By Jason Greene
The Madness is officially back, and while March is still a couple of months away, there is no reason not to bet on some sleeper teams that could bust some brackets and make a run in this year’s tourney.
As of right now, Gonzaga is the favorite to win the dance with +650 odds, but here are three long shots that are worth a little sprinkle.
Memphis Tigers +2000
Since Penny Hardaway has arrived at Memphis, not many coaches have recruited better than him. Yet, in the third year of his tenure, he has yet to make the tourney. That changes this year. The Tigers have the best recruiting class in their program’s history as they have two top 10 recruits in Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren. Combine that with multiple transfers from big-time programs over the past two years like Chandler Lawson (Oregon), Earl Timberlake (Miami) and Landers Nolley III (Virginia Tech), and you have a very deep roster. If Bates and Duran play up to potential, they could be the two best players on the floor vs. anyone.
See you tonight.#GoTigersGo | #TunnelVision pic.twitter.com/RGthZDrDAY
— Memphis Basketball (@Memphis_MBB) November 9, 2021
Alabama Crimson Tide +2000
Nate Oats has reloaded, coming off an excellent run in last year’s March Madness and winning the SEC regular-season and tournament championship. Even with the loss of Josh Primo, Herb Jones, Jordan Bruner, and Alex Reese, this squad is loaded with talent. They bring back two elite guards in Jaden Shackleford and Jahvon Quinerly. In addition, they added 5- star recruit JD Davidson and two excellent transfers in Noah Gurley (Furman) and Nimari Burnett (Texas Tech). Combine that with hopefully the improvement of Keon Ellis and Juwan Gary; Football might not be the only sport that brings home a championship for this Alabama program.
Started the year with a BOOM 💥
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) November 10, 2021
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🔗https://t.co/zG8tDUgJIy#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/9NCtrzzmfW
St. Bonaventure +7000
If you follow college basketball, the Bonnies are not an unknown program; they won the A-10 conference championship last season, and Mark Schmidt and his team have made the tourney two out of the past four years. This group can be special because the Bonnies return all five of their starters from last season. They had five players average more than 10 points per game, and they have a great mix of veterans and underclassmen.
They are led by the senior duo of Kyle Lofton and Jaren Holmes. The Bonnies are the clear favorite to win the A-10 and even have the voters’ respect as they are ranked 23rd to start the season. I expect the Bonnies to be that mid-major team that creeps into the top 10 like Dayton a few years back.
The time is now.
— Bonnies Men's Basketball (@BonniesMBB) November 9, 2021
Tonight, we celebrate our accomplishments from last year. But when the ball goes in the air at 7 p.m., it’s time to turn the page. Time to write the next chapter. #Unfurl pic.twitter.com/TMLarjlTvY
Picture Credit: Flickr
