Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey watches play against Georgia Tech during the first half of an NCAA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
LAS VEGAS — In a men’s NCAA Tournament in which upsets were unusual and a women’s field sans Caitlin Clark, betting nevertheless was up on both sides this year at BetMGM Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook.
BetMGM saw an 18% increase on a men’s side in which all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four for the first time since 2008. That made for three competitive games Saturday and Monday that culminated in Florida’s heart-pounding 65-63 victory over Houston for the Gators’ third championship. They went back-to-back in 2006-07.
Plenty of fans put their money on the Gators, who were second to Duke at BetMGM in terms of money bet and number of tickets. The Blue Devils, like Houston in the title game, lost a double-digit lead to the Cougars in the semifinals and fell 70-67.
“Duke losing was key, as 30 of the 50 largest futures wagers on the champion were on Duke,” BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. “Florida had the second-highest handle, so many fans were happy to see the Gators chomping down the nets.”
Caesars college basketball head Rich Zanco called betting at his sportsbook “robust.”
“All No. 1 seeds advancing to the Final Four aided in that, and there were intriguing matchups throughout the tournament,” Zanco said. “For example, Rick Pitino and St. John’s versus John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks. The tournament didn’t provide many glaring upsets as in years past, but sometimes the cream rises to the top.”
There wasn’t as much drama in the women’s Final Four, though the only No. 2 seed among the eight in both fields emerged victorious. UConn rolled to a 82-59 victory over defending champion South Carolina for the Huskies’ 12th national title but first since 2016.
The Huskies were led by star Paige Bueckers, who along with Southern California’s JuJu Watkins became the faces of women’s college basketball this season, following in the path of Clark and Angel Reese, who are now starring in the WNBA.
Betting on the women’s side was up 10% this season at BetMGM.
Michigan adds two
Michigan and Michigan State have added much-needed players from the transfer portal.
The Wolverines signed guard Elliot Cadeau, a two-year starter at North Carolina, and former Illinois forward Morez Johnson Jr. on Thursday.
Cadeau averaged 9.4 points and 6.2 assists as the Tar Heels’ starting point guard last season. Johnson, a 6-foot-9, 255-pound forward, averaged seven points and seven rebounds in 17-plus minutes last season for the Fighting Illini.
The Spartans landed forward Kaleb Glenn, who played at Louisville two years ago and Florida Atlantic last season.
Kelsey gets raise
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Pat Kelsey led the Louisville’s basketball team back to national relevance and the NCAA Tournament in his first season as coach.
The school rewarded him for it on Thursday, with the University of Louisville Athletic Association’s board approving a one-year extension to his original five-year deal that will keep him under contract through the 2029-30 season. The new pact will also increase this past season’s ACC Coach of the Year’s salary from $2.3 to $3.3 million.
After winning just eight games in 2023-24, Kelsey rebuilt a roster that started with no returning scholarship players and oversaw the nation’s biggest turnaround with 27 wins. The Cardinals were ranked as high as No. 10 nationally and earned a No. 8 seed in NCAA Tournament — their first since 2019.
Huss at Creighton
OMAHA, Neb. — High Point coach Alan Huss will return to Creighton as the head coach-in-waiting for whenever Greg McDermott decides to leave or retire, the Bluejays announced Thursday.
The 60-year-old McDermott just completed his 15th season with the Bluejays. He passed Dana Altman as the program’s career wins leader in November and will go into 2025-26 with a 350-171 record.
Huss, who played at Creighton from 1997-2001, was a McDermott assistant for six seasons before he was hired at High Point.
“Returning to Creighton, my alma mater, to work alongside Coach McDermott and contribute to the future of this program is an extraordinary opportunity and, honestly, my dream job,” Huss said.
Elsewhere:
n Rob Summers will be introduced as the new men’s basketball coach at Cleveland State today. The school made the announcement on Thursday. Summers was an assistant coach at Cleveland State from 2019-22, and was on the staff in 2021 when the Vikings made their most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
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