Tag: San Diego State Aztecs

2025 NCAA basketball championship odds: Who is favored? Will UConn 3-peat?

Looking at the 2025 NCAA basketball championship odds as the 2023-24 season just wrapped up.

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It’s never too soon to think about next season.

While the UConn Huskies were finishing off the Purdue Boilermakers Monday in Glendale, Ariz, other programs — and players — have already set their focus on what it will take to get to the 2025 National Championship Game in San Antonio’s Alamodome next April 7.

Numerous players have entered the transfer portal, from FAU G Johnell Davis to Arizona C Oumar Ballo. Davis reportedly will test the waters and enter the NBA Draft.

Florida G Walter Clayton Jr., LSU G Jalen Cook and even USC G Bronny James are among a group who have declared or reportedly will declare for the upcoming draft.

Coaches are on the move, too. Sources have John Calipari leaving Kentucky for SEC rival Arkansas. He would replace Eric Musselman, who is headed to USC … which lost Andy Enfield to SMU.

So, who will win the championship next season?

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2025 NCAA basketball championship odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, April 8, at 11:56 p.m. ET.

THE FAVORITES

  • Duke Blue Devils +1100 (bet $100 to win $1,100)
  • Kansas Jayhawks +1200
  • Alabama Crimson Tide +1500
  • Houston Cougars +1500
  • North Carolina Tar Heels +1500
  • UConn Huskies +1800

THE CONTENDERS

  • Arizona Wildcats +2000
  • Kentucky Wildcats +2000
  • Baylor Bears +3000
  • Gonzaga Bulldogs +3000
  • Purdue Boilermakers +3000
  • Tennessee Volunteers +3600
  • Texas Longhorns +3600

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YOU NEVER KNOW

  • Arkansas Razorbacks +4000
  • Auburn Tigers +4000
  • BYU Cougars +4000
  • Illinois Fighting Illini +4000
  • Iowa State Cyclones +4000
  • Creighton Bluejays +4500
  • Marquette Golden Eagles +4500

NOTEWORTHY ???

  • Michigan Wolverines +5000
  • Miami Hurricanes +5000
  • Florida Gators +5500
  • Michigan State Spartans +5500
  • Ohio State Buckeyes +5500
  • St. John’s Red Storm +5500
  • UCLA Bruins +5500
  • Villanova Wildcats +5500
  • Wisconsin Badgers +5500

+6000

San Diego State Aztecs | USC Trojans

+8000

Indiana Hoosiers | Kansas State Wildcats

Louisville Cardinals | Virginia Cavaliers

Washington Huskies

+10000

Iowa Hawkeyes |  Oklahoma Sooners

Oregon Ducks |  Syracuse Orange

+15000

Colorado Buffaloes | NC State Wolfpack

Northwestern Wildcats | Notre Dame Fighting Irish

+25000

Arizona State Sun Devils

+30000

FAU Owls | Stanford Cardinal

Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+

LONGEST SHOTS (+50000 each)

McNeese Cowboys |  Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Oregon State Beavers | UC Irvine Anteaters

Vermont Catamounts | Yale Bulldogs

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Kicking, special teams became a problem for OU in 2024; Sooners banking on competition to pay off

Special teams wasn’t special for the Oklahoma Sooners last year but here’s hoping competition and a coaching change can turn it around.

The Sooners struggles on special teams went beyond the kicking situation in 2023. The return game didn’t provide much and was at times a detriment to the team.

Head coach Brent Venables had to find a new special teams coordinator after Jay Nunez left for the same position at Alabama. But that might have been a blessing in disguise.

According to ESPN’s overall efficiency rankings for 2023, Oklahoma’s special teams—placekicking, punting, punt return, kickoff coverage, and kickoff return—ranked No. 127 last year.

That’s not good enough, especially for a team that, while much improved, needed to be perfect in other aspects of the game. Heading to the SEC, there’s less margin for error as Oklahoma’s talent won’t be enough to win games. They’ll need every bit of a competitive advantage. That could come by way of special teams.

