Bookmaker odds on Duke are going to be low again next season as the defending NCAA college basketball champs will be getting back Kyle Singler. The Blue Devils are now a serious contender to repeat next season and they are one of the favorites with the online bookmaker.
Bookmaker numbers almost always favor Duke anyway and when they have their best player coming back that is definitely going to be the case. Singler was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four and he scored 19 points in Duke’s 61-59 win over Butler in the title game. There was some thought that Singler might enter the NBA Draft but he announced that he is coming back for his senior season. “I had two great options in front of me, but I did not want to miss out on all of the great things to come in a senior season. Singler said.
Singler averaged 17.7 points, seven rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season. He had 17 games with 20 or more points and he had seven double-doubles as he impacted odds at the online sportsbook. “I love being here at Duke and am excited about next year,” Singler said.
In his three years at Duke, Singler has averaged 15.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He has simply been a great player for the Blue Devils for three straight seasons. “I am looking forward to coaching Kyle in his senior year and seeing him develop more as a player and as a leader,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
There have been 18 players in Duke history that have scored more than 700 points in a single season and Singler is part of that group as he scored 707 points last year. He combined with Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith to give Duke a potent trio. Scheyer has graduated but if Smith stays as expected then Duke will still have a very potent duo. Singler scored at least 20 points in three of Duke’s six victories in the NCAA Tournament. He shot almost 40 percent from 3-point range.
With the news that Singler is coming back, Duke is likely to begin the 2010-2011 season as the favorite at the sportsbook. Duke and Michigan State will likely be the two teams that start the season with the lowest odds to win the national title.