Author Archives: College Basketball Eye Test

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About College Basketball Eye Test

There is no replacement for actually watching the games. My name is Matty D. I am a college basketball junkie. And, although I respect big data stat gurus like kenpom.com, this website is the antithesis of that. Talk hoops with me and tell me what you've actually seen. What players step up in clutch situations? Which coaches make the right adjustments? Who disappears when the lights get bright? The "college basketball eye test" is a chat dedicated to storylines bubbling below the surface before they become national trends. Check the first-ever article I wrote on this website. I listed UCONN as one of 5 underdogs I could see winning the NCAA title. They did. Last season Darren Rovell tweeted visual proof of how I predicted upset victories for UAB and Georgia State together. Watch the games and join the conversation. Tweet @CBBEyeTest and have your observations added to the mix!

Top 5 Future Underdog Values for 2025 March Madness Men’s Basketball

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Whether you’re looking to snag a great price on a college basketball future, or just cramming before the 2025 NCAA Basketball tournament, this list will track the best 5 values.

Of course, this is a subjective opinion.

Best Long-shot odds for the 2024-2025 College Basketball Season

This website and its author Matty D. focuses on what is seen on TV (and occasionally in person), as compared to analytics and top 25 lists.

Odds for the 2024-2025 college basketball season started out with a log jam of great teams in the 9-1 to 16-1 territory. Auburn started the year around 16-1 or 20-1 to win it all, before climbing to the top one or two teams in the national rankings.

Both Auburn and Duke have spent weeks are the overwhelming favorites for odds to win it all, while a pack of second tier teams were separated starting around the 10-1, 12-1 territory afterwards. Some Sportsbooks have even listed a combined ticket of either Duke or Auburn to win a championship in the +120 moneyline territory.

Look for links to buy some futures tickets from our PropSwap page in the article below!
Look for the stock up and the green check mark emojis. 📈✅ 

With the fluctuating of top teams oscillating somewhere in this 10-1 or 20-1 territory, below are my favorite long-shot odds to win the title at 55-1 or longer. For your information, many teams are vacillating in the 20-1 to 50-1 price range. If you like the teams in that territory, this isn’t your article. But it’s still worth watching. For example, on February 8th Illinois had shifted from a 30-1 odds team to a 55-1 team to win it all. If you love the KU Jayhawks, it’s worth noting they’ve fluctuated between 30-1 and 35-1 quite routinely. If you love them so much, you should invest in that 35-1 number after their next loss. Following a win, they’ve been 25-1 or 30-1 on popular sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbook.

BYU Odds to Win a Men’s College Basketball Championship, Link to Buy a Ticket

5. Continuity is an important ingredient in this exercise. Most times, when a new coach comes into a program, all players flee to find other opportunities. Not with BYU. Although new head coach Kevin Young has come in, a small core of important contributors have remained with the Cougars. And they’ve now been surrounded with NBA talent such as Russian Egor Demin, who is currently projected as the 18th overall pick in an mock draft on NBA.com. This team is hitting its stride with road wins in the late stages of the regular season against top tier teams such as Iowa State and Arizona. They demolished Kansas. And they get a huge volume of 3pt shots, which can overcome most deficits when they get down (its inevitable if you’re going to play multiple tournament games). This team started February in the 125-1 range, but look at them now!

📈Click here to buy a futures ticket for BYU to Win a National Title on the PropSwap market✅ 

Drake Bulldogs Perhaps America’s Best Underdogs at 500-1!

4. Two words. Bennett Stirtz. He is the smoothest point guard in America that no one is talking about. Drake has a wealth of Kansas City area kids and transfers from Northwestern Missouri State, where the new head coach has had championship success.

Northwest Missouri State’s championship pedigree under Ben McCollum is a blueprint for success at the Division I level. His four national titles and 81.2% career win rate showcase his ability to build and sustain an elite program. McCollum’s proven ability to recruit, develop, and maximize talent will translate well as he steps onto a larger stage. His history of dominating conference play and guiding players to national accolades suggests that his approach—rooted in discipline, strategy, and player development—can immediately impact a Division I program. Expect his winning mentality to create a competitive and successful culture at the next level.

Yale Basketball Intriguing Odds at 1,000-1 to win it all

3. With the exception of center Danny Wolf who transferred to Michigan, this Ivy League power is an intelligent bet to make at 1,000 – 1 because of its returning talent and wisdom. This Yale squad upset Auburn last year in the 13 vs. 4 seed matchup. And with exception to its point guards, this is the same Auburn team that is currently ranked a heavy overall favorite to win the 2025 championship. Let’s get crazy and picture a scenario where, at 250-1 odds, Yale makes the Final Four and squares for a rematch with Auburn in 2025!

Ball handling is at a premium during the NCAA Tournament. And Yale has a healthy contingency of trusted guards. Senior starters Bez Mbeng and John Poulakidas return to the 2025 roster with hopes to advance its Cinderella aspirations seen during 2024 March Madness. If you remember, Poulakidas has some dramatic shot making in the closing moments of that 2024 contest to march the Bulldogs back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter (equivalent).

