Steve Starr
- BetOnline still lists Duke (+600) as the favorite after the 2019 NBA Draft withdrawal deadline
- Kyle Guy’s decision to go pro hurts Virginia’s (+800) quest to repeat as national champions
- Kansas (+2200) had a poor recruiting season but saw a number of key players return
With the deadline for NCAA underclassmen to withdraw from the NBA draft come and gone, we finally know how every school’s roster is shaping up for the 2019–20 season.
While budding stars such as Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett were always locks to turn pro, a few players made last-minute “stay-or-go” decisions that will impact who cuts down the nets next March. Let’s check the latest championship odds at BetOnline and identify who got better and who got worse.
Odds to Win 2020 NCAA National Championship
| Team | Odds |
| Duke | +600 |
| Kentucky | +750 |
| Michigan State | +800 |
| Virginia | +800 |
| Michigan | +1400 |
| North Carolina | +1400 |
| Gonzaga | +1600 |
| Villanova | +1600 |
| Memphis | +1800 |
| Kansas | +2200 |
| Arizona | +2500 |
| Louisville | +2500 |
| Marquette | +2500 |
| Oregon | +2500 |
| Auburn | +3300 |
| Tennessee | +3300 |
| Texas Tech | +3300 |
| Florida State | +4000 |
| Mississippi State | +4000 |
*Odds taken on 06/04/19
Holding Steady: Duke (+600), Kentucky (+750), Michigan State (+800)
With two Blue Devils (Williamson and Barrett) poised to go in the top three of the draft, point guard Tre Jones’ return is welcome news for a Duke program that had another strong recruiting class.
The Spartans are also in good shape to return to the Final Four after All-American Cassius Winston announced he’d be back for his senior season.
What the return of EJ Montgomery means for Kentucky https://t.co/iNXal71Q8h via @ChrisFisher247 #BBN pic.twitter.com/oYM4RgaO0j
— TheCatsPause247 (@TheCatsPause247) May 30, 2019
Meanwhile, the Wildcats were the winners of NBA Draft deadline when big men E.J. Montgomery and Nick Richards made late decisions to return to school, joining sophomore point guard Ashton Hagans back in Lexington.
All in all, the deadline decisions provided mostly good news for these three powerhouse programs.
Trending Down: Virginia (+800)
While there was some hope that the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player would return to Virginia, guard Kyle Guy decided to follow teammates Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter out the door.
| UVA’s 2018-19 Leaders | Statistics | 2019-20 Status |
| Kyle Guy | 15.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.1 APG | Gone |
| De’Andre Hunter | 15.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.0 APG | Gone |
| Ty Jerome | 13.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.5 APG | Gone |
| Mamadi Diakite | 7.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.7 BPG | Returning |
| Braxton Key | 5.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.0 APG | Returning |
| Kihei Clark | 4.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.6 APG | Returning |
| Jay Huff | 4.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.7 BPG | Returning |
| Jack Salt | 3.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 0.6 BPG | Gone |
Forward Mamadi Diakite announced he’s returning for his senior year, but Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers will be hard pressed to repeat as champions without their three-top scorers from last season.
Trending Up: Kansas (+2200)
Bill Self must be one happy man. With the deadline looming, point guard Devon Dotson announced he would be returning to run the Jayhawks offense. This was following the news that former top-40 recruit Silvio De Sousa won his appeal and was ruled eligible to play in the upcoming season.
Bill Self has high expectations for Devon Dotson after the @KUHoops guard announced he is returning for his sophomore season.
Coach Self joins @TheAndyKatz on the March Madness 365 podcast!
? https://t.co/gtEDT9gAyf pic.twitter.com/hOGse5pBom— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) June 4, 2019
Center Udoka Azubuike, who was expected to be one of the country’s best players last year, is also back in the fold after wrist surgery put an early end to his 2018-19 season.
Despite forward Dedric Lawson entering the draft and losing five-star recruit RJ Hampton to New Zealand of all places, KU looks in prime position to rebound from a 2018 season that saw their 14-year reign atop the Big 12 come to an end.
