NFL Week 9 FTN Staff Bets
FTN Staff
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.
Let’s check out our betting preview for the USC Trojans. I give a huge shout-out to our newest contributor, Gus Kearns, for his extensive research on the Big Ten.
2024-2025 College Basketball Season Preview: USC Trojans
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Eric Musselman (1st season)
2023-2024 Record: 15-18 (8-12)
ATS: 16-17
O/U: 21-12
Projected Starters: G Desmond Claude; G Chibuzo Agbo; G Saint Thomas; F Terrance Williams II; C Josh Cohen
Expectations were high after the Trojans appeared in multiple preseason rankings prior to the 2023-2024 season. Enrolling two very recognizable freshmen in Isaiah Collier and Bronney James would put high expectations on any program. Injuries, poor defense and rebounding issues quickly made the season go sideways in a hurry, forcing inevitable change entering this year.
Coach Eric Musselman landed in Southern California after working his magic at Arkansas and Nevada, which always coincides with the arrival of talented transfers. Desmond Claude (Xavier) owns the flexible repertoire Musselman values, and Yale transfer Matt Knowling is a big-shot maker. Saint Thomas (Northern Colorado) posted 19.7 PPG and 9.8 RPG while shooting 87% from the free-throw line. San Diego’s Kevin Patten Jr. is a 6-foot-8 wing that averaged 2.6 stocks per game with the Toreros. The roster has nine seniors in total and will highlight positionless basketball all season. USC will rebound as a team, switch on defense, find the mismatch on offense with an unselfish mindset. Musselman’s NBA and G-League coaching experience should bring the Trojans to the level the fans expected during Enfield’s 11 seasons.
Key Player: Chibuzo Agbo
We know what to expect from Claude, but Agbo is more of the unknown. He averaged 13.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG and shot 41% from 3P range on 186 attempts with Boise State last year. Agbo has five games with four or more 3Ps, and his development changes the outlook for this team. If Agbo can consistently serve as a double-digit scoring option alongside Claude, Williams and Cohen, this team has top-three upside in the Big Ten.
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