John Poulakidas with a serious game face as he pulls off a career high in the 2024 tourney

As for this current iteration of the Yale Bulldogs in the 2024-2025 regular season, there’s an argument to be made that they’re a better team than last year. Yale basketball has been on a tear, riding a nine-game winning streak to a 16-6 record (9-0 in Ivy League play). The Bulldogs have dominated conference opponents with decisive wins over Harvard, Princeton, and Penn while also pulling out a nail-biting 72-71 victory over Pennsylvania. Their early-season struggles featured close losses to major conference opponents such as Minnesota (59-56) and UTEP (75-74), along with a high-scoring overtime defeat to Delaware (100-94), showcasing their ability to compete in tight matchups. Throughout the season, a core group of players has consistently led the way—John Poulakidas has been the team’s primary scorer, with standout performances like a 32-point outing against Cornell, while Danny Townsend and Yassine Gharram have been dominant on the glass. Bez Mbeng has been a steady facilitator, regularly leading in assists, including a 12-assist showing against Cornell. With their current momentum, Yale has established itself as the team to beat in the Ivy League.

St. Mary’s Odds to Win 2025 NCAA Basketball Championship

2. The St. Mary’s Gaels get some respect here as a top choice for futures values. The Gaels roster combines some long-time players with tournament experience, but a splash of new generation players like combo guard Mikey Lewis. He and veteran point guard Augustus Marciulionis make for a formidable pairing in the backcourt. (Yes, Marciulonis is one of many sons of NBA players playing in college basketball right now. See the list here).

The Gaels got out to a great start this season, winning 9 of its first 10 games. As always, its tournament resume will be filtered in large part by whether it can beat Gonzaga. The play the Zags twice in February and won both matchups! They wrapped up the WCC regular season title on February 22nd, a stunning accomplishment for a team that’s barely ever ranked in the AP Top 25 (this season, at least).

At the time of this article being published, the Gaels futures odds had a large variability. On FanDuel, odds to make a Final Four were 45-1. On DraftKings, the same odds were 25-1.

St. Mary’s beat Gonzaga in an uncharacteristically low shooting percentage (including free throws) game for both teams to begin February, when St. Mary’s championship hopes stuck around 80-1.

Texas A&M Odds to Win 2025 NCAA Basketball Championship

  1. Texas A&M has been on this list since it began the 2024-205 campaign at 80-1, so it will remain grandfathered on this “best of” list despite its price surging to around 30-1 while it sticks in the AP top 10 in mid-February.

    The Aggies return 82% of their scoring from the 2023-2024 campaign and surge here to the best overall value to win the tournament. Led by point guard Wade Taylor IV, the Aggies have the depth, the coach, and the culture with its commitment to defense. Their roster is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to 6-7 to 6-9 athletes with a multi-faceted talents. However, they don’t really play many at 6-10 or taller.

    Texas A&M started the season at 75-1 or 80-1 to win a title, based on where you’ve seen their odds.

If for some reason you don’t like Texas A&M, but you’re looking for a similarly valued team from the stacked SEC, consider the Missouri Tigers.

CUT LINE 2025:

“Also Receiving Votes” for College Basketball Best Future Value Teams for 2025

Michigan Wolverines Import Cinderella Ingredients to Make for an NCAAB Sleeper

Grand Canyon Odds to Win 2025 NCAA Basketball Championship

Removed from this List after losing to CA Baptist

We are still not over the pummeling that Grand Canyon suffered to California Baptist. I’ve never seen that program play, but it’s hard to put my support beyond the Antelopes after that ass beating. Here’s what was previously written: At 250-1 to win a title on DraftKings around the holidays, the Antelopes were be an intriguing lottery ticket to receive in the Christmas stocking. A blowout loss to California Baptist in early February gave you pause as it put the Antelopes behind Utah Valley in the conference standings. Still, this conference and this team is worth a pick as part of this list.

Grand Canyon has a lot of ingredients you look for when searching for a high ceiling stock. First, they have a winnable conference. You wouldn’t expect them to get an at-large, although it’s actually possible with this team. However, they should be able to handle in-conference competition such as Southern Utah and Abilene Christian in the WAC conference standings. Secondly, they have tournament experience. In fact, they logged a win against another team on this list.

As February began, CBS Sports bracketologist Jerry Palm had them slated as a 13 seed due to play Memphis. That would be the type of winnable game that could propel the antelope into a position as the hunter and not the prey.

Grand Canyon was a 12 seed last year when it got a win. Last but not least, they have a star player who can go into takeover mode. Tyon Grant-Foster averages over 16 points per game (and dropped 22 in last year’s tournament win).

Michigan Basketball Cut from the Top Underdog List

Michigan was cut from this top 5 list after its performance became shaky in late February, but it’s ticket price become more costly. The Wolverines struggled to beat Rutgers at home and then got dominated by Illinois.

