Tag: UConn

March Madness: NCAA Tournament East Region odds, picks and predictions

Looking at March Madness futures odds to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament East Region, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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March Madness tips off Thursday, and the East Region bracket is absolutely loaded.

Below, we look at FanDuel Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament East Region futures odds and and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.

The East includes last year’s champs, the UConn Huskies (31-3); they’re the No. 1 seed. For Connecticut to get through this region, it will have to get past this season’s title teams from the Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC in Iowa State (27-7), Illinois (26-8), and Auburn (27-7), respectively. The Huskies (KenPom No. 1), Tigers (No. 4) and Cyclones (No. 5) represent 3/5ths of the top 5 on KenPom’s rankings.

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East Region futures odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 1:25 p.m. ET.

1 seed: UConn +110 (bet $100 to win $110)

2 seed: Iowa State +440 (bet $100 to win $440)

3 seed: Illinois +800 (bet $100 to win $800)

4 seed: Auburn +500 (bet $100 to win $500)

5 seed: San Diego State +2100 (bet $100 to win $2,100)

6 seed: BYU +1400 (bet $100 to win $1,400)

7 seed: Washington State +3400 (bet $100 to win $3,400)

8 seed: FAU +2900 (bet $100 to win $2,900)

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9 seed: Northwestern +5500 (bet $100 to win $5,500)

10 seed: Drake +4200 (bet $100 to win $4,200)

11 seed: Duquesne +13000 (bet $100 to win $13,000)

12 seed: UAB +13000 (bet $100 to win $13,000)

13 seed: Yale +11000 (bet $100 to win $11,000)

14 seed: Morehead State +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

15 seed: South Dakota State +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

16 seed: Stetson +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

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East Region expert pick and prediction

Iowa State (+440)

Putting all the key betting factors together and weighing in the prices, the Cyclones come out with a lot of value. The champions of this year’s toughest league are elite at the defensive end and usually maintain key edges in turnovers, rebounding and free-throw frequency.

The analysis of the East includes some slight fading of No. 1 UConn, heavier fading of No. 3 Illinois and a bit of extra potential for an upset in No. 4 Auburn’s path.

Top 25: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

East Region contenders

AUBURN (+500)

The Tigers rank in KenPom’s top 10 in both offensive (10th) and defensive (4th) efficiency. The defense (including what AU does along the perimeter) and overall court skills should help Auburn avoid a misstep in what could be an interesting 1st-round game against Yale.

If the bracket plays out with AU playing UConn or Iowa State, consider that coach Bruce Pearl owns an 8-4 record against the spread when lined as an underdog.

San Diego State (+2100)

The Aztecs (24-10) 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. San Diego State sports a veteran lineup, and it gets its 1st 2 potential games in its own time zone (games in Spokane).

The futures market had shorter overall futures odds on SDSU a couple weeks ago. The Aztecs’ Jaedon LeDee is a power forward with possible late 1st-round NBA talent, and he’s a likely match-up problem for most teams San Diego State would play.

East Region long shots

Drake (+4200)

The Bulldogs (28-6) come out of the Missouri Valley Conference, a league that has often done damage from underdog slots in recent years’ brackets. Drake won the MVC Tournament and is 10-1 in its last 11 games.

DU hits from distance (36.5% from 3-point range) and takes great care of the ball. The Bulldogs are a top-notch defensive rebounding team. They have a 6-1 record in neutral-site games, and that includes a Dec. 9 rout of West No. 10 seed Nevada.

Morehead State (+25000)

Morehead State is a slow-tempo squad trending the right way at the defensive end, and that’s a dangerous combination. The Eagles often win the 3-point shooting battle, and they should be considered a live wire against 1st-round opponent Illinois and either team they might play in the 2nd round (BYU, Duquesne).

Both Drake and Morehead State are in the bottom half of the East Region bracket. Making the plays in tandem has merit.

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Wisconsin avoids stacked East Region in NCAA Tournament

Wisconsin avoided being placed in the East Region, which this year has four major conference tournament champs

The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team is a 5 seed in the South Region of the NCAA tournament, facing 12th-seeded James Madison in the Round of 64 on Friday.

Notably, Wisconsin avoided being placed in the East Region, which this year has four major conference tournament champs.

The defending national champion UConn Huskies are the No. 1 seed in the region and the top overall seed in the tournament. They’re coming off a 73-57 win over Marquette on Saturday to win the Big East Tournament.

Iowa State, which beat Houston, 69-41, in the Big 12 Tournament championship game Saturday, is the No. 2 seed in the East Region. While No. 3 seed Illinois (Big Ten winner) and No. 4 seed Auburn (SEC winner) round out the top four.

