The NCAA basketball season is preparing to tip off with their preseason invitational tournaments, which means college hoops betting action on offshore sportsbooks will be starting to heat up. Here is a look at the ten players you should keep an eye on this season, and surprisingly, it is not loaded with freshmen as recent history suggests.
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
After winning national Player of the Year last season, the power forward could have easily jumped to the NBA. But he decided to come back for his senior season, and the Tar Heels are now the NCAA basketball betting favorite to win it all, even though he will probably miss the first few games of the season with a shin injury.
Stephen Curry, Davidson
The sharp-shooting junior guard will be playing more point-guard this season, which means the ball will be in his hands more often as he prepares for the NBA. The Wildcats have better college basketball odds than ever before, and Curry, who is coming off a 26-point-per-game season, will be the one to lead them.
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
The junior forward was one of the few 20/10 guys in college hoops last season, reaching double-digits in points in every 2007 game except for one. The Fighting Irish have great Big East basketball odds to win the conference after falling just short to Georgetown last year, so bet on a big year from Harangody.
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
The sophomore power forward nearly averaged a double-double in his freshman debut, and Griffin figures to be even better on an Oklahoma squad with solid NCAA basketball odds this year.
AJ Price, Connecticut
The Huskies are ranked second in the preseason polls, and the return of their senior point guard from a knee injury will be crucial to UConn's success. The Huskies were knocked out of the NCAA tournament in the first round last year, but if Price, who makes the UConn offense tick, is healthy, the Huskies will show they are the Big East basketball betting favorites.
Darren Collison, UCLA
The senior guard has improved each year on campus, and is now the undisputed leader of a talented UCLA team that is one of the NCAA basketball betting favorites this season. The Bruins will ask Collison to look for his own shot more, and he could follow his teammate from last year, Russell Westbrook, as an NBA lottery pick.
Damion James, Texas
The Longhorns lost D.J. Augustin to the draft, and James, a junior forward, will be counted on to pick up the slack. James put up a double-double last season, and online sports betting players looking to bet on Texas will expect much of the same.
DeMar DeRozan, USC
The freshman wing player can only hope to have half of the impact O.J. Mayo had at USC during his lone season, but DeRozan enters as one of the most athletic players in the country. Once he figures out how to play the college game, the Trojans should see their Pac-10 basketball odds rise.
Tyreke Evans, Memphis
Evans is another freshman with big shoes to fill, as he will try to soften the impact of Derrick Rose's early exit as the top overall pick in last year's draft. Some say Evans is not always 100% into the game, but he has the skills to take over when need be, and he should get plenty of opportunities in Memphis' uptempo game. The Tigers still have good college basketball odds, but Evans needs to show why he was one of the most sought-after recruits in the country.
Edgar Sosa, Louisville
The junior guard had an indifferent campaign in his second year at Louisville, failing to build on the promise of his freshman year. The Cardinals are trying to avoid another disappointing season which saw them begin at sixth in the preseason rankings, but they were out by Week 6. When Sosa plays well, the Cardinals usually dominate, and a good showing from the point guard will prove Louisville deserves their low NCAA basketball betting odds.