This blog had previously published how, “We can’t ignore how Michigan imported Dusty May, the 2023-2024 darling of the tournament leading his Florida Atlantic Owls to the Final 4. Also, they’ve added a 7-footer from that squad plus an additional 7-footer from another Cinderella Yale program.”

Arizona State Odds to Win 2025 NCAA Basketball Championship

Arizona State was pulled from this list after getting into its conference schedule and playing typical unpredictable undisciplined basketball for a Bobby Hurley coached team (I know, counterintuitive, you would think). Previous comments: “This team might be a riskier pick than the aforementioned team with an equal price. The Sun Devils odds could be more volatile than coach Bobby Hurley’s behavior on the sidelines. That’s why they call it gambling. As a newcomer to the Big 12, you’ll have to monitor this team’s regular season performance. The Sun Devils have four guards averaging 9 points or more (three in double digits). As its name would suggest, this team can get hot (or cold) with devilish volatility.

The Sun Devils were 250-1 on DraftKings on December 14, 2024 to win it all.”

Penn State Odds to Win 2025 NCAA Basketball Championship

Penn State got off to a hot start with a court-storming home win against Purdue, but as we continue to watch the Big 10 this season, it seems to be a down year for the overinflated league. Previously wrote: “The Big 10 is going to be a tough conference to predict with traditional powers such as Purdue and Ohio State seemingly in a bit of a program transition. Purdue suffered some upsets early in the season as it adjusts to life without Zack Edey. And Ohio State is a mess. In the meantime, a team like Penn State is jumping off the page with its futures odds sitting at 100-1 in mid-December.”

Bad Bubble Teams Make Weak Argument for Bracket Expansion

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The national conversation about whether the Men’s College Basketball Tournament should expand beyond 68 teams is getting weak support from the teams around the bubble. For example, Rick Pitino just publicly blasted his team for being un-athletic and “the most un-enjoyable experience I’ve had as a coach.” As we enter March, Pitino’s team is the poster child for making the tournament as the bubble team.

Here are some other teams not helping their cause when it comes to expanding the tournament, or expanding their own 2023-24 season.

Last 4 in: Seton Hall, Wake Forest, TCU, Virginia
Last 4 out: Villanova, New Mexico, Utah, Mississippi State
Way out: St. John’s, Memphis, Colorado St., Utah

Alarms Sounding for Snoozing Wake Forest and its tournament chances

Wake Forest is the poster child for the type of bubble team the 2023-2024 Men’s College Basketball season is producing. They’re hit-or-miss. Right after its dramatic win against Duke where court-storming became the story, the headline for Demon Deacon fans was their qualification for the tournament. Surely, a win over top ranked Duke would put them over the edge. However, that February 24th victory was followed by three really bad back-to-back losses to Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech respectively. Even winning two of those three games would have likely kept a 20-10 team on the inside looking out. Instead, now they face a tough Clemson team in a must-win regular season finale where 19-12 still might make the cut.

Note: On March 9th, Damari Monsanto popped up again on injury reports after returning in February from a serious knee injury. Click here for a full list of player injuries you should monitor before filling out your March Madness bracket!

Wake will ultimately be judged by their conference tournament performance. And that list goes on…

Texas A&M Men’s Basketball Season on the Brink of Extinction

Like most bubble teams across America, Texas A&M can’t get out of its own way. Whenever they score what seams like a tournament-berth-ensuring win, they follow it up with a head-scratching loss. And this is the trend nationwide. The Aggies beat 6th ranked Tennessee on February 10th and were on the inside of the bubble looking out. Then, they lost at Vanderbilt, giving the Commodores only their second win on the season. The Aggies then spiraled and are currently in a 5 game losing streak. By themselves, each of those losses can be justified, except perhaps for the Vandy one. However, now the Aggies aren’t even in the bubble conversation.

Photo Courtesy Texas A&M: Power forward Henry Coleman III goes up for a contested layup.

The Big East is a Hot Mess of Bubble Teams

After UCONN, Marquette, and Creighton, the Big East is a hot mess of bubble teams. You could argue that all of these teams had their opportunities and squandered them. There is seemingly a wide gap between the upper crust of this conference and the middle tier. Villanova can’t break through a glass ceiling in its own conference. The Wildcats got beat by 22 points to UCONN to finish out February. They got beat by Marquette. The Wildcats won against Creighton, but struggled within its own state in out-of-conference resume opportunities. Villanova’s non-conference resume is riddled with losses against Pennsylvania, Drexel, and St. Joseph’s. Those losses don’t bode well for Villanova’s tournament hopes. Yet, still the Wildcats are always listed on the bubble graphics.

One look at Villanova or St. John’s on the court shows a tier below tournament quality.

Conversely, Seton Hall is a certified tournament team in my opinion. By the way, this is author Matt DeSarle, just your average college basketball fanatic who also owns a small business that does media production.

The Seton Hall Pirates are 18-10 on the season, but context matters. The two losses were while star wing Kadary Richmond was out with an undisclosed injury.

Track important injuries leading into March Madness here, whether disclosed or undisclosed!

