NBA Best Bets of the Day (12/2)
Alex Christenson
Check out our entire college basketball season preview!
The college basketball season is less than three weeks away, and here at FTN Fantasy we have you covered for what promises to be another thrilling year of upsets and incredible finishes. I will be taking you around the country with a betting preview of the major conferences. I recap the betting trends from last season, list projected starters, preview the season, identify a key player, and reveal how I’m backing or fading each team.
Let’s continue with the largest conference in college basketball, the Big Ten. This conference underwent massive changes, adding four new teams from the Pac-12 in Washington, USC, Oregon and UCLA. The expansion has not diluted the competitive level of the Big Ten, ranking third (same as last year) in KenPom preseason rankings.
Below is a betting preview for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
2024-2025 College Basketball Season Preview: Iowa Hawkeyes
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Fran McCaffrey (15th Season)
2023-2024 Record: 19-15 (10-10)
ATS: 13-20-1
O/U: 23-11
Projected Starters: G Drew Thelwell; G Josh Dix; F Payton Sandfort; F Seydou Traore; C Owen Freeman
The Hawkeyes will always score the ball. They averaged over 83 PPG with solid shooting metrics from deep (35.1%), from the line (77.4%) and from the field (52.9%). Last season held ample opportunity for coach Fran McCaffery with a solid non-conference schedule (Iowa State, Creighton and Oklahoma) preparing the Hawkeyes for the usual Big Ten gauntlet. Iowa did earn a neutral-court win against Seton Hall and an 88-86 OT home win against laboring Wisconsin, but the Hawkeyes failed to garner enough of those signature wins to find March Madness. Losing two double-digit scorers (Tony Perkins 14 PPG, Ben Krikke 13.8 PPG) might hamper other programs, but not Iowa and the offensive framework existing in Iowa City.
The hub of the offense will be wing Payton Sandfort (16.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 38% 3P). The 6-foot-7 senior can score from every spot on the floor. Sandfort will pack the box score while being a legitimate contender for Big Ten Player of the Year. Owen Freeman was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and returns as a defensive presence (61 blocks and 32 steals) with offensive efficiency (61.4 FG%). A few freshmen and sophomores will slide into supporting roles, namely 6-foot-8 Cooper Koch. Iowa successfully dipped into the transfer portal to secure lead guard Drew Thelwell of Morehead State (10 PPG, 6.2 APG, 1.3 SPG), who played inside March Madness against Illinois.
Key Player: Seydou Traore
Traore had a fantastic freshman year at Manhattan, averaging 11.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.3 BPG and 1.5 SPG. He brings maximum effort and a relentless attitude on the boards, something Iowa desperately needs. Also an excellent FT shooter (80%), his ability to transfer his impact from the MAAC to the Big Ten is tethered to the Hawkeyes’ Big Ten Championship odds. The rest of the team has known quantities, Traore is the X-factor with massive upside.
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