NCAA Basketball Props – Handicapping the Naismith Winner
Who will be named Naismith College Player of the Year? There are a lot of great college basketball player, but only one can be named the Naismith Player of the year. BetUS Sportsbook has laid out a list of possible candidates, though it is just a small percentage of the names who are out there. Here are the sports betting odds:
Here are the sports betting odds, from the BetUS Sportsbook:
To Be Named Naismith NCAA College Player of the Year
Blake Griffin 5/1
Tyler Hansbrough 6/1
Stephan Curry 8/1
Luke Harangody 10/1
Darren Collison 12/1
Chase Budinger 15/1
Sam Young 20/1
James Harden 18/1
Patrick Patterson 20/1
Hasheem Thabeet 15/1
AJ Abrams 20/1
Ty Lawson 30/1
Tyler Smith 25/1
BJ Mullens 28/1
Robert Vaden 30/1
Demar DeRozan 12/1
Damion James 30/1
Earl Clark 30/1
Patrick Mills 35/1
Field 8/1
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (5/1 at BetUS) — On an individual basis, Griffin may be right up there with Stephan Curry as the player who is most important to his team. He does it all – scoring, rebounding, putting the ball on the floor. And if his Sooners are going to emerge as a top ten team, which many people expect them to, it won’t be a mystery as to the catalyst. Griffin’s Achilles heel might be his free throw shooting – he was only 59% from the line last season.
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (6/1 at BetUS) — My guess is that Hansbrough, who won some player of the year awards last season, won’t get a repeat call. He missed his team’s first couple of games of the season, and I’m not so sure that’s going to hurt him that badly in the end, and he will, after all, be the go-to offensive player on what should be a top three team all year. (and quite possibly the national champion, when all is said and done). But he’s got a load of help, and some voters will perceive that the Tar Heels’ success will be due more to the preponderance of talent than anything else.
Stephan Curry, Davidson (8/1 at BetUS) — Curry certainly was the most valuable player in college basketball, as he led his team from nowhere to the Elite Eight. We know by now how explosive he can be if he gets on a roll. But a couple of things have changed this year. First, he has lost his standout point guard, Jason Richards. Second, he is going to have to assume that point guard role. Of course, what makes him live at this price is that with possessions beginning with the ball in his hands, he might have an easier time making his own shot. But he also could falter at that position. Plus, Davidson probably won’t recapture the magic that took them on such a run last season.
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (10/1 at BetUS) –– Harangody may even surpass Hansbrough as the most consistent inside scorer in the country. And he is a great rebounder too; last year he brought down 24% of the available rebounds after misses by opponents. He was the player of the year in the Big East last season. Taking things to the next level isn’t out of the question, especially with Notre Dame expected to be better.
Darren Collison, UCLA (12/1 at BetUS) –– There may not be a more fluid guy in the country when it comes to playing both guard positions. And Collison was a proficient three-point bomber last season, making 52.5% of his shots from beyond the arc. This year, through four games, he is 67%. He looked good playing with Russell Westbrook last year and should do the same alongside freshman standout Jrue Holiday. Plus, if he’s playing for Ben Howland, there’s a good shot at going far in the NCAA tourney.
Chase Budinger , Arizona (15/1 at BetUS) — Budinger broke out pretty strongly as a freshman but in my opinion, has had a hard time living up to the hype since. Arizona will have a good year, but maybe not a great year, and with Lute Olson having left, the program may be in a little bit of flux.
Sam Young, Pittsburgh (20/1 at BetUS) — I’m not sure Young can do enough to get this kind of attention, but I certainly believe he deserved All-America consideration last season, stepping up to a bigger role offensively as injuries hit the Pittsburgh program. Between Young, DuJuan Blair and Levance Fields, this is a “Big Three” that could take the Panthers deep into the tournament.