The Pirates lost to Creighton in trouble overtime while Richmond was out. They also lost to Providence in a consecutive game there. Having split with Creighton and struggled against the upper crust of UCONN and Marquette, Seton Halls is looking like the most quintessential 10 or 11 seed in the tournament.

Mediocre Mountain West Moves Mob Towards March

If you follow CBBEyeTest on Twitter, you know that I don’t believe in the Mountain West. Are you already thinking about San Diego State? Sure, they were the runner up to the national championship last year. However, all the other Mountain West teams haven’t won ONE tournament game in the past several years. The Aztecs seem to carry a subgroup of mediocre teams and their NET rankings, puling their conference peers NET closer to the teens.

Update: Boise State beat San Diego State on their floor on Friday night, March 8th. That will continue to solidify the gravitational pull for this conference around the Net 18-40th range with multiple Mountain West planets spinning in that orbit.

But look at the sub-500 records among many of these teams in the middle of the pack. New Mexico and Colorado State both have losing records in Quad 1 games. The also lose Quad 2 games. Teams shouldn’t be rewarded for just playing well at home, dominating Quad 3/4 games, and occasionally beating San Diego State. I’m looking at you, Colorado State, Boise State, and Utah State! Nevada is actually the lone wolf in this conference that I’m starting to believe in. They just went into Colorado State and won without their leading scorer, Kenan Blackshear.

Injuries to Monitor this March Madness [2024]

2025 Update: Injuries to Monitor ahead of March Madness for Men’s College Basketball

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If you are exploring the futures market or already filling out your bracket, you need to do a status check on these men’s college basketball player injuries first!

🏀🏀Selection Sunday Edition last updated March 15, 2025 🏀🏀

Will Cooper Flagg Play Injured During March Madness for the Duke Blue Devils?

Just as news was announced that Duke superstar freshman would miss the ACC Championship game, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated were reporting that Flagg would be playing in the NCAA Tournament.

For Duke, it’s not only Cooper Flagg whose injury is stressing out fans. Fellow projected NBA pick and forward Maliq Brown has also been spotted on the sidelines wearing an arm wrap after dislocating his shoulder.

Texas Tech Twin Injuries that Could Ruin a Deep-Run for Red Raiders

Chance McMillian and Darrian Williams each missed Texas Tech’s last game in the Big 12 Tournament, which was also a lop-sided loss to Arizona.

Eye Test Observers Monitoring Other Injuries

Since posting this article, some @CBBEyeTest followers on Twitter have highlighted other injuries that they’re tracking. Joel Johns says that he’s watching for how Clemson basketball will make up for Dillon Hunter‘s missing production. The Greenville News is reporting that the guard is out indefinitely after breaking his right hand recently against SMU.

Another Twitter user “Right Wing Dad” might be taking a “conservative approach” to how far he has Wisconsin going in his bracket. He is monitoring Carter Gilmore’s health status, although the 6-7 Badger is not currently listed on the injury report.

Alabama’s Grant Nelson Nursing Knee Injury

Alabama snagged a 2-seed in the tournament, but wasn’t sure the tournament availability of its big man, Grant Nelson. On conference championship weekend, Alabama.com was reporting that the injury wasn’t structural.

Grant Nelson stretches the floor for a high scoring Alabama attack

Kentucky Otega Oweh Recovering from Collision

Kentucky’s combo guard who looks like a fullback is recovering from tough personal contact.

Memphis Basketball Injury Status for Star Guard Tyrese Hunter

During the American Conference semifinal, Tyrese Hunter landed awkwardly on another players toes. He found himself on the sidelines in a walking boot for the rest of that contest against Tulane.

Tyrese Hunter gets a foot boot in the semifinal of his conference tournament.

Going without him during March Madness would be a massive loss. Hunter contributes nearly 14 points per game with 3 or 4 assists and rebounds per game to go with it.

Houston Cougars Counting on High Level Veteran Juwan Roberts

Houston stud power forward and veteran leader J’Wan Roberts missed the Big 12 Conference Championship game (Cougars still won), but he is expected to play in March Madness.

Arkansas Hogs Hope for Big Bonus if their Bubble Berth Gets Buttoned-Up

Once expected to miss the entire season, Arkansas’s guard Boogie Fland could add a major boost to the Razorback’s roster if he rebounds from a hand injury. The setback happened in January, but reports started to surface around Selection Sunday that Fland is returning to practice.

Boogie Fland, John Calipari, Arkansas – © Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Iowa State lists Nagging Injuries during Championship Week

The Cyclones are another team limping to the finish line of the regular season. Covers.com had both key rotation players Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey listed on the injury report as they both missed the Cyclone’s last game which was a rematch against BYU in the Big 12 Tournament. Lipsey and Gilbert had both played the prior game the day beforehand to Cincinnati, so one would assume they were being treated with care to avoid games on consecutive days.

