Oscar Tshiebwe Leads the Way in Wooden Award Betting Odds

Let’s just say the breakup between top Wooden Award contender Oscar Tshiebwe and West Virginia did not go well.

Tshiebwe is DraftKings’ top choice (+150) to win the Wooden, college basketball’s version of the Heisman Trophy, from among a strong field that includes Big Ten contenders Kofi Cockburn, Johnny Davis and Keegan Murray and the Big 12’s Ochai Agbaji.

"It's the most wide open it's been in 25 years," – @GoodmanHoops on the Wooden Award race.@1TimMurray | @realshaunking | #FollowTheMoney

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— VSiN (@VSiNLive) February 21, 2022

Tshiebwe has had a bumpy ride to get here.

The second McDonald’s All-American ever signed by West Virginia, Tshiebwe announced he was transferring to Kentucky 13 months ago. That decision did not go over well with Mountaineers’ coach Bob Huggins, who knew what he was losing.

“It was 100% outside influences,” Huggins said of the impetus for the transfer while also taking a shot at the Wildcats’ staff.

“I think it’s the world we live in. It’s better to steal than it is to work and earn things.”

That was just the beginning of a contentious back-and-forth. In November, Huggins criticized Tshiebwe’s play during his freshman season, saying was not committed to playing the game the defense-minded Mountaineers’ way.

“We lost an alleged McDonald’s All-American because he didn’t like the fact that we were making him do things that were hard, ” Huggins said after a Nov. 18 victory over Elon.

Two months ago, Tshiebwe took a shot of his own in the Athletic, saying Huggins told him he was going to “ruin my life.” Tshiebwe later clarified things, saying Huggins actually told him “you’re ruining your life” in their last conversation.

The sides have been quiet recently while Tshiebwe has gone about building a resumè worthy of Wooden consideration.

Bob Huggins is a Hall of Famer. He's forgotten more basketball today than I'll ever know.

But him calling Oscar Tshiebwe lazy isn't just disrespectful to the kid, it's just an all-time, unfactual thing to say

— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) December 23, 2021

As in the Heisman process, professional potential is supposed to have nothing to do with winning the Wooden. (Most of the other contenders are projected to have higher NBA ceilings than Tshiebwe.)   

This is about the best college player, as subjective as that may be.

It is left to the voters — a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters — to determine which criteria fits.

Scoring, rebounding, defense, leadership, team success. The weight of each is in the eye of the beholder.

The current contenders are from Division I’s elite.

THE STARTING FIVE

Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky

Class: Sophomore 

Pos: Power forward

Ht.: 6-9. Wt.: 260

Season stats: 16.4 points, 15.2 rebounds, 21 double-doubles, 59.3 field goal percentage.

Last week: Tshiebwe had his eighth and ninth consecutive double-doubles in a loss to No. 17 Tennessee and a victory over No. 24 Alabama, picking up 34 points and 29 rebounds.

This week: No. 6 Kentucky (22-5, 11-3 SEC) hosts LSU on Wednesday; hosts No. 18 Arkansas on Saturday.

Update: There is little question that Tshiebwe has benefitted from the name recognition that comes with suiting up for John Calipari and the Wildcats, especially when you consider the numbers put up by some of the other top candidates. Like Cockburn, Tshiebwe is not a rim protector in the true sense of the phrase, but he did have four blocked shots in a loss to Auburn and has 15 blocked shots in his last 10 SEC games. Rick Barnes’ Volunteers have done a nice job of keeping him in check in their two meetings, holding him to 22 points on 9 of 23 shooting. A third meeting in the SEC tournament is certainly possible.

DraftKings odds: +175

The Wooden Award looks like a two-man race right now. First-team All-American squad? That's far more difficult.

— Myron Medcalf (@MedcalfByESPN) February 22, 2022

Kofi Cockburn, Illinois

Class: Junior 

Pos: Center 

Ht: 7’0. Wt: 285

Season stats: 21.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 14 double-doubles, 60.9 field goal percentage.