So Venables went out and hired former San Diego State special teams coordinator Doug Deakin as a special teams analyst.

Why Deakin?

In each of the last three seasons, the Aztecs finished in the top 10 in ESPN’s special teams efficiency rating. In 2022, the Aztecs ranked No. 2, and last year, they were No. 9. While he’s an analyst and won’t be on the field during game days, Deakin will coordinate this unit with the rest of the on-field staff to create a better and more positively impactful special teams unit for the Sooners. And he comes to Oklahoma with some work to do on the kicking and return game front.

Oklahoma’s field goal kicking wasn’t as good as it needed to be for the Sooners in 2023. Sure, it wasn’t horrible, but by the end of the season, trotting out Zach Schmit genuinely felt like a coin flip, even from distances inside the 40-yard line.

The Sooners’ kicker made less than 75% of his kicks for the second straight season. Schmitt missed six kicks in 2022 and six in 2023. Schmit was just 6 of 11 on attempts from beyond 30 yards. He had a miss in Oklahoma’s three-point loss to Oklahoma State that turned out to be a killer.

So, where do the fixes lie? Well, competition and better schemes are the plan.

OU secured a commitment from Florida State transfer kicker Tyler Keltner this winter.

Keltner is a redshirt senior who spent the first four seasons of his college career at East Tennessee State. He made 56 of 74 field-goal attempts and earned two All-SoCon second-team selections. He then spent this past season at Florida State, where he appeared in one game and converted on his only attempt.

He and Liam Evans, a 2024 commit, will add fresh legs and competition to that room. Evans was ranked the number seven kicker in the nation, according to Kohl’s Kicking Camp.

The punt return game can be better too. After [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag]’s return for a touchdown against Arkansas State, the return game never seemed to click. Freeman muffed multiple punts in crucial moments that flipped the momentum in games. He also had just 122 punt return yards on the season, including that 82 yard return against Arkansas State.

The competition for punt return duties will be much more open than last year. Freeman will have a shot, but [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] could push for opportunities. On kick return, Jalil Farooq will likely continue to lead the way for the Sooners, but Oklahoma will push him with competition as well.

According to the ESPN efficiency marker, Deakin’s special teams units at his previous school ranked in the top 10 nationally for three straight years.

If there’s a positive outlook on the return game, it’s the emergence of punter Luke Elzinga. Though it took time for the Sooners to settle on who their punter would be last year, once they went with Elzinga, they never turned back. His efficiency, power, and ability to drop the ball inside the 20 allowed Brent Venables to play the field position game more.

As the Sooners move to the SEC, they’ll see their competition improve week in and week out. They can’t afford to be average in any phase of the game and special teams is an area that has to be a winning phase for them in 2024.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Oklahoma Sooners defensive backs in for a battle in spring ball

If the Oklahoma Sooners secondary can find more consistency, the defense will take another big step in 2024.

Last year, by and large, was a solid year for Oklahoma’s defensive backs. If there’s a knock against them, it was their inconsistency.

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] was a bright spot for the Sooner. He recorded 63 tackles, six interceptions, three pick-sixes, four pass breakups, and three tackles for loss last year and should have been an All-American.

Elsewhere, guys made plays but struggled to string together the caliber of performances that Bowman had.

There were moments when [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] was excellent but never sustained his level of play due to a shoulder injury he dealt with for most of the year. His inability to stay on the field had a negative impact on the defense.

[autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] had moments, in particular at cheetah. So did [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag]. Former five-star freshman [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] also flashed at moments but lacked consistency.

So what have we learned? Talent won’t be an issue in 2024. Consistency is the name of the game. And as the Sooners get deeper into spring practice and summer preparations for the season, we’ll be on the lookout for more consistency.

According to reports, coaches have Washington working at cornerback, nickel corner, safety, and cheetah. San Diego State transfer [autotag]Dez Malone[/autotag] is working to acclimate himself, giving Oklahoma length and another veteran option out at corner. He tallied 90 tackles, three for loss, one sack, four interceptions, and 12 pass breakups from 2022-2023.

