Will the loss of three starters have Syracuse making a trip to the NIT again this year? Insiders don’t think so. Find out what this young team is capable of in Jeff Alexander's 2007 Syracuse Orangemen betting preview. SportsBetting.com has the Syracuse Orangemen at 40 to 1 to win the NCAA Championship.
This season’s Syracuse team looks a lot like the one that won it all in 2003 on paper. Then, it was Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara. Now, Jim Boeheim will try to do it again with Donte Greene, who comes from Baltimore just like Anthony, and Jonny Flynn, a pure point.
Syracuse should have been in the Big Dance last season. The Orange finished 24-11 overall and 10-6 in the Big East power conference which was good for a fifth place tie. Jim Boeheim and his returning players will take this snub personal, making sure they leave no room for doubt to the selection committee this year.
The entire starting frontcourt is gone, but these guys were never the talents they were supposed to be, only leading ‘cuse to two NCAA Tourney victories in four years. Boeheim will replace those three starters with Greene, sophomore forward Arinze Onuaku, and sophomore Paul Harris. The 6’9’’ Greene will be a big matchup problem for opponents. His ability to step out on the floor and knock down threes will force teams to play him with a small or risk a big getting pulled away from the basket. Harris showed promise as a frosh averaging 8.6 points and 7.1 boards per game.
The backcourt is looking good with ‘cuse returning three guards who started at least 20 games last season. Flynn could step right in and take over point guard duties. If this is the case, that will allow Eric Devendorf to slide back over to the two position and Andy Rautins will be a sixth man spark off the bench.
As much as we would like to believe that this Syracuse team could be another Cinderella story like the 2003 team, it’s just not going to happen. Melo was bigger, stronger, and a better rebounder than Greene is at this stage-a rare, once in a lifetime college prospect. But Syracuse will make the Tourney and they will win their first round game. But that’s where we see it ending as this much inexperience rarely is able to do more.
Jeff Alexander's Big East college basketball picks will frustrate your man all season long. Jeff knows this 16-team power conference inside and out and he will give you a steady dose of Big East betting this year. For the best college basketball picks money can buy, try Jeff Alexander on for size.
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SportsBetting.com has posted the odds on the NCAA Championship:
Air Force 300 – 1
Akron 300 – 1
Alabama 300 – 1
Arizona 50 – 1
Arizona St 300 – 1
Arkansas 75 – 1
Auburn 300 – 1
BYU 200 – 1
Boston College 200 – 1
Bradley 300 – 1
Butler 100 – 1
California 100 – 1
Clemson 75 – 1
Colorado St 300 – 1
Creighton 300 – 1
DePaul 200 – 1
Drexel 300 – 1
Duke 35 – 1
Florida 50 – 1
Florida St 300 – 1
Fresno St 300 – 1
George Washington 300 – 1
Georgetown 15 – 1
Georgia 100 – 1
Georgia Tech 100 – 1
Geroge Mason 100 – 1
Gonzaga 50 – 1
Hofstra 300 – 1
Houston 200 – 1
Illinois 300 – 1
Illinois St 300 – 1
Indiana 20 – 1
Iowa 300 – 1
Kansas 10 – 1
Kansas St 60 – 1
Kent St 300 – 1
Kentucky 40 – 1
LSU 300 – 1
Louisville 15 – 1
Marquette 40 – 1
Maryland 50 – 1
Memphis 7 – 1
Miami FL 300 – 1
Miami OH 300 – 1
Michigan 300 – 1
Michigan St 20 – 1
Minnesota 300 – 1
Mississippi 300 – 1
Mississippi St 100 – 1
Missouri 200 – 1
Missouri St 300 – 1
Nevada 200 – 1
New Mexico 300 – 1
New Mexico St 200 – 1
North Carolina 6 – 1
North Carolina St 60 – 1
Notre Dame 200 – 1
Ohio St 50 – 1
Oklahoma 100 – 1
Oklahoma St 300 – 1
Old Dominion 300 – 1
Oregon 40 – 1
Oregon St 300 – 1
Pittsburgh 200 – 1
Providence 300 – 1
Purdue 100 – 1
San Diego St 300 – 1
South Carolina 300 – 1
Southern Illinois 75 – 1
St Johns 300 – 1
St Josephs 200 – 1
Stanford 100 – 1
Syracuse 40 – 1
Temple 300 – 1
Tennessee 12 – 1
Texas 75 – 1
Texas A&M 50 – 1
Texas Tech 100 – 1
Toledo 300 – 1
U CONN 50 – 1
U MASS 300 – 1
UCLA 6 – 1
UCSB 300 – 1
UNLV 300 – 1
USC 75 – 1
Utah 300 – 1
Utah St 300 – 1
VA Commonwealth 100 – 1
Vanderbilt 200 – 1
Villanova 60 – 1
Virginia 100 – 1
Virginia Tech 300 – 1
Wake Forest 300 – 1
Washington 100 – 1
Washington St 40 – 1
West Virginia 100 – 1
Wichita St 300 – 1
Wisconsin 100 – 1
Xavier 100 – 1
zx Field (Any Other Team) 50 – 1
