Sportsbook odds this past season were impacted by Ohio State’s Evan Turner. He was recently named the Associated Press Player of the Year in college basketball. There may not have been another player who impacted the odds at the online sportsbook more than Turner did.
Sportsbook statistics indicated that Turner averaged 20.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game this season. He dominated the voting for the AP Player of the Year as he got a total of 54 votes. Kentucky’s John Wall was a distant second with 9 votes while West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler and Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody each got one vote.
Two of Turner’s teammates, David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale made the drive to see Turner presented with the award. “They have been there for me my whole career, and they are here now,” Turner said. “They really are family, and this shows it.” Turner was simply fantastic this online sportsbook season for the Buckeyes even though he missed six games due to injury. He returned and the Buckeyes rolled, winning the Big Ten title and a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. “I was going to be as cautious as I possibly could to make sure he was 100 percent when he came back,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. “He would sit and watch practice, dribbling the ball around his chair, between his legs. He was diligent in his work ethic and did a great job.”
Turner really made a big difference vs. the sportsbook odds this past season. The Buckeyes were nearly unbeatable with Turner in the lineup. “I just wanted to get back to my team and be the same player I was,” said Turner, “I started understanding more that life throws you curveballs, and sometimes it builds a better person in how you deal with that.” Ohio State won 29 games this past season although they were not always a sure thing against the point spread at the sportsbook.
Sportsbook handicappers believe it will be interesting to see if Turner returns for his senior season. Turner has not announced whether he will return to the Buckeyes for next season but it seems likely he will forego his senior season and enter the NBA Draft. He would be a lottery pick and could go as high as second behind Kentucky’s John Wall.