In-house, the Sooners need leaps from multiple guys. [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] is gone, and [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] transferred to Ole Miss. Pair that with the need for depth at all secondary spots, and things will get interesting. Billy Bowman and Peyton Bowen are likely your starting safeties but don’t be surprised if Robert Spears-Jennings gets significant playing time at safety as well.

Spears-Jennings is looking to take a big step forward in year three. He feels like a guy we could see much of when Oklahoma goes into three safety looks. After that, Oklahoma will depend on youth. Four-star freshmen Reggie Powers and Jaydan Hardy will likely have to contribute somehow.

Woodi figures to be a starter somewhere on this defense, and barring health issues, Williams is a starting corner, too.

At cornerback, [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag], [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag], and [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag] offer a lot of talent and saw time on the field last year. If they come along, Oklahoma’s depth would be outstanding.

Who is the cheetah? [autotag]Justin Harrington[/autotag] is recovering from the injury he suffered early season against SMU and isn’t participating in spring practices. [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] is working full-time as a linebacker right now.

[autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] is an option, and sophomore now sees reps at the versatile spot too. Maybe four-star prospect [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] will join the mix as he finds a positional home.

Ultimately, there are a ton of question marks about Oklahoma’s secondary heading into the spring. There’s good potential, but a lack of experience on the depth chart. It’s a group that has to get more consistent for the Sooners to contend in the SEC.

Cornerbacks coach [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] and safety coach [autotag]Brandon Hall[/autotag] have their work cut out for them as the Sooners prepare for 2024.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

How to buy Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tickets in Boston for 2024 NCAA Tournament East Regional

Want to watch March Madness and the Sweet 16/Elite 8 live in Boston this weekend? Tickets are still available for as little as $223.

Only 16 teams remain in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament, and four of them will be playing in Boston, Massachusetts this weekend.

This year, March Madness returns to Boston as the TD Garden is set to host a weekend of Sweet 16 and Elite matchups that will eventually send one team onto Phoenix and the Final Four.

SHOP: Boston Regional Sweet 16 tickets

Tickets to Boston’s Sweet 16 action give access to both games and as of publication are still available for as little as $223.

No. 1 UConn kicks off East Regional on Thursday when they take on No. 5 San Diego State at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

That game will be immediately followed by No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 3 Illinois.

SHOP: UConn vs. San Diego St and Iowa St vs. Illinois tickets

If you want to catch all the action, weekend passes are still available for as little as $403.

The weekend passes include access to both of Thursday’s Sweet 16 games and Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown between the winners of Thursday night’s games.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Boston weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/XZJmwQq”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Boston Sweet 16 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/gxLvz1j”]

How to buy Sweet 16 and Elite 8 tickets in Boston for 2024 NCAA Tournament East Regional

Want to watch March Madness and the Sweet 16/Elite 8 live in Boston this weekend? Tickets are still available for as little as $223.

Only 16 teams remain in the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tournament, and four of them will be playing in Boston, Massachusetts this weekend.

This year, March Madness returns to Boston as the TD Garden is set to host a weekend of Sweet 16 and Elite matchups that will eventually send one team onto Phoenix and the Final Four.

SHOP: Boston Regional Sweet 16 tickets

Tickets to Boston’s Sweet 16 action give access to both games and as of publication are still available for as little as $223.

No. 1 UConn kicks off East Regional on Thursday when they take on No. 5 San Diego State at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

That game will be immediately followed by No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 3 Illinois.

SHOP: UConn vs. San Diego St and Iowa St vs. Illinois tickets

If you want to catch all the action, weekend passes are still available for as little as $403.

The weekend passes include access to both of Thursday’s Sweet 16 games and Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown between the winners of Thursday night’s games.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Boston weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/XZJmwQq”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NCAA Tournament Boston Sweet 16 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/gxLvz1j”]

Andy Katz says Oregon is a dark horse to make the Final Four

CBS Sports college basketball analyst Andy Katz says Oregon is one of four possible dark horses in the NCAA tournament.