Also of note from the region, UConn, No. 5 seed San Diego State and No. 8 seed Florida Atlantic were in the Final Four of the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Houston.

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Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo named Wooden Award finalist

The freshman is part of an elite class of players this season.

While far from the most prolific women’s basketball player this season, Notre Dame’s [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] still has been incredible. From the moment she stepped on the court in the season opener against South Carolina in Paris, there have been few games in which she hasn’t had a real impact. Now, she’s been rewarded by being named one of 15 finalists for the Wooden Award, which is given to the national player of the year.

Hidalgo entered Sunday’s ACC Tournament championship game averaging with the nation’s third-best scoring average at 23.4 points a game and as the nations steals leader at 4.7 a game. She has reached double figures scoring in every game, and the only time she didn’t record at least one steal was in the Irish’s win over UConn, the highlight of their NCAA Tournament resume.

While it will be tough to make a case for anyone other than Iowa’s Caitlin Clark to win this award, Hidalgo becoming a finalist as a freshman in an achievement on its own. Hopefully, this is only the first time she has this honor.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Photos from Notre Dame’s upset victory over No. 5 Virginia Tech

Until Thursday, Notre Dame’s only win that really stood out was its earlier nonconference win at UConn. That changed with a 71-58 victory against No. 5 Virginia Tech. Now, it seems like almost anything is possible.

While the Irish haven’t done everything yet that would convince the selection committee to make it an undisputed top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament, this win gives them a strong argument for one. The Hokies were the better of their two remaining regular-season opponents, and another tough opponent in Louisville will come in a few days. If the Irish win that game, they will be impossible for the committee to ignore.

Did the green jerseys provide the Irish in a way they really haven’t done so for the football team? All we know is that the Irish are playing some great basketball right now, and it’s happening at the right time.

Check out some memorable images from the win over the Hokies:

NCAA men’s basketball betting odds to win the national championship

We take a look at UNC’s betting odds to win the National Championship.

It’s been a season of highs for the UNC men’s basketball program, and their odds of cutting down the nets in April match the hype they’ve received from the masses.

UNC is in a three-way tie with Alabama and Auburn for sixth-best odds (plus 1800) to win the NCAA national championship. Ahead of the Tar Heels are Connecticut (plus 500), Purdue (plus 650), Houston (plus 950), Arizona (plus 1000) and Tennessee (plus 1300)

UNC has the highest odds of any ACC team, with arch-rival Duke Blue Devils on its heels (plus 2500). The Tar Heels will have a significant opportunity to have improve their odds with notable games against UVA and Duke left.

The Tar Heels have already seen their odds leap favorably after a dominating home win against Duke. Despite a disappointing slate of losses where they were heavy favorites, UNC is still in the driver’s seat as the ACC team predicted to go the furthest in the NCAA tournament.

Paige Bueckers isn’t going pro quite yet, will play 2024-25 season for UConn

Head coach Geno Auriemma learned about Paige Bueckers returning to school at the same time as everyone else in the arena.

On Friday night, University of Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers announced she’s returning to school for the 2024-25 season and forgoing entering the 2024 WNBA draft. During the senior night ceremony, Bueckers made the announcement after a Huskies win.

“I know everybody wants me to address the elephant in the room,” Bueckers said. “Unfortunately, this will not be my last senior night here at UConn.”

Head coach Geno Auriemma learned about Bueckers’ return at the same time as everyone else in the arena. However, he was not surprised that she would return.

“Paige is very, very bad at making decisions. When we were recruiting her, I had to threaten her because she couldn’t decide,” Auriemma said.

Bueckers explained why she was making the return.

“Just the family camaraderie here, just loving it here, loving my teammates, loving my coaches, me not having the four years that I planned on, not being able to play as much,” Bueckers said when asked by SNY about her decision. “I just feel like I’m not done yet here. I feel like God is still writing my story here. I’m just blessed to be a part of this program, and I never want it to end.”

Bueckers was projected to be a top 2024 WNBA draft pick, so teams will need to reprioritize their choices. The draft will be held on April 15.

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Even Geno Auriemma was surprised that Paige Bueckers is returning to UConn next season

And yes, Geno Auriemma will be returning to the sidelines to coach Bueckers and the rest of the Huskies.

Paige Bueckers grabbed the attention of every women’s basketball fan Friday night when she announced that she wouldn’t enter the WNBA Draft and would instead return to UConn next season.

Bueckers battled injuries earlier in her career for the Huskies, missing a chunk of the 2021-22 season and all of the 2022-23 campaign with lower body ailments. She’s proving this season though that she’s still one of the top players in the country – and a highly sought-after pro prospect – by averaging 20.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Bueckers is one of just four players nationally putting up an average nightly stat line like that.

