- The deadline to withdraw from NBA draft consideration is June 12.
- Many prominent 7-foot players are coming back for another year.
- Returning players have boosted the betting odds for Purdue, Kansas, and Duke.
It’s hard to bet into next year’s college basketball odds market without knowing which players are back for next year.
Fortunately, that list of college stars is growing clearer with each passing day.
Technically, the deadline to withdraw your name from NBA draft consideration isn’t until June 12. But by now, most of the players who were using the draft process for professional feedback have gotten what they needed. More than 100 players have already announced their withdrawal, according to the NBA.
Because of that, we have a pretty good idea of who’s coming back for another year of college hoops. I figured it was worth highlighting the top players, as well as crucial data points for college basketball futures bettors.
Zach Edey
The 2023 consensus National Player of the Year is coming back to West Lafayette for another year at Purdue. This was a surprise to some, but the implications for college basketball are massive.
Edey’s return immediately improves Purdue’s odds to win the college basketball national championship, even in spite of Matt Painter’s career NCAA Tournament record.
The Boilermakers moved from +1800 to +1200 in the college basketball national championship odds market after the news.
Armando Bacot
The North Carolina super senior and rebounding machine is returning to Chapel Hill for his fifth season. He was first-team All-ACC in each of the last two seasons, and he also picked up a few third-team All-America nods last year.
His 10.4 rebounds per game ranked 10th nationally in 2023. And, yes, he was in Outer Banks for a hot second.
UNC is 30-to-1 to win the national title in 2024 after missing the NCAA Tournament in 2023.
Tyler Kolek
After a year at George Mason and now two seasons with Marquette, Kolek collected plenty of hardware at the end of 2023. He earned second-team All-America honors from both the USBWA and the Sporting News, on top of winning Big East Player of the Year. His 7.5 assists per game ranked third nationally.
However, Kolek appears not to have even thought about the NBA draft. He’ll be back on the court for Shaka Smart again next season, hoping for a second-weekend appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Marquette is +2200 in the title odds market.
Max Abmas
Max Abmas is a straight-up baller. He’s been north of 20 points per game for three straight seasons now at Oral Roberts, making the Golden Eagles more dangerous than they’ve ever been in March Madness.
So when Abmas announced he was entering the transfer portal, he immediately became one of the top prizes of college basketball’s de facto free agency period.
Ultimately, it was the University of Texas that scored Abmas’ new commitment, which is a huge pull for the Longhorns. With both Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice gone next year, Abmas will fill a huge experience vacuum in the Texas backcourt.
Like North Carolina, Texas is 30-to-1 in the title odds market.
While Texas has brought in star guard and elite scorer, Max Abmas (22+ PPG in each of last 3 yr) as well as transfer Chendall Weaver – and Tyrese Hunter returning – the Longhorns aren’t done looking at ways to build the backcourt. Rodney Terry and staff are trying to get more.
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) May 25, 2023
Hunter Dickinson
Like Abmas, former Michigan 7-footer Hunter Dickinson was a major prize in the transfer portal this spring.
Again, it was the Big 12 that managed to catch his eye, as Dickinson reportedly liked the NIL compensation available at Kansas.
Like Edey, Dickinson’s news about his immediate future sent major waves through the basketball betting world. Kansas became an immediate target for thousands of bettors; about 31% of the early offseason national championship handle at BetMGM is on the Jayhawks.
Kansas opened the market at +1600; it’s now the co-favorite at +1000, alongside Duke.
Kyle Filipowski
Speaking of Duke, Filipowski is the third 7-footer on this list and yet another high-impact returnee. The 2022 five-star recruit became the 2023 ACC Freshman of the Year, then eschewed potential NBA lottery money and announced his return to Durham on social media in April.
In 2024, he should contend for All-American status, and Duke is rightfully at the top of the odds board with about 8% of the betting market behind it.
View this post on Instagram
Ryan Kalkbrenner
The 2024 season might just be the year of the 7-foot center. Creighton’s star big announced just a few days ago that he, too, was withdrawing his name from NBA contention and returning to the Bluejays for his senior season.
That means Creighton will have some real NBA talent next year – don’t forget about Trey Alexander, either – and could field its best team in some time.
Like Texas and North Carolina, the Bluejays are 30-to-1 in the championship market.
Online Sports Betting at BetMGM
Online sports betting is available for thousands of college basketball games each year.
With updated spreads, over/under totals, parlays, props, and more, there are a variety of betting opportunities for everyone regardless of fandom, basketball knowledge, or sports betting expertise.
Sign in to your account today — or, if you don’t have an account, sign up today with a sportsbook welcome bonus — to start betting. And don’t forget to check updated sportsbook bonuses and promos each day of the year.
