Updated Naismith Player of the Year Odds See Howard Continue to Shorten; Wiseman Fades Amidst Eligibility Issues

• Memphis’ James Wiseman has withdrawn his lawsuit against the NCAA and is now sitting out, awaiting his punishment.
• Marquette’s Markus Howard has shot up the board as he was previously +1000 but is now at +550
• North Carolina’s Cole Anthony set the school record for points in a debut (34).

We’re just over a week into the college basketball season and we’re already seeing some of the brightest stars shine.

As we’ve played through the first wave of games, the Naismith Player of the Year odds have shifted around a little bit. Now that we’ve had a look, let’s see who is a good bet for this season-long prop.

2020 Naismith Player of the Year Odds

Odds taken on November 14th, 2019

Howard’s Odds Shorten

Marquette’s Markus Howard has been one of the fastest risers up the board as his odds have shortened quite a bit. He was as high as +1000 on October 24th, then dipped to +800 last week and is now down to +550. It’s still very early in the season but he’s had a great start with a pair of strong stat lines.

Howard had 38 points against Loyola-Maryland in an 88-53 blowout win. Of course, nobody will be that impressed with a beating of the Greyhounds but Howard backed that effort up with another strong one against Purdue on Wednesday night. Marquette won, 65-55, and he had 18 points, four rebounds and three assists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a69lG9KwYpI

Marquette is not currently ranked in the Top 25, but if Howard can carry them in there and lead them to a good seed in the NCAA Tournament, he’ll be among the finalists.

Wiseman Withdraws Lawsuit, Awaits Reinstatement

Memphis freshman James Wiseman was on the board as high as +600 but his chances of winning this award have taken a huge hit.

The projected top pick in the 2020 NBA Draft has withdrawn his lawsuit against the NCAA and is now declared ineligible. He will now await to see when – or if – the NCAA allows him back in.

You might recall that Wiseman was recently banned by the NCAA after it was discovered Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway helped cover the costs of Wiseman’s move to Memphis. This happened in 2018 when Wiseman was still in high school and before Hardaway was the head coach at Memphis.

At the same time, the typical protocol is when the NCAA hits the player with some kind of eligibility issue, that player sits out until things are settled. While we don’t know all of the details – it’s possible Memphis and Wiseman has a strong case – it does look like the Tigers tried to buck the NCAA.

If that’s the case, they could come down hard on Wiseman and set an example. At any rate, for Wiseman to still be in the running for the Player of the Year, he can probably only miss a maximum of 10 games. For now, you’re best to stay away from Wiseman until we know the suspension length.

Winston Has Been Good, Not Great

Michigan State’s Cassius Winston is the favorite to win this award but he’s been good but not great so far. He’s at +130 but at this point, I don’t see much value betting him at that price. His shooting has been just OK (42.9%) and he’s averaging 19.0 points per game with 7.5 assists.

It’s very early but it looks like the Spartans will have plenty of balance on offense – they currently have four players averaging 10 points or more – and that could cut into his production. At this point, I don’t see any value with Winston, so I’ll pass.

Cole Anthony Has Impressed

North Carolina freshman Cole Anthony has burst onto the scene with two excellent games to start the season. He set the school record for the most points by a freshman in his debut (34) and then backed that up with 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in his second outing.

He’s the player I’d bet on as of right now as he seems to have a higher ceiling. Howard might edge him in points, although that could be close, but Anthony contributes across the board.

He also plays on a North Carolina team that’s No. 6 in the country and will get far more of the spotlight than Marquette. He’s my bet right now.