The UConn guard made her announcement to the crowd at Gampel Pavilion on Friday night before the Huskies beat Georgetown. It was senior night in Storrs, Connecticut, and Bueckers was honored. She grabbed the mic and said:

“Unfortunately, this will not be my last senior night.”

That’s only unfortunate news for WNBA teams with a top three pick in this upcoming draft. For women’s college basketball fans, it’s awesome news.

And fans found out the same time that UConn coach Geno Auriemma did.

The 69-year-old coach – who has won more national titles than anyone else in the sport – then joked about how Bueckers returning related to his own decision to come back and continue to coach the Huskies:

As long as Bueckers is on the court and Auriemma is on the sidelines, UConn will be a force to be reckoned with. Expect them to be among the preseason favorites again next year.

Dolphins grab two offensive linemen in Draft Wire’s new mock draft

Miami doubles down on offensive linemen in new four-round mock draft.

The 2023 NFL season is officially over after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. so all 32 teams have mocked into offseason mode.

Now, in just a couple of months, the league will descend on Detroit, Michigan for the 2024 NFL draft, where teams will have the opportunity to make massive improvements to their rosters that could increase their chances of winning a Lombardi Trophy.

This week, Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy released his newest mock draft, and he predicts that the Miami Dolphins will take Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims in the first round and UConn guard Christian Haynes in the second round.

Mims. the two-time national champion, has an impressive combination of size (6-foot-7, 340 pounds) and speed, making him an incredible prospect for any team looking for an offensive tackle.

While the Dolphins currently have two under contract for 2024, there are some doubts about Terron Armstead continuing his career, as he’s been non-committal since the end of the season.

If he were to walk away, offensive tackle would certainly become one of Miami’s top priorities, but there are more pressing needs if he does decide to return.

Guard is one of those.

Isaiah Wynn and Robert Hunt, who manned the two starting guard spots in 2023, are both set to be unrestricted free agents, and even backup Robert Jones, who played 38.1% of the team’s offensive snaps this past year, is a pending restricted free agent.

This would leave the Dolphins with just Liam Eichenberg, Lester Cotton and Chasen Hines as the interior offensive line options on the current roster. Having to start two of those three would be a nightmare scenario for Miami in 2024.

Haynes, considered one of the best interior offensive line prospects in the draft, would be a nice fit to fill one of those spots next to either Armstead or Jackson. He started 49 straight games for UConn over his final four seasons, earning AP Third-team All-American honors in 2022 and 2023. He also had an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl, which could mean he’s gone by the time that the Dolphins are back on the board in the second round.

As noted in the above tweet, he does have some questions, but considering how big the need is, Miami should be willing to consider bringing in the Husky, should he be available.

Notre Dame is No. 5 seed in every latest Bracketology projection

The Irish have some work to do if they want to be an NCAA Tournament host.

Nobody knows just how dominant Notre Dame would be if it was fully healthy. All we can judge the Irish on is how good they currently are. And in the eyes of various college hoops experts, they’re not good enough to host the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

In the latest Bracketology updates for ESPN, CBS Sports, College Sports Madness and Her Hoop Stats, the Irish are in a fifth seed for each and every one. Only the top four seeds in each quadrant are selected as first- and second-round hosts. So in this particular case, the Irish currently are on the outside looking in.

Don’t despair yet though. ESPN chooses to highlight the Irish in its latest update as a team that can move up the seedings. As it currently stands, they don’t have a lot of big wins on their resume except for UConn. Whether that resume can improve depends on how the Irish fare against the ACC gauntlet over the next two weeks, beginning Thursday at Louisville.

[autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] admitted after the Irish’s win over Pittsburgh that February is going to be a tough month for her team, and she wasn’t lying. While the Irish are a lock for the tournament barring a complete collapse over the next month, they’ll need to dig even deeper if they want March Madness to come to South Bend. We soon will find out if them doing so leads to optimal results.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Hannah Hidalgo’s 10th ACC Rookie of the Week ties record

A perfect 10 for the freshman phenom.

During the 2022-23 season, Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson won the ACC Rookie of the Week award a record 10 times. She didn’t even get to enjoy having that record by herself for one year. That’s because Notre Dame’s [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] entered the conference and broke out immediately.

Hidalgo has tied Latson’s record with her 10th ACC Rookie of the Week honor. A large part of her winning it this time around was the career-high 35 points she scored in a win over Georgia Tech, one point better than her scoring total from the previous game against UConn. She also became the fastest Irish freshman ever to score 500 points.

So far, Hidalgo has passed nearly every test with flying colors (and that doesn’t include the pink hair she donned for Notre Dame’s Think Pink game). She and the Irish will get another test when they visit conference-leading Louisville on Thursday. While it won’t be easy, it’s another chance to show what she and her teammates are made of.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89