Gilbert himself tweeted more information late Sunday, answering to speculation:

“Love/appreciate all of your support! i want yall to kno that there is nothing more to the situation. Im battling an injury that just can’t seem to get better while playing on it. But enough about me! We a 3 seed in Milwaukee .. Ik the guys are going to make you all proud!” -KG2Times on Twitter

Tender Wrist for St. John’s Hands-On Defense

Simeon Wilcher of St. John’s injured his hand in the semifinal game in the Big East Tournament, but played in the championship game the following day against Creighton.

Simeon Wilcher dunks over Sacred Heart defenders, courtesy St. John’s official roster

Other Injuries from the Archives Only for the 2024-2025 College Basketball Season

<The headlines below are archival references preceding >

Kansas KJ Adams Misses Time, Jayhawks Take Opportunity to Develop Depth

KJ Adams missed some time for the Kansas Jayhawks in late January. The one major loss suffered during that period was an embarrassing late collapse at Allen Fieldhouse against the Houston Cougars. However, this could ultimately be a good thing. This allowed the Jayhawks to develop the depth of their roster. Freshman forward Flory Bidunga flourished despite losing to Houston. He got some rare playing time and showed flashes of greatness in the post. Add him to a front line that includes Hunter Dickinson, who is having a healthy season for the chalky Jayhawks, and KU is suddenly looking like a dangerous blood blood that somehow snuck under the radar.

KJ Adams spotted missing a noteworthy loss at home to Houston

It is impossible to replace the production that Hunter Dickinson brings to KU Hoops. After a 2023-2024 season that saw him miss some time, Dickinson has played every game for the Jayhawks in November, December and January. His game log (and our eye test) shows consistent rebounding numbers between 8 and 14 per game. Dickinson can also get hot as a scorer, with a high ceiling in the high 20s.

Xavier NBA Prospect Plays after Limping Off Court Against St. John’s Mid-January

Xavier Sophomore Dailyn Swain was averaging 9 points and 5 rebounds when his squad was riding a 3 game winning streak and battling St. John’s in a Big East showdown at MSG. Swain was injured late and limped off the court as Xavier was in the middle of squandering a health lead.

Still, Swain returned right to the lineup in the next game. Instead, Xavier basketball has three other injuries listed on the Covers.com site.



Follow College Basketball Eye Test on Twitter (X, whatever) to debate more NCAAB trends!

Teams to Fall in (or Out) of Love with across College Basketball

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From makeups to break-ups, my relationships with certain college basketball teams remained volatile this Valentine’s Day week.  Here are teams that are either dressing sexy for the tournament committee, or about to get dumped.  

BY MATTY D.

“The One Night Stand”

They had zero idea what the future would bring, but things got hot and heavy for James and Madison one November evening in East Lansing. The James Madison Dukes defeated Michigan State in overtime at their house. They snagged a hottie as the semester started. Their dating profile jumped to the top of the feed. James Madison was actually listed in the AP Top 25.

However, after sliding into the DMs of the AP writers, the Dukes’ chances for more action went radio silent. Three losses in the Sun Belt Conference have this team out in the cold and not even in the bubble conversation.

Make Ups to Break Ups

This team is nothing but trouble. After losses to LSU, and winnable games slipping away against Ole Miss and Arkansas, confidence was still growing in our relationship with Texas A&M basketball. After a rocky January, it was time for some make ups sessions. That came in a big explosion in a 16 point victory against 6th ranked Tennessee. But those make ups went to break ups when they were caught messing around at Vanderbilt. The Aggies used their cheat card against a 1-9 team in the SEC.

Hanging You Out to Dry

There’s a lot of hype about these two coaches. Like elementary school children the night of February 13th, college basketball writers nationally waste a lot ink on these two guys. Will they be the man their fans have held out hope for? Or, will they leave their fan base high and dry?

Close-up shot of two red Valentines cards hanging on twine, isolated on white background

Of course, I’m talking about Memphis coach Penny Hardaway and St. John’s coach Rick Pitino. Hardaway has had a long-term relationship with Memphis, though his coaching chapter in that love novel has had some major ups and downs. As a former Memphis Tiger star himself, Hardaway has committed to his hometown city to grow roots and build a future together. After an amazing start to the season with multiple top 25 wins, the team is starting to revert back to playing like an AAU team (Hardaway’s prior coaching experience). This would be a major disappointment if this team failed to tie the knot with a tournament seed on Selection Sunday.

We won’t get into Pitino’s relationship history. As for his new relationship with the St. John’s Red Storm, it too has seen better days. After quality non-conference wins earlier this season against Utah and at West Virginia, it seems St. John’s has hit a ceiling in its own conference. Marquette and UCONN looked superior to them in their most recent matchups. And there’s a stockpile of so-so Big East teams floating around the bubble (Providence, Seton Hall, Villanova). At least two or three of these teams will have to perform best in the speed-dating equivalent of college basketball’s dating scene. They will have to win the Big East Tournament to make March Madness.

Suspect Spreads Saturday Record Against the Spread 2024 NCAAB

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College basketball blogger Matty D. of collegebasketballeyetest.com reveals his record against the spread picking Saturday college basketball games.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY FAVORITE LONG-SHOT FUTURES

Picks went 7-12 on Saturday, March 2nd bringing the season record to 20-24-1.

