by Harry Gagnon
Friday, Nov 28, 2025I know it’s extremely early in the college basketball season & we are a bit more focused with the college football season coming to an end but it’s never to early to see who the favorites are to cut the nets down in March.
To start I’ll rip off a few long shots that look solid to start the season. Alabama is (25/1) and they continue to run & gun to put up big numbers every game. At (35/1) thst always seems like great value if you are talking about a Tom Izzo coached team (Sparty is coming off a Turkey Day blowout of North Carolina. USC is (80/1) and they just beat Bobby Hurley’s ASU squad in the finals of the Maui Invitational. Speaking of Hurley’s, how about Danny Hurley’s (14/1) Connecticut Huskies who have won the whole thing 2x in the past 3 seasons (you can never count them out). How about the Louisville Cardinals (16/1) who seem to be back after a few lean years. They have 2 players in Fgan Connell & Mikel Brien who average 38 ppg combined.
Now it’s time for the real “blue bloods” who can win the title. Calvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars (14/1) didn’t look that great playing their last 3 games in Las Vegas but they still know how to bring the stalking defense they are known for. In 5 of the Cougars 7 wins they have held their opponents to under 60 points. By the way, the Big 12 also has plenty of talented teams that include Iowa State/Oklahoma State/ & Arizona. Gonzaga (12/1) had been rolling everyone until they got mauled by Michigan who I will get to in a second. The Duke Blue Devils (10/1) will always be in the mix and they have victories already against Arkansas, Kansas, & Texas.
Now for the top 2 dogs in the Big 10 & the entire country. Purdue (+850) is currently the number 1 team in the country & Braden Smith is second in the nation in assists. A ton of people feel this is the season for head coach Matt Painter but after this week the Boikermakers have to play second fiddle to the Michigan Wolverines (+750). Dusty May’s squad is 7th in the nation but that will soon change after what they just did over their last 3 games. Michigan dismantled SDST, Auburn, & Gonzaga by a combined 110 points. I know the season is early but with what Michigan at 7-0 has done and how they have done it they are my team right now to cut the nets !!!
To start I’ll rip off a few long shots that look solid to start the season. Alabama is (25/1) and they continue to run & gun to put up big numbers every game. At (35/1) thst always seems like great value if you are talking about a Tom Izzo coached team (Sparty is coming off a Turkey Day blowout of North Carolina. USC is (80/1) and they just beat Bobby Hurley’s ASU squad in the finals of the Maui Invitational. Speaking of Hurley’s, how about Danny Hurley’s (14/1) Connecticut Huskies who have won the whole thing 2x in the past 3 seasons (you can never count them out). How about the Louisville Cardinals (16/1) who seem to be back after a few lean years. They have 2 players in Fgan Connell & Mikel Brien who average 38 ppg combined.
Now it’s time for the real “blue bloods” who can win the title. Calvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars (14/1) didn’t look that great playing their last 3 games in Las Vegas but they still know how to bring the stalking defense they are known for. In 5 of the Cougars 7 wins they have held their opponents to under 60 points. By the way, the Big 12 also has plenty of talented teams that include Iowa State/Oklahoma State/ & Arizona. Gonzaga (12/1) had been rolling everyone until they got mauled by Michigan who I will get to in a second. The Duke Blue Devils (10/1) will always be in the mix and they have victories already against Arkansas, Kansas, & Texas.
Now for the top 2 dogs in the Big 10 & the entire country. Purdue (+850) is currently the number 1 team in the country & Braden Smith is second in the nation in assists. A ton of people feel this is the season for head coach Matt Painter but after this week the Boikermakers have to play second fiddle to the Michigan Wolverines (+750). Dusty May’s squad is 7th in the nation but that will soon change after what they just did over their last 3 games. Michigan dismantled SDST, Auburn, & Gonzaga by a combined 110 points. I know the season is early but with what Michigan at 7-0 has done and how they have done it they are my team right now to cut the nets !!!
