With a 75-60 win over Purdue on Monday night, UConn won its 12th consecutive NCAA Tournament game (all by double-digits) and captured its second consecutive national championship.

The Huskies became the first team to repeat as national champs since Florida in 2006-07 by completely shutting down the supporting cast around Purdue big man Zach Edey. UConn looked like the best team in college basketball throughout the season and validated that in the postseason. Now, Hurley will turn his sights toward an unprecedented 3-peat.

Since UCLA won 7 straight titles from 1967-73, only 2 programs have won consecutive titles. Duke did it in 1991 and 1992 — with UConn coach Dan Hurley’s brother, Bobby, playing a prominent role. And then Florida did it. In 1993, Duke’s quest for a 3-peat ended in the second round. In 2008, Florida failed to make the NCAA Tournament.

UConn made its back-to-back titles look easy, not only winning 12 straight tourney games but covering the spread in all 12 of them. Hurley’s coaching job was a masterful one this season, replacing key pieces from last year’s team and crafting a rotation devoid of flaws.

The Huskies are going to look much different next season. Lead guard Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, and sixth man Hassan Diarra are seniors, with only Diarra holding the option to return for another year. Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, and Alex Karaban are all expected to be drafted in June.

To that end, some oddsmakers have a different team topping their boards for next year’s title favorites. DraftKings (+1000) and FanDuel (+1100) installed Duke as the favorite to win next year’s title in the hours following UConn’s win over Purdue. Hurley’s Huskies were second and third, respectively. BetMGM has Kansas and Duke tied at the top (+1100), with UConn next in line. The Huskies are the favorites (+900), however, at ESPN BET.

Here are early 2025 national championship odds from the top sportsbooks.

From DraftKings:

  • Duke +1000
  • UConn +1200
  • North Carolina +1400
  • Kansas +1400
  • Houston +1600
  • Arizona +1600
  • Alabama +1600
  • Baylor +1600
  • Kentucky +2000
  • Iowa State +2200
  • Gonzaga +2500
  • Auburn +2500
  • Purdue +2800
  • Arkansas +3000
  • Illinois +4000
  • Texas +4000
  • Tennessee +4000
  • Rutgers +4000
  • Michigan State +4000
  • Miami +5000
  • Marquette +5000
  • Creighton +5000

From FanDuel:

  • Duke +1100
  • Kansas +1200
  • UConn +1500
  • North Carolina +1500
  • Houston +1500
  • Alabama +1500
  • Arizona +2000
  • Baylor +3000
  • Rutgers +3000
  • Purdue +3000
  • Kentucky +3000
  • Gonzaga +3000
  • Tennessee +3600
  • Texas +3600
  • Iowa State +4000
  • BYU +4000
  • Arkansas +4000
  • Auburn +4000
  • Creighton +4500
  • Marquette +4500
  • Michigan +5000
  • Miami +5000

Duke will be a popular pick in “way-too-early” top 25 rankings this offseason because of who joins the program this offseason. Coach Jon Scheyer has already signed 4 Composite 5-star recruits, headlined by Montverde Academy wing Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall recruit in the country. Duke also holds a commitment from 5-star NBA