These college basketball picks went 4-5 starting a shaky day for yours truly.
These picks finished the day 3-7 for a poor start in March.

Picks went 6-3-2 on February 10th for a season record of 13-12-1.

Follow CBBEyeTest on Twitter for Saturday picks and ongoing debate. 

Picks went 2-5 on January 27th for a total record of 7-9-1.

Picks went 5-4-1 on January 6th to start the season barely above .500. 

Fun Sports Parlays Riding with One City, State, or Region

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Here are some insane sports parlays that offer a huge payout while representing one city or region. We are approaching the Super Bowl matchup as each week passes while college basketball heats up. This is the perfect time to play with a few insane combos that could pair an underdog college basketball team with a possible Super Bowl or conference champion.  

BY MATTY D.

Here are my top 4 fun futures for pairing a football winner with a college basketball team from that same city (or region). 

4. Detroit Lions and Michigan State

After the Wolverines won the College Football Championship, sports fans from the state of Michigan must be feeling really good right now. The Detroit Lions just made the NFL’s Elite 8 with a dramatic win over the Rams. An insane sports parlay would be to see Detroit see this though to a Super Bowl win, paired with Sparty getting hot in its favorite season. 

The Lions have been perhaps America’s most loveable underdog since coach Dan Campbell took the position with an play-angry mentality made famous in this “introductory press conference.”

Michigan State Basketball Mid-season recap

Tom Izzo’s clubs has had an average season so far, but their own standards. The Spartans reached 10-7 before having a winnable stretch of games in late January and all of February. After its upset loss in overtime to James Madison, most of Michigan State’s losses can be understood. They have losses to Duke and Arizona before racking up conference losses. They lost to Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois and Northwestern in the Big 10. However, during that stretch they gained a valuable resume boosting win against #6 ranked Baylor. That win might age well over time. Experts see them as a bubble team mid-season. ESPN’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi has them predicted as a 9 seed on January 17th while CBS bracketologist Jerry Palm had them out. Needless to say, if Michigan State gets into the tournament they are always dangerous with coach Tom Izzo. 

A futures ticket that has the Detroit Lions winning the Super Bowl paired with Michigan State reaching basketball’s Final Four currently pays 142-1 odds. 

3. Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers

Staying in the NFC North and in the BIG 10, folks in Wisconsin could have a surprisingly good winter with two teams jockeying for unlikely position. The Packers went into Jerry’s World and beat the Dallas Cowboys in unexpected fashion. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Badgers have played their way into the Top 25 and the conversation about a top 5 seed. Although the Badgers just lost to Penn State in conference, they have a lot of resume building wins in conference and great wins against Virginia and Marquette out-of-conference. 

Green Bay fans, this one will win you a lot of cheese, literally.
A futures ticket that combines the Wisconsin Badgers winning the NCAA Basketball Championship combined with the Green Bay Packers winning the Super Bowl pays 712-1. 

*That means that a $5 dollar bet would return $3,565.00. 

2. Houston Texans and Houston Cougars

CJ Stroud has become the overwhelming rookie of the year this NFL season. The stock for this young Houston Texans team has skyrocketed this season. At one point this season, this team was around 150-1 to win the Super Bowl. Right now you’d be hard pressed to find them at 10-1. Conversely, this decade the Houston Cougars program has played its way from underdog to one of America’s odds-on favorites. Houston has started the season around 10-1 or 12-1 to win it all, depending on where you are looking. Houston now plays in the Big 12 and has no shortage of opportunities to showcase its dominance. Coach Kelvin Sampson has developed this program into a perennial defensive powerhouse. In football, a great defense can win on the road. In March Madness, the same might be true for this Cougar’s bunch in a field that will have no one dominant team. 

A ticket that has the Texas winning the AFC Championship combined with the Houston Cougars winning the National Championship currently pays 131-1. 

  1. Kansas City Chiefs and KU Basketball

    A futures ticket that seemingly retains value each respective season is a Kansas Jayhawks basketball and/or a Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl bet. This combined parlay would pay out a generous sum. This ticket could be a popular pick for Kansas sports fans driving up and down K10. Many sports betters nationally might find it intriguing to pair Patrick Mahomes with Bill Self. Both Kansas area icons could have a dynasty as part of their legacy.

    A futures ticket with the Kansas Jayhawks winning the national championship (16-1) combined with a Super Bowl victory for the Kansas City Chiefs (7-1) pays 135-1 odds. 

    Editor’s note:
    The featured image is a dedication in memoriam to the 2023 Philadelphia Eagles season. 

Problem with Gambling? Help is available. 
Contact the National Problem Gambling Hotline at 1-800-GAMBLER or seek similar resources.
This article is intended for fun only with maybe some beer or pizza money at stake. Please play responsibly. 

College Basketball Teams on the Bubble – Ice Cold in January

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These major college basketball programs are getting ice cold at the wrong time and jeopardizing their seed line or even their tournament berth. That includes one Mid-Major whose Cinderella slipper may be falling off before the ball. 

