By Chris Havlicek
Updated 12/10/24 1:01pm ET
With most sports conversations centering around the college football playoff, it’s easy to forget that college basketball is in full swing with many teams entering conference play. However, this is when the rankings provide an accurate forecast.
Surprisingly, 16 of the last 17 eventual national champions have come from a group that was ranked in the Associated Press top 10 in the final poll of November, according to Bleacher Report.
Two-time defending champion UConn recently lost three straight games and finished last at the Maui Invitational. That shook up the rankings, given the Huskies entered the year as preseason favorites.
No other tournament highlighted the sport’s shifting nature more than last week’s ACC/SEC challenge. The ACC has basically dominated the sport and set the bar for the last 50 years but stumbled to a 2-14 mark against the now mighty SEC. Plus, 11 of those losses came by double figures with the SEC’s average margin of victory of 13 points.
Oddsmakers have taken notice, placing four SEC schools among the top 10 national championship favorites.
NCAA Basketball Championship Odds (Top 10 – Courtesy of Fanduel):
Auburn +750
Duke +900
Houston +1200
Gonzaga +1200
Kentucky +1500
Connecticut +1700
Alabama +1700
Kansas +1800
Tennessee +2000
Marquette +3200
Photo Courtesy: Icon Sportswire
