College hoops season is right around the corner, and now is the time to start looking into the top projected teams entering the 2023-24 season. Kansas, Duke, Purdue, and Michigan State headline the top NCAA basketball betting favorites to cut down the nets and win the 2024 Championship.
The Kansas Jayhawks are the top favorite and the likely preseason number one team in the country for winning the NCAA basketball championship. This is largely due to the addition of All-American big man Hunter Dickinson from Michigan, making them a hot pick for bettors interested in NCAA basketball betting. Dickinson will also be a top betting favorite to win National Player of the Year. Kansas also returns starters Dajuan Harris, KJ Adams, and Kevin McCullar, giving them the year-to-year consistency that’s so important in college basketball. Plus, the Jayhawks still have Bill Self, the best coach in the nation, on the sidelines, making them the rightful top favorite to win it all in 2024.
If Kansas is the most likely team to be the preseason #1, Duke would be the favorite to be ranked #2. The Blue Devils return four high-level starters in Kyle Filipowski, Jeremy Roach, Tyrese Proctor, and Mark Mitchell. Jon Scheyer proved he can be a good coach last season, and he and his returning players should only be even better this year. Scheyer also brings in the second-rated recruiting class in the country for good measure.
Purdue became the laughingstock of the 2023 NCAA Tournament after becoming the second 1-seed ever to lose to a 16-seed. However, that should not take away from how good the Boilermakers were last season. The main reason for that success was the breakout from 2023 National Player of the Year winner Zach Edey, who elected to return for his senior season. Key contributors Fletcher Loyer, Braden Smith, Ethan Morton, Caleb Furst, Mason Gillis, and Trey Kaufman-Renn also all return, giving Purdue one of the most experienced teams in the country. Despite the March woes, Matt Painter is still one of the best coaches in America, and Purdue could find redemption in 2024 much like Virginia, who won the National Championship one season after losing to a 16-seed.
Purdue will have some stiff competition in the Big Ten, however, as Michigan State projects to be one of the top five teams in the country as well, which can be an exciting prospect for sports bettors’ enthusiasts. The Spartans return their star backcourt of A.J. Hoggard and Tyson Walker, along with Malik Hall, Jaden Akins, and Mady Sissoko. Hall of Famer Tom Izzo also brings in a top-five recruiting class led by Xavier Booker, a five-star, top 15 recruit in the country. The Spartans were just a 7-seed last season, but the returning production plus the added talent should give Izzo a team that can compete for a Big Ten Championship and more, making them a notable choice for NCAA basketball betting.
