This college basketball offseason is unlike any other, as players are taking advantage of the new transfer portal rules. Gonzaga odds have reaped the benefits with Ryan Nembhard (Creighton) and Graham Ike (Wyoming) entering the mix on Friday. But was the impact on its college basketball odds warranted? Let’s dive in.
The best available Gonzaga odds can be found below. Click on them to place a wager.
How Have Gonzaga Odds Been Adjusted?
As I reported earlier in the week, many programs have seen their national title odds slashed just two weeks after the 2022-23 season concluded. The ‘Zags opened the offseason as high as +4000 at Caesars Sportsbook. That figure has shrunk to +2500 at of the time of publish. The best available number is .
Gonzaga Odds Analysis
Mark Few’s bunch needed to bolster its frontcourt, following the departure of Drew Timme, and Ike provides him with a high-ceiling big. The 6-foot-9, 255-pound center averaged 19.5 points and 9.6 boards per game in 2021-22 after missing the entirety of last campaign with a lower leg injury.
However, the primary bugaboo for the Bulldogs last season was guarding the interior. Gonzaga placed No. 268 in ShotQuality PPP when opponents attacked the rim. It also yielded a 50.6% two-point clip — good for the No. 197 ranking across D-I.
Ike only delivered 1.0% block rate in his lone campaign as Wyoming’s primary center. Although his post-up defense will lend some assistance for Few, relying on him to protect the paint is another story. That’s especially the case if Steele Venters, the 6-foot-7 redshirt sophomore who won Big Sky Player of the Year, is heavily utilized at the four spot.
On the other hand, the aforementioned Nembhard is a welcomed addition for the Bulldogs’ backcourt. Throughout the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the ‘Zags lacked a playmaking guard — outside of when Malachi Smith flashed versus UCLA. Andrew Nembhard, his brother, starred for Few from 2020-2022 after tipping off his collegiate career at Florida.
But thanks to Gonzaga’s defensive flaws, its offense must remain as potent as it was in 2022-23 for its national title aspirations. Without the likes of Timme running the show through the post, or just an equally explosive offense overall, that seems unlikely.
Below is the Bulldogs’ Bart Torvik pure talent score rankings over the last three campaigns, emphasizing the previous notion.
| Season | Talent Score |
|---|---|
| 2021-22 | #2 |
| 2022-23 | #17 |
| 2023-24 | #58 |
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