Why You Should Bet This Texas Transfer To Win The Wooden Award

Wooden Award Longshot

Texas finished just behind Kansas last season for the best record in the Big 12. The Longhorns put up a 29-9 overall record and 12-6 in league play. That's quite impressive when you consider the turmoil they went through early in the season with head coach Chris Beard getting fired and assistant Rodney Terry taking over. Terry took a very talented roster to the Elite Eight where it was bounced by Miami.

The 2023-24 season presents a ton of roster turnover for the Longhorns with seniors Marcus Carr, Sir’Jabari Rice, Christian Bishop and Timmy Allen all graduating. That takes away a significant amount of Texas' production on both sides of the ball. Dillion Mitchell, Dylan Disu and Tyrese Hunter all return and will have opportunities to take on larger roles this season. But the one player that I think will make the biggest impact on the Longhorns in 2023-24 is Oral Roberts transfer Max Abmas. The 6'0" guard played the last four seasons with the Golden Eagles but will finish out his eligibility on a much larger stage, giving him a chance to showcase his talent to a national audience. Will that give him a chance to win National Player of the Year? Let's find out!

Max Abmas +3000 To Win Wooden Award

The causal college basketball fan might recognize Abmas' name but not necessarily what he's accomplished throughout his career. So let me fill those of you in.

Abmas enters his final year of eligibility as the NCAA's active leader in both career scoring with 2,562 points and career scoring average with 20.8 points per game. Last season, he led Oral Roberts to a 30-5 overall record and an undefeated 18-0 record in conference play. Unsurprisingly, that record won the Golden Eagles the Summit League regular season and tournament title, earning Abmas conference Play of the Year and Tournament MVP honors for the second time. He's a three-time honorable mention All-American and was named National Mid-Major Player of the Year in 2020-21.

I could keep going, but the point is, Abmas is really, really good and is primed for a massive year at Texas. The reason I think he has a shot a winning the Wooden Award is because he finally has the one thing that he's lacked over the past four seasons: national media attention. Oral Roberts didn't play on ESPN or FOX like Texas did last season, so even though Abmas was putting up huge numbers a year ago, he wasn't getting the recognition he deserved.

Just like in professional sports, these types of awards have a popularity component to them. The players who compete in massive media markets and are being talked about on national sports shows are top of mind when it comes time to vote. It's also hard to vote for a Mid-Major player because they aren't facing the same caliber of competition night in and night out.

Playing for the Longhorns this season is going to give Abmas the opportunity to be seen and heard. As arguably the best player on this roster now, his scoring will still be there, but having more talent around him will also help increase his assists numbers. So at 30-1 on DraftKings, there is a ton of value in backing Abmas.