CBS shares Iowa basketball, Big Ten odds to win national championship

Can Iowa basketball win a national championship this season?

That question might seem far-fetched, and I’m sure some of you reading this just burst out laughing. Iowa hasn’t made it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament this century, their roster is almost brand new, and they play in a difficult conference. The signs don’t point toward the Hawkeyes making a big run in March. But could it happen?

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CBS Sports certainly isn’t ruling it out. They released their odds for every team to win this year’s college basketball national championshp, and the Hawkeyes have better odds than many might expect. With an experienced coach in Ben McCollum, great transfers in Bennett Stirtz and Alvaro Folgueiras, and a decent supporting cast, Iowa might have the pieces it needs to make a March Madness run.

What are Iowa basketball’s odds to win the NCAA Tournament?

CBS gives the Hawkeyes +6000 odds to win this year’s national championship, good for 27th in the entire country. Iowa is tied with Indiana and Wisconsin for the sixth-best odds in the Big Ten to win the national championship, which is great respect for the program McCollum is building.

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Here’s a look at the other teams in the conference with higher odds than the Hawkeyes:

• Purdue: +900 (best odds nationally)

The Big Ten seems like it’ll be one of the toughest and deepest conferences in the nation, which means Iowa will get lots of tests throughout the season to prepare them for the postseason. If they get there, the Hawkeyes will be battle-tested and ready for whatever is thrown their way.

While it’s still too early to tell how good Iowa will be, it’s a good sign that national media outlets like CBS are giving the Hawkeyes some of the best odds in the conference to win a national championship. If Iowa plays anywhere close to the potential CBS thinks they have, things are shaping up to be a fun season inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: CBS shares Iowa basketball, Big Ten odds to win national championship