Last week: Cockburn had 47 points and 19 points, including his first two 20-point games since going for 37/12 in a victory over Wisconsin on Feb. 2. 

This week: No. 15 Illinois (19-7, 12-4 Big Ten) hosts Ohio State on Thursday; plays at Michigan on Sunday.

Update: Cockburn explored the NBA draft before pulling his name last season, and his season has been interrupted by a three-game NCAA suspension for NIL violations and a two-game absence because of a concussion. He is the best back-to-the-basket offensive player in Division I, with the ability to use both hands while absorbing contact. Defenders usually just bounce off. Cockburn is not a true rim protector, with only 17 blocked shots, but his bulk is a deterrent.

DraftKings odds: +550

Keegan Murray, Iowa

Class: Sophomore 

Pos: Forward

Ht.: 6-8. Wt.: 215

Season stats: 23.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 56.1 field goal percentage.

Last week: Murray had 47 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots when the Hawkeyes split games against Michigan (loss) and Ohio State.

This week: No. 25 Iowa (18-8, 8-7 Big Ten) hosts Michigan State on Tuesday; plays at Nebraska on Friday.

Update: Murray, who missed the Purdue game early in the season with an ankle injury, has put up some big numbers recently. He has scored 114 points in his last four games, including two of his four 30-point games, while shooting 61.3 percent from the field. He has six double-doubles, and has shown the ability score inside and out. Murray has 29 3-pointers in Big Ten play, shooting 44.6 percent, and has at least one three in 24 of his 25 games. He is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

DraftKings odds: +850

Johnny Davis, Wisconsin

Class: Sophomore

Pos: Shooting guard

Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 195

Season stats: 20.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists. 

Last week: Davis had a 30 points and 12 rebounds, his fifth-double, in a road win at Indiana before putting up 25 points in the victory over Michigan Sunday.

This week: No. 13 Wisconsin (21-5, 12-4 Big Ten) plays at Minnesota on Wednesday; plays at Rutgers on Saturday.

Update: Davis, a blistering 21 of 32 from the field last week, can get to the basket seemingly at will and is especially adept in the Badgers’ pick-and-roll offense, where his ability to handle the ball and read the defense often leads to open looks. Davis’ hot start in his first season as a regular had him as the Woden favorite early on. He also is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

DraftKings odds: +600

Updated Wooden Award betting at @BetMGM

Line Movement (open, now)
• Oscar Tshiebwe +4000, +150
• Johnny Davis Off the board, +500

Highest Ticket%
• Tshiebwe 16%
• J. Ivey 10%
• D. Timme 9%

Highest Handle%
• Tshiebwe 33%
• O. Agbaji 12%
• Davis 7%

— John Ewing (@johnewing) February 22, 2022

Ochai Agbaji, Kansas

Class: Senior 

Pos: Shooting guard

Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 210

Season stats: 20.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 50.3 field goal percentage, 73 3-pointers.

Last week: Agbaji had 43 points and 10 rebounds in victories over Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

This week: No. 5 Kansas (22-4, 11-2) hosts Kansas State on Tuesday; plays at No. 10 Baylor on Saturday.

Update: Agbaji was not a high-level recruit out Oak Park High in the Kansas City suburbs but with work, dedication and the tutelage of a coach like Bill Self has developed into one of the best perimeter shooters in Division I. He has gone from fringe NBA status to a likely first-round pick in the 2022 draft by shooting 43.7 percent from three-point range.

DraftKings odds: +900

IN THE RUNNING
Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga

Class: Freshman

Pos: Center

Ht.: 7-0. Wt.: 195

Season stats: 14.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 blocked shots. 

Last week: Holmgren had 28 points, 27 rebounds, nine blocked shots in victories over Pepperdine and Santa Clara. He tied a season high with 17 rebounds against Pepperdine.

This week: No. 1 Gonzaga (23-2, 12-0 WCC) plays at San Francisco on Thursday; plays at Saint Mary’s on Saturday.