James Harden, Arizona State (18/1 at BetUS) — He is a great player, as good as anyone in the Pac-10. And he was far and away the main reason Arizona State once again became relevant in college basketball circles last season,. The Sun Devils should make the tournament this year, but Harden may not have the kind of eye-popping stats voters look for, since his team plays a slow and deliberate offense under coach Herb Sendek.
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky (20/1 at BetUS) — He’s the best player on a Kentucky team that has a shot to make some noise in the SEC this season. He had ankle surgery in the off-season and so far has averaged 12 points through three games. He likely won’t have the kind of numbers to attract a lot of support.
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut (15/1 at BetUS) — Here is the guy I think might be the darkhorse. He is with a team that is going to be very highly ranked all season. He is 7’3″ and an imposing presence at center. He is one of the premier shot-blockers in the country (four per game thus far), providing something not many big men in the college game can. He cleans the glass. And he is improving on the offensive end. he gives the Huskies a chance to win the national title.
AJ Abrams, Texas (20/1 at BetUS) — Abrams was perfectly fine in tandem with D.J. Augustin last season. This year he is expected to pick up more of the scoring burden as well as some more ballhandling. His assist-turnover ratio is a little better than even. We like him, but he’ll have to score a lot of points to be player of the year material.
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (30/1 at BetUS) — The Tar Heels went through a brief, rough stretch last season when Lawson was lost with an injury,. More than anything else, that’s because there were not sufficient backups. But maybe that was in comparison to Lawson, who runs North Carolina’s offense very efficiently. But his shooting is way down from the last two years (38%, in fact), so if he doesn’t improve that greatly, he won’t get any buzz at all.
Tyler Smith, Tennessee (25/1 at BetUS ) –– He’s the best member of an ensemble that will once again be one of the top teams around. Smith has an outside chance, because he’ll pick up some more of the scoring responsibility, and perhaps voters will appreciate his overall skills.
BJ Mullens, Ohio State (28/1 at BetUS) — Some people consider him to to be unquestionably the best big man to come out of high school this past year; others aren’t so crazy about him. Maybe that’s because they couldn’t get him; Mullens has been committed to Ohio State since before he reached ninth grade.
Robert Vaden, UAB (30/1 at BetUS) — Vaden is a talented big guard with 20-point scoring ability, but the Indiana transfer is playing is playing in too much of a “who cares” atmosphere in Birmingham.
Demar DeRozan, USC (12/1 at BetUS) — This heralded freshman has played four games thus far and averaged less than double digits with almost four times as many turnovers as assists.
Damion James, Texas (30/1 at BetUS) — James is a ferocious rebounder who is looking to develop more of a perimeter game for the Texas Longhorns. It looks like his shooting may improve but his rebounding may be down, and he just can’t make those free throws. That’s a problem.
Earl Clark, Louisville (30/1 at BetUS) — There is a legitimate argument that Clark, as good as he is, won’t even be the most valuable player on his own Louisville team. Terrence Williams, the small forward, has a more varied set of tools, and big man Samardo Samuels is potentially someone who can be very dominant.
Patrick Mills, St. Mary’s (35/1 at BetUS) — Mills, who plays for St. Mary’s, is most certainly a tremendous player, but he won’t receive enough attention, between playing on the West Coast AND for a team in the West Coast Conference.
Field (8/1 at BetUS) — Who else could this include? Well, maybe the likes of the aforementioned Samuels; or Jon Brockman, the superb 6’7″ inside player for Washington. How about Tyrese Rice, who does about all the scoring for Boston College, especially if the Eagles improve? Jack McClinton, who makes threes and frees with equal efficiency, will be the main man on a Miami team that should be nationally-ranked. Jeremy Pargo, the star guard for Gonzaga, should challenge Patrick Mills for player of the year in the West Coast Conference. Jonny Flynn may be ready to become the nation’s top point guard at Syracuse. And A.J. Oglivy is one of the nation’s most productive big men at Vanderbilt.
