3 Underrated Championship Contenders for March Madness
We are speeding toward year-end tournaments for college basketball. Which teams are worth backing on the National Championship futures board for March Madness?
The college basketball season is about to shift into high gear. Schools are in the thick of conference play, and there are just six weeks before conference tournaments tip off.
With a wide-open landscape, now is the time to invest in several programs that find themselves further down the futures board.
Arizona Wildcats +1600
It’s been a minute since the Arizona Wildcats went on a deep postseason run, but this could be the year it all comes together for the perennial contenders. Tommy Lloyd has the Wildcats playing with pace without compromising the team’s defensive ferocity. Altogether, Arizona has the pedigree of a National Champion.
Offensively, few teams can hang with Zona. Their 89.3 points per game rank second in the nation, but the Wildcats don’t rely on a one-dimensional approach to beat opponents. They play with tempo, attempting the second-most shots per game, can dial from long distance, ranking 37th in three-point shooting percentage, and have the interior presence to score in the paint.
Arizona is one of just two teams in the top five in offensive efficiency and top 20 in defensive efficiency. The other team is the betting favorite to win it all — the Purdue Boilermakers. The Wildcats’ betting profile will only attract more money as the season progresses. Now is the time to buy.
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Wisconsin Badgers +2500
The Big Ten is a minefield of elite basketball teams. Twelve of the 14 schools are above .500, and many have conceivable paths to the NCAA Tournament. Chief among those is the Wisconsin Badgers, who have kicked off conference play with a sterling 8-1 record.
Like the Wildcats, Wisconsin is an offensively gifted squad. Their offensive efficiency puts them fourth in the country despite playing one of the most daunting schedules. According to kenpom.com, the Badgers have played the eighth-toughest schedule of the season, and it’s not getting any easier before the end of the campaign. Wisconsin plays four of their next six on the road versus some of the best teams in the conference.
There’s an argument to be made on waiting for the Badgers’ price to drop. However, that’s assuming they don’t get the better of Purdue, Nebraska, and Northwestern to start February. If Wisconsin pulls off a few stunning upsets along the way, we will see their futures price soar to the top of the board.
Creighton Bluejays +4500
The Big East is synonymous with National Champions. Granted, UConn and Villanova have done most of the heavy lifting, winning five of the last 12 titles, but we think 2024 is the Creighton Bluejays’ time to shine.
The Bluejays are no offensive schlubs, but it’s their defense that could carry them to their first title in school history. Creighton limits opponents to a 40.4% shooting percentage from the field, including 30.2% from beyond the arc, putting them among the top 37 in college basketball.
Moreover, head coach Greg McDermott has learned some hard lessons over the years that should help Creighton compete in this season’s tourney. The Bluejays have made it to at least the Sweet Sixteen in two of the last three years, making the Elite Eight in 2023 with many of the same players on this roster. Included in that are their top three scorers, Trey Alexander, Baylor Scheierman, and Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Creighton has the 15th-best efficiency margin, sandwiching them between the Duke Blue Devils and Baylor Bears, both of whom have better odds than the Bluejays. After coming up short over the past few seasons, this could be the year it all comes together for Creighton.
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