Update: Holmgren is almost certain to become the second straight one-and-done player for Mark Few, expected to follow the path of 2021 NBA lottery pick Jalen Suggs to the next level. Holmgren is not physically imposing, but his long wing span and his controlled aggression make him an outstanding shot-blocker. He has a nice touch around the rim. Most 2022 NBA draft projections have him going in the top 5, with a caveat as to how he performs against the bigger bodies in the NCAA tournament that Gonzaga does not see in the conference play.

DraftKings odds: +2000

Odds to be selected No. 1 in the 2022 NBA Draft (via @WynnBET)

Jabari Smith: -150
Paolo Banchero: +150
Chet Holmgren: +400
Jaden Ivey: +800
AJ Griffin: +2500
Benedict Mathurin: +5000
Jaden Hardy: +5000
Jalen Duren: +5000
Johnny Davis: +10000
TyTy Washington: +10000

— BetSided (@BetSided) February 21, 2022

Jabari Smith Jr, Auburn

Class: Freshman

Pos: Power forward

Ht.: 6-10. Wt.: 220

Season stats: 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 61 3-pointers.

Last week: Smith had 31 points in a victory over Vanderbilt and 28 points in a loss to Florida, his two highest-scoring games of the season.

This week: No. 3 Auburn (24-3, 12-2 SEC) hosts Ole Miss on Tuesday; plays at No. 17 Tennessee on Saturday.

Update: Smith Jr. is another consensus top five lottery pick in projections for the 2022 NBA draft. He is long, athletic and a threat from distance, whether running the floor in transition or as a pick-and-pop scorer in an offense that also features big man Walker Kessler and a pair of backcourt contributors. Smith is shooting 43.3 percent from distance and averaging one blocked shot and one steal per game. Smith has a good feel in the post, too, but the other parts of his game stand out because they are so rare for a player 6-10. 

DraftKings odds: +2800

Jaden Ivey, Purdue

Class: Sophomore

Pos: Shooting guard

Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 200.

Season stats: 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists

Last week: Ivey had a bad week with 19 points on 4 of 21 shooting and eight rebounds in victories over Maryland and Northwestern

This week: No. 4 Purdue (23-4, 12-4 Big Ten) plays at Michigan State on Saturday.

Update: Ivey has as much upside, and maybe more, than of any of the other Big Ten candidates for the Wooden. He worked with Ja Morant over the summer, and it shows. Ivey takes the ball aggressively to the basket and can get his own shot, so he frequently is featured in isolation plays. What sets Ivey apart from many of many of his peers is the ferociousness with which he plays defense. He is a tenacious on-ball defender. Purdue has so many other weapons — Zach Edey, Trevion Williams, Sasha Stefanovic — that Ivey sometimes loses touches, but the NBA knows. He is projected as a consensus top five pick in the 2022 NBA draft. 

DraftKings odds: +2200

Paolo Banchero, Duke

Class: Freshman

Pos: Power forward

Ht.: 6-10. Wt.: 250

Season stats: 16.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists

Last week: Banchero had 30 points and 11 rebounds in victories over Wake Forest and Florida State

This week: No. 7 Duke (23-4, 13-3 ACC) plays at Virginia on Wednesday; plays at Syracuse on Saturday.

Update: Banchero — it is Ban-CARE-oh — has slowed down a bit recently now that fellow freshman A.J. Griffin has taken some of the scoring load. But make no mistake. Banchero is the go-to guy in this offense, even on a stacked team that includes by some counts five potential 2022 NBA first-rounders. When coach Mike Krzyzewski needed a basket in the final minute against Clemson two weeks ago, he called a play for Banchero. Then he did it again. A strong passer out of double-teams in the post, Banchero looked like the better pro prospect when he went up against Gonzaga and Holmgren in the Blue Devils’ 84-81 victory Nov. 26 in Las Vegas.

DraftKings odds: +2800