BY MATTY D.

Matty D. of CollegeBasketballEyeTest.com identifies top teams going ice cold in January

Sons of NBA Players in College Basketball 2024

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The list of sons of NBA players hooping in college basketball seems to grow each year and here’s a look at the long list for the 2023-2024 season.

BY MATTY D.

  1. Bronny James

    LeBron James’ son Bronny has to be the most well recognized son of an NBA star in today’s college basketball landscape. After suffering cardiac arrest in the preseason, Bronny James made his USC debut after missing several games. 

    He was ranked by ESPN.com as the number 19th best basketball recruit coming out of high school. USC lists the freshman at 6-4 and 210 pounds. 

2. DJ Rodman

Although USC has the son of a sure-fire Hall of Fame player, USC has the son of another current Hall of Fame player. And that’s Dennis Rodman. Rodman’s son DJ Rodman had a stellar collegiate career at Washington State. Now he gets to chase an NCAA Final Four as a member of the USC Trojans. Similar to his father, DJ has a knack for rebounding. Of course, no one is the rebounder that Dennis Rodman is. However, DJ has a smooth shooting stroke and range that his father rarely showcased. 

3. Augustas Marciulionis

This guy often doesn’t make these lists, but Augustas Marciulionis has been starring at St. Mary’s for years now. The Gaels are a perennial March Madness participant, and this guard is a big reason why.

Do you like old school hoops from the 80s and 90s? Do yourself a favor and watch a sample of Šarūnas Marčiulionis Career Highlights. 

4. Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Jamal Mashburn Jr. has been a best-kept-secret in the second generation category because of his teams inability to make the NCAA Tournament. Mashburn Jr. started his collegiate career with Minnesota and then transferred to the New Mexico State Lobos. Unlike his father Jamal Mashburn who starred at Kentucky and in Final Fours, junior has not been able to crack the bracket yet. The last time the Gophers made the tournament was 2019. The last time the Lobos made the tournament was 2014.  Hopefully, the sharpshooting Mashburn Jr. will re-introduce the family name to a national audience come March of 2024. 

5. Jaelen House

Mashburn Jr. isn’t the only Lobo with a familiar last name listed on New Mexico’s roster. Jaelen House is another sharpshooting guard who is following in his father’s footsteps. Eddie House played for the Celtics, Suns and Heat in addition to also playing for the Arizona State Sun Devils (where Jaelen started his collegiate jounrey. 

6. Jace Howard

Juwan Howard has now had many sons come through the NCAA Division 1 ranks. Currently, Juwan senior’s number 25 isn’t retired from this alma mater Michigan. However, the number is in good hands with his son Jace. 

7. Jabri Abdur-Rahim 

Jabri Abdur-Rahim is the son of former lottery pick and Grizzlies great, Shareef Adbur-Rahim.

8-9. Ashton and Jayden Hardaway

Penny Hardaway is actually coaching two of his sons with the Memphis Tigers. Jayden Hardaway has earned his minutes over the years and is now a regular rotation player with the Tigers. Ashton Hardaway is a freshman and has had his own share of bright moments this season. 

10. James Keefe

Former Atlanta Hawks forward Adam Keefe’s son James has seemingly played for Stanford for the last decade. The graduate student is a forward from Los Angeles. 

11. Jameer Nelson Jr.

After playing for the Delaware Hens in the Colonial Athletic League for several years, point guard Jameer Nelson Jr. has made the leap to Big 12 Basketball as he joins the TCU Horned Frogs.

12. Ryan Mutumbo

The son of one of the best-ever shot blockers, Dikembe Mutumbo, makes this list without much fanfare. Ryan Mutumbo has stuck it out during a rocky tenure with Georgetown. He has seen the thrill of coach Patrick Ewing leading his team to an unlikely tournament berth as a 12 seed after winning the 2021 Big East Championship. And, he’s seen that same coach fired for a new era with Ed Cooley. 

The 7 foot 2 junior plays sparingly for the Hoyas. At last check, he had played 7 of 22 games averaging just 4 minutes per. However, Mutumbo does have 28 blocks over his college career! Mutumbo’s cameo on this list bolsters the presence of second generation talent from the 1994-1996 NBA All Star game…

Follow College Basketball Eye Test on Twitter (or X) to join the chat!

13. D.J. Wagner

Fans of NBA basketball from the early 2000s might remember Dajuan Wagner. But, then again, then might have forgotten him. After one of the best high school basketball careers ever, Dajuan Wagner was drafted 6th overall by the Cleveland Cavs in 2002. A medical condition held him back from ever having an NBA career materialize. However, Google searches for “What happened to Dajuan Wagner” are morphing into “How high is D.J. Wagner’s draft stock?” That’s because his son D.J. Wagner is starring for a Kentucky Wildcats team that’s been consistently ranked in the top 25 this year. 

In recent years, Dajuan Wagner was interviewed by fellow past NBA players, Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. 

