NCAA Basketball: Potential value bets for 2021-22 National Player of the Year

High-Usage Guards: Marcus Carr (Texas) +3000 and Remy Martin (Kansas) +7500

Preseason top-5 programs Kansas and Texas both signed monster point guards via the transfer portal this offseason to shore up any perceived holes they had in their rotations. Remy Martin (Kansas) and Marcus Carr (Texas) were utilized very heavily last season for Arizona State and Minnesota respectively. If Martin or Carr had an off night, it was very difficult for the Sun Devils or Gophers to overcome those inefficiencies and often took their opponent’s punches straight on the chin.

Each was a reliable top-end asset for their team in recent seasons, but the overall lack of talent on those rosters led to issues of inefficiency in their own performances. The moves this offseason have placed both Martin and Carr on the most-talented squads each will have played with in their collegiate careers. With that naturally comes improvement in their overall performances due to better talent surrounding them and efficiencies in finishing plays.

As such, both guards averaged just over 19 points per game and were near player of the year consideration as it was. They were pushed further down the list due to the performances of their teams, but with more expected this year the implications of consistent production at their new homes are massive to national title contention.

Martin and Carr have the means to capture the award even if they don’t surpass the 20-point barrier and can find ways to become better facilitators or defenders while maintaining the majority of their scoring load. Plus, each offers massive returns on their value should they win.