10-1 odds, to win the 2025 National Championship. (Last season, my pick (Purdue at 15-1 odds) fell one game short, as it lost to UConn in the title game.)
It was always going to be a tough act to follow in legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski's footsteps, but Scheyer has done well, even if he has not won a national title. His teams have gone 54-18, and reached the Elite Eight round last season, before being eliminated by DJ Burns and the NC State Wolfpack. This season, Duke will be led by phenom Cooper Flagg, who will likely be the NBA's #1 draft pick next June. And, beyond Flagg, Scheyer has recruited five other highly-rated freshmen, including sharpshooter Kon Knueppel (currently projected to go as high as #6 in the 2025 NBA Draft) and 7'2" center, Khaman Maluach, the #4 prospect in this year's incoming freshman class (who is projected to be drafted #8). Although there will no doubt be hoopla throughout Flagg's season, the staff at Duke will be able to handle all the distractions. After all, the players who have called Durham home include the likes of Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, Brandon Ingram and Jayson Tatum. Scheyer will be able to handle the incredible attention that will no doubt come.
There are many who will shy away from betting on teams loaded with "one-and-dones" to win the championship. But I love the talent on this Blue Devils team and believe it will be playing its best basketball toward the end of the season after the freshmen have been able to find their footing. I also like the veteran players that Scheyer has brought in through the transfer portal, like ex-Purdue Boilermaker, Mason Gillis (6.5 ppg), and ex-Syracuse Orange, Maliq Brown (9.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg), as well as the Duke holdovers in the backcourt, Tyrese Proctor (10.5 ppg, 3.7 apg) and Caleb Foster (7.7 ppg).
Take Duke to win the National Championship.
Good luck, as always,
Al McMordie