More: Mike Miller, Larry Hughes Jr.

See previous year’s rosters of 2nd generation NCAAB/NBA Talent:

2022-2023
2021-2022

NCAAB Futures – Best Future Values for 2023-2024 College Basketball Season

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BY MATTY D. LAST UPDATED FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Check out 5 fantastic values when it comes to investing in underdogs to win March Madness. At last check, these teams were selling for at least 30-1 or better odds (i.e. more favorable to the bettor).

These values indicate the odds for each team to win an NCAA Championship. 
This same report resulted in two Final Four teams last year! See here. 

  1. BYU Cougars – NCAAB Futures 40-1

    I was buying into the BYU Cougars at 60-1 around year’s end. And after beating Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse to close out February, BYU’s stock is only going up. This team is historically older and more mature than its competition.  Spencer Johnson is a saucy point forward who epitomizes this with his court awareness.  Jaxson Robinson is an electric wing at 6-7 he offers a matchup problem for most teams.  Power forward Fousseyni Traore has returned from injury a few weeks ago and has contributed multiple 20 plus point performances. Not many teams ever win as a road team against Kansas. This could be a sign that there’s a special season on tap in Provo.


  2. South Florida Bulls – NCAAB Futures 300-1

    Amir Abdur-Rahim has done it again. Many people didn’t realize that he did it a first time. The first year head coach at South Florida has his team cracking the AP 25 and on its way to the Men’s College Basketball Tournament as we enter March. He did the same for little-known Kennesaw State last year. Abdur-Rahim is a rising star in the coaching realm. He brings senior guards Chris Youngblood and Brandon Stroud over from his Kennesaw success. The Bulls have beaten American Athletic Conference heavyweights such as FAU, SMU and Memphis this season. They actually finish February on a 13 game winning streak. It makes no sense that a team on such a roll is listed at 250 or even 300-to-1. However, you can find that value on popular apps such as FanDuel and DraftKings.

  3. Auburn Tigers – NCAAB Futures 30-1

    Bruce Pearl’s team returns a talented and postseason tested nucleus. NBA top pick Jabari Smith has been replaced by freshman Aden Holloway in terms of underclassman scoring punch.  This team is loaded with veteran players who value the ball late in games and patiently wait for the best shot. There are mutiple point guards with experience and toughness. Johni Brome looks more and more like Chris Bosh each year. You might have difficulty finding Auburn at 40-1 depending on when you’re reading this. However, they would still be worth it at 22-1 or 25-1.

  4. Seton Hall – NCAAB Futures 200-1

    The Seton Hall Pirates were spotted on DraftKings Sportsbook app the weekend of Christmas at 200-1 odds to win a college basketball championship. They remained in that range even after beating fellow bubble teams Xavier, Butler and St. John’s in late February. If Shaheen Holloway can lead the St. Peters Peacocks to the Elite 8, I think he has a chance of winning the Big East tournament.  The Pirates also beat top 5 teams UCONN and Marquette this season, so it’s not out of the question that they carve out a tournament worthy resume.  


  5. College of Charleston – NCAAB Futures 350-1

    Both of these long-shot odd choices are more about coaching. College of Charleston coach Pat Kelsey always has his team well conditioned and prepared to run a track meet and play above its weight class in tournament play. This team hasn’t had an earth-shattering season, but they are still among the favorites to win their conference and have a high upside.

This video below might haunt me scarier than the Ghost of Christmas Past. I made the argument to invest in Memphis, among some other dogs. Check out the archive:

NBA Draft Grades: Best Non-Lottery Picks from the NCAA

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General managers from the National Basketball Association continue to show that they’re not watching college basketball closely enough as major talent dropped out of the top 10. Here’s my top 5 steals. These are proven players from college basketball who slipped further than they should have.

Kansas State Forward Keyontae Johnson Picked in the Second Round

It’s fitting that a sleepy good team from tornado alley, appropriately named the Thunder, kept Keyontae Johnson from slipping off the radar. Oklahoma City is slowly putting together a respectable program. They just missed the play-in tournament during the 2023 campaign after playing well down the stretch. Johnson will add a big and experienced basketball body and mind. Keyontae’s collapse on the court while a Florida Gator is well documented. He made his return to basketball to help lead the Kansas State Wildcats to the Elite 8. Johnson is big, strong, and should fit in perfectly with a hungry Oklahoma City club.

Houston Rockets Refuel on Explosive Talent

The Houston Rockets already had a back-log of 21, 22, and 23 year-olds ready to prove their high ceiling possibilities in the NBA. Now they’ve added probably the best teenager in the 2023 NBA Draft after Victor Wembanyama.

Cam Whitmore of the Houston Rockets becomes the steal of the NBA Draft

Those who closely watch college basketball couldn’t believe that Cam Whitmore dropped to the 20th overall pick. Sure, he missed some time at Villanova with injury. However, during the second half of the season he was virtually un-guardable. It’s hard to believe he is only 18 years old. He looks like Minnesota Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards, already. Watch for his shooting stroke to catch up with that profile.