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Mike Miller

Mike Miller has been NBCSports.com's college basketball editor since 2003. It's a position he relishes; no wonder considering he transferred to Kansas to watch Paul Pierce play. Most of his favorite sports memories involve college hoops, usually during March, when every waking moment is spent thinking about March Madness.



Oddsmakers throw wrench into 2010 favorites

Posted: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 4:59 PM
Filed Under:

Hoops fans already know the ideal game for the 2009-10 season: Kansas vs. Kentucky.

Turns out oddsmakers feel the same way. Sportsbook.com installed the Jayhawks as 4-1 favorites to win the NCAA tournament next season. Kentucky’s right behind at 5-1.

The small surprise is who’s right behind the blue bloods.

It’s not Michigan State or Duke. Both are listed at 15-1. Purdue, North Carolina and Villanova are all 25-1. Everyone else is 40-1 or higher.

Except two.


Andy Lyons/Getty
Does Rick Pitino have some magic up his sleeve?

Texas (10-1) and Louisville (12-1) get the nods – well, the still too early to tell, we’re all shooting in the dark nods – for the other two Final Four spots. It’s not a shock, but does throw me a bit.

The Longhorns are a Top 10 team, to be sure. They have plenty of returning talent in Dexter Pittman, Damion James and Gary Johnson. Newcomers Avery Bradley and Jordan Hamilton are prize prospects. But I’m holding out on Texas until I see how everything meshes. And I wouldn’t put them ahead of Michigan State, Purdue or ‘Nova.

And I certainly wouldn’t have Louisville ahead of those three, or a half dozen other teams.

Losing Earl Clark and Terrence Williams and hoping Samardo Samuels and PrestonTerrence Jennings make the leap to premier players seems a bit much. They seem more like 40-1 odds, along with schools like Washington, UConn, West Virginia and Missouri.

Or does Rick Pitino have some magic up his sleeve? Hmmmm. Leave it to those oddsmakers to make a guy doubt himself.

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Comments

Hey Jayhawk fanboy, what do you have against Texas?

David, Tomball, TX (Sent Thursday, July 23, 2009 12:32 PM)

You can't even get the player's names right on the Louisville roster so your credibility is shot off the bat.

Louisville, Ky (Sent Thursday, July 23, 2009 12:42 PM)

How do these guys predict a season where a game hasn't even been played yet?

Zapain (Sent Friday, July 24, 2009 8:38 AM)

If you have to wait and see how things mesh with Texas then I would think you would have to apply the same logic with Kentucky. Texas has more returning pieces in place than Kentucky does.

Go Jayhawks

Matt, MI (Sent Friday, July 24, 2009 7:29 PM)

How do these guys predict a season where a game hasn't even been played yet?

Putting up odds has no relation to prediction.  It's simply a reflection of where the betting public puts their money.

KU62 (Sent Saturday, July 25, 2009 4:43 PM)

Kentucky has the best coach that can turn freshman into superstars! Dajaun wagner, Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans. WALL and Cousins will be ballin by tourney time. We also have the most underrated PF in the nation in Patterson. He is a high motor beast. Louisville will be beat up in the Big east. Kentucky,Kansas,Michigan State,Villanova Final4 count it. UK will win it!

Bret Sears, LexTown, Ky (Sent Sunday, July 26, 2009 1:45 PM)

The so called experts buried UofL saying losing Padgett would hurt too much. Samuels averaged double figures as a freshman in the best conference in the country. Add Smith and Sosa to the mix and this is a legit team. Just keep underestimating Pitino.

Chip G, Lexington, KY (Sent Tuesday, July 28, 2009 9:55 AM)

Wow, another article by a squawk validator like Bentard. How much did Lew Perkins pay this guy to write it? They're all tards.

Sonojdaxjones, Charlotte, NC (Sent Tuesday, July 28, 2009 1:58 PM)

I don't see how any of those team can be ahead of MSU.  MSU handled Kansas TWICE last year.  We made Louisville quit in the Elite eight.  I mean come on.  Sometimes respect has to be taken, as if we didn't do that last year.

Chris, Flint MI (Sent Wednesday, August 05, 2009 10:45 AM)



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