The Next Big Thing? Donovan Clingan Emerges as Top Contender for 2024 Award
Bettors still have a few hours to cast their bets on the player they think will be the tournament’s Most Outstanding. It is the NCAA men’s basketball championship.
Most people generally think of Purdue’s Zach Edey when they think about players in the MOP market.
The 7-foot-4 senior was almost a lock to win the Wooden Award before the competition began. He has also been dominant in his team’s 2024 postseason run, scoring 28 points a game.
Nevertheless, the Purdue big man is not the front-runner to take home the coveted trophy.
Let us look at the most recent MOP odds at BetMGM and a professional recommendation from Will Hill.
2024 Men’s March Madness Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament: *
Donovan Clingan, UConn: +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total)
Zach Edey, Purdue: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Tristen Newton, UConn: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
Cam Spencer, UConn: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Stephon Castle, UConn: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
All other players +2500 or longer odds
* odds as of 4/1/2024
UConn HC Dan Hurley on their success and dominance
Will Hill’s pick: Donovan Clingan +200
To determine who to bet on for tournament MOP, you must first decide who side you believe will win the title in the end. Yes, the award has been given to a player from a losing team, but it has not occurred since 1983, when Akeem Olajuwon of Houston won it despite NC State, a surprise winner, taking first place.
I believe that the day when the losing team might win this award is over. It has also been decades since a member of the losing team has won MVP of the Super Bowl, and it is safe to assume that fans will only award members of the winning team going forward if LeBron James’s 2015 performance in the NBA Finals does not result in MVP honors.
I am going to wager on a Husky to win this award because UConn is a 12-point favorite against Alabama on Saturday and would either be a 5.5- or 15.5-point favorite in the championship game.
Clingan is the underdog at about 2-1, depending on where you buy. Given that he is shooting 67.5% in the tournament, I think he is rightly favored, even though it is difficult to gauge his defensive impact (apart from the 14 blocks he has racked up in his four tournament games thus far). If UConn wins it all, it is not a given that Clingan will get the trophy; nevertheless, it is quite likely that they will play Purdue for the championship, and if he defeats Zach Edey en way to a second straight title, there will be strong feelings to honor Clingan for his achievements.