When it comes to the NCAA tournament, 11 and 12 seeds are popular upset picks and a lot of the times, those seeds tend to come through for some reason.

Oregon finds itself as an 11-seed in this year’s tourney as they are matched up with 6-seed South Carolina today at 1 pm PST in Pittsburgh.

According to CBS Sports college basketball analyst Andy Katz, the Ducks are one of four dark horses to keep an eye on as March Madness proceeds over the next three weeks.

Other than Oregon, Katz said teams such as New Mexico, San Diego State and Wisconsin are all possible schools that could play the role of Cinderella.

New Mexico is an 11-seed, like Oregon, in the West Region and the Lobos open with Clemson. San Diego State is a 5-seed in the East Region that opens with UAB. The Badgers, soon to be a Big Ten foe for Oregon, is a 5-seed in the South Region and they begin competition with James Madison.

It’s funny how things can change on a dime in college basketball. Just two weeks ago, the Ducks were getting thumped by Arizona and now they are a possible favorite to advance to the Sweet 16 thanks to their Pac-12 tournament run in Las Vegas.

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2024 March Madness: Final Four long shots worthy of NCAA Tournament futures bet

Beat the Sportsbook: Here are the best 4 long-shot predictions and picks to make the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

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If its the Big Dance, and if we’re looking for a fairytale-comes-true return on investment then its a Cinderella we want.

Below, we look at 4 teams with decent value and their NCAA Tournament Final Four futures odds from BetMGM Sportsbook’s (OR FanDuel Sportsbook’s) and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.

For this analysis, we’ll stay away from the top 20% of teams listed in the  USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and the top 25% seeds (top 4 each region) in the tournament brackets. We’ll look for teams whose chances of reaching the Final Four may not be a slam dunk, but they will have relative value compared to the risk. We’ll track down 4 teams at diverse price points, but value is value.

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Final Four long-shot predictions

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 7:37 p.m. ET.

Wisconsin Badgers (+1400)

  • Bet $100 to win $1,400

Wisconsin (22-13) — the 5-seed in the South Region — lost to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, but the Badgers led that contest by 9 points inside the 15-minute mark. UW was undone by Illinois going 26 of 30 at the free-throw line.

Wisconsin beat No. 3-ranked Purdue in a Saturday Big Ten semifinal, and the Badgers had played the Boilermakers tough in an earlier loss. Top South Region seeds Houston (No. 1) and Marquette (No. 2) may end up with some injury or injury-return continuity issues, and No. 3 Kentucky needs its potent offense to click to avoid upsets. So, the Badgers have a path.

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San Diego State Aztecs (+2000)

  • Bet $100 to win $2,000

The Aztecs (24-10) — the No. 5 in the East — are just 6-4 over their last 10 games, but they have the defense (39% field-goal accuracy allowed over those 10 games) and court skills to make for profit leverage at this price point. SDSU’s Jaedon LeDee is a power forward with possible late 1st-round NBA talent, and he could be a difference maker in a lot of key minutes  — and games — as the East Region rolls toward crowning its Final Four entrant.

Alongside LeDee, a 6-foot-9, 240-poinder averaging 21.1 points and 8.4 rebounds, San Diego State sports a veteran lineup. The Aztecs get their 1st 2 potential games in their own time zone (games in Spokane).

The futures market had shorter overall futures odds on SDSU a couple weeks ago, and they fit as a decent value when trying to find a play from back in the pack.

Can you survive? USA TODAY Sports’ Men and Women’s Basketball Tournament Survivor Pools are here with a $2,500 prize for each contest! Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now!

McNeese State Cowboys (+8000)

  • Bet $100 to win $8,000

The Cowboys (30-3) are tabbed as the No. 12 seed in the Midwest. Their path lays out with decent matchups, and they are a dangerous 3-point shooting team (39.4%) playing at a slower-than-average pace. That is often the formula for Cinderella runs in March.

McNeese State may have some trouble forcing enough less-than-optimum mid-range looks, but if it can catch an opponent or 2 having off-kilter shooting games it has a legitimate shot at making a run. The Cowboys create a lot of near-proximity and quality perimeter looks when they’re on offense.

Saint Mary’s Gaels (+1400)

  • Bet $100 to win $1,400

West No. 5-seed Saint Mary’s (26-7) has filed just 1 loss in 2024. The West Coast Conference champs are 18-1 — knocking down triples at a 39.9% clip along the way — over their last 19 games.

Ranked as the KenPom No. 20, they too can slow down a game and drain 3s. The Gaels also excel on defense (KenPom 3rd in defensive efficiency). SMC’s pace could be problematic for speed demons like Alabama or North Carolina, which could well be 2nd- and 3rd-round matchups.

Saint Mary’s has won tourney games each of the last 2 years and may be poised to takes things a step or 2 farther.

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LSU softball surges past San Diego State to take Friday doubleheader

After a close call in Friday’s first game, the second half was much smoother sailing for the Tigers.

After a close call against Illinois in the first half of Friday’s doubleheader at the Purple & Gold Invitational, the Tigers had much smoother sailing in the second leg as it breezed to a 9-1 win over San Diego State in six innings.

[autotag]Sydney Berzon[/autotag] pitched a complete game, allowing just two hits and one run in the process of striking out nine.

That run came in the top of the first when the Aztecs hit a two-out homer, but that was all they’d get off Berzon. LSU scored four runs in the third inning thanks to homers from [autotag]Maci Bergeron[/autotag] and [autotag]Ciara Briggs[/autotag] as well as an RBI triple from [autotag]Danieca Coffey[/autotag].

The Tigers would then combine for five runs in the fifth and sixth innings to get to the run-rule margin, headlined by a two-RBI double from [autotag]Taylor Pleasants[/autotag] in the final frame.

LSU will be back in action for another doubleheader on Saturday against San Diego State and McNeese as it looks to remain unbeaten.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Former Oregon 2024 WR commit chooses the Beavers

Former Oregon 4-star WR commit Jordan Anderson is heading to Corvallis.

It’s not often the Oregon State Beavers get someone instead of the Oregon Ducks, but that was the case for one player in the 2024 recruiting class.

Four-star wide receiver Jordan Anderson out of Newport Beach, California, announced on Tuesday that he planned to commit to the Oreagon State Beavers. Until a couple of weeks ago, he was committed to the Ducks.

He chose the Beavers over San Diego State.

Anderson might have seen the writing on the wall in Eugene and figured he might get more immediate playing time in Corvallis. The receiver room at Oregon is filled as the Ducks have brought in many receivers over the last year or so, highlighted by the most recent group led by Ryan Pellum and Jeremiah McClellan.

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Sooners offer Oregon State transfer defensive back Jermod McCoy

Oklahoma joins a growing list of suitors for Oregon State transfer Jermod McCoy. McCoy had a terrific true freshman season.

Oklahoma has already been active in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. That activity will continue. The Sooners are one of the latest teams to offer Oregon State transfer cornerback Jermod McCoy.

On Tuesday, the talented cornerback announced he’d received an offer from the Sooners.

McCoy had an excellent season as he racked up 31 tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass deflections as a true freshman. He was a three-star recruit coming out of high school from Whitehouse, Texas. Now, he’s considered a four-star after his freshman season, according to 247Sports transfer portal rankings.

 

McCoy stands six feet tall and weighs 180 pounds. He’s a dynamic athlete with a high school track and field background that shows up on the field. Oklahoma received a significant boost in its secondary over the last few days with the return of Billy Bowman and a commitment from San Diego State transfer Dezjhon Malone.

Landing McCoy will not be easy. The competition is stiff. Florida, Texas A&M, USC, Washington, Oregon, Auburn and Arkansas are among the teams that have already offered the talented corner with three years remaining eligibility. Sooners cornerback coach Jay Valai will have his work cut out for him.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.