
- BetOnline has Duke (+600) as the favorite to win the 2020 National Championship
- Kentucky (+750) is trending upward after a string of recent commitments from prized recruits
- Master recruiter Penny Hardaway is making Memphis (+2500) contenders again
Sixty-six of the nation’s top prospects will take part in live scrimmages, agility and strength testing, and interviews during the NBA Draft Combine this Thursday and Friday in Chicago. The event is an important measuring stick for NBA hopefuls as they decide whether they’re truly ready for the league, or if they’re better off retaining NCAA eligibility.
With the May 29 deadline to withdraw from the draft still a few weeks away, let’s instead concentrate on which schools have landed five-star high-school recruits when examining the latest 2020 National Championship odds at BetOnline.
Odds to Win 2020 NCAA National Championship
Team | 2020 March Madness Title Odds at BetOnline (May 15, 2019) |
Duke | +600 |
Kentucky | +750 |
Michigan State | +800 |
Virginia | +800 |
Michigan | +1200 |
North Carolina | +1400 |
Gonzaga | +1600 |
Villanova | +1600 |
Kansas | +2200 |
Marquette | +2200 |
Oregon | +2200 |
Louisville | +2500 |
Memphis | +2500 |
Arizona | +2800 |
Auburn | +3300 |
Mississippi State | +3300 |
Tennessee | +3300 |
Texas Tech | +3300 |
Washington | +3300 |
*Odds taken on 05/15/19
Duke Blue Devils (+600)
With Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett off to the NBA, it’s somewhat surprising to see Duke listed as favorites. That is until you realize that the Blue Devils are busy building their fourth-straight top-ranked class.
Recruiting is going so well for Coach K in fact that he already landed his first five-star recruit of the 2020 class in point guard Jeremy Roach.
Duke’s top ranked incoming recruit is expected to make an instant impact https://t.co/25RjtHmyym
— Joshua Cooper (@AllDukeGang) May 8, 2019
Kentucky Wildcats (+750)
Never to be outdone on the recruiting front, John Calipari recently wooed four-star forward Johnny Juzang to Lexington, giving the Wildcats four players in the top 35 heading into 2019.
Coach Cal is also closing in on securing a commitment from 6’10” All American Jaden McDaniels, according to 247Sports’ Crystal Ball Predictions.
Johnny Juzang is now committed to Kentucky. Is Jaden McDaniels next? https://t.co/3qYT4KjyXD
— UK Fanatics Only (@UKFanaticsOnly) May 10, 2019
Michigan Wolverines (+1200)
Michigan seems slightly overvalued at 12/1 considering John Beilein, the program’s all-time winningest coach, just hightailed it to Cleveland.
There’s already speculation the coaching change could spur the Wolverines’ two top recruits to back out of their letters of intent. The team is also still waiting to see if Big Ten Freshman of the Year Ignas Brazdeikis will return to school.
Thank you, @JohnBeilein, for everything you did for Michigan.
▪️ 278 Wins
▪️ 9 NCAA Tournament Appearances
▪️ 2 Final Four Appearances
▪️ 2 #B1G Regular Season Championships
▪️ 2 #B1G Tournament Titles
▪️ 18 All-Big Ten Selections
▪️ 9 @NBA Draft PicksForever, #GoBlue! 〽️ pic.twitter.com/EKo7Cbu1jk
— Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) May 13, 2019
Memphis Tigers (+2500)
Considering his recruits were born a solid decade after his Lil Penny commercials dominated the airwaves, what Penny Hardaway is doing in Memphis is impressive.
Entering his second season with the Tigers, Hardaway has signed three top-50 recruits, including the 2019 class’ top prospect James Wiseman, stole point guard Boogie Ellis from Duke, and is the odds-on favorite to land 6’9” combo forward Precious Achiuwa, a top-15 prospect.
Lil Penny Hardaway Commercial featuring Tyra Banks https://t.co/JfTgNzfFgH via @YouTube
— dc_fusion (@dc_fusion) May 8, 2019
If Memphis is to return to its glory years of 2008 when a young Derrick Rose was running wild through March, this might be your last chance to get Penny’s Tigers at 25/1.