NCAA Basketball: 10 best bets to win 2021-22 Naismith Player of the Year
By Tommy Farmer
Remy Martin +7500
April Headline: High-Powered Jayhawks Fueled by Newcomer Martin Take Back Big-12
Following a slightly disappointing senior campaign at Arizona State, Remy Martin announced that he’d be exercising his last year of eligibility as a member of the Kansas Jayhawks. Despite Martin averaging 19.1 PPG, Arizona State did not live up to expectations and missed the tournament.
On a more talented team like Kansas, Martin has an opportunity to thrive and reach heights that he has yet to reach in his collegiate career. Kansas has an extremely talented team around Martin featuring proven players like Ochai Agbaji, Jalen Wilson, and David McCormack. Adding an experienced, elite offensive threat like Martin puts the Jayhawks near the top of the college hoops hierarchy. Few teams have the firepower to match Kansas’s potential offensive production.
If Martin fits in and establishes himself as the go-to guy for Bill Self’s crew, the preseason 75-1 odds will look foolish next to his name. While a new system and new teammates may present their early difficulties, Martin has proven in the past that he can score with the country’s best. With better teammates and opposing game plans that won’t be solely focused on him, Martin could be even better offensively with Kansas.
This is a longshot pick, but it offers tremendous upside if you believe in the Jayhawks as a team. I think Kansas will be the highest-scoring team in the country this season and that Martin will have a large role on the team. At +7500, I think it’s worth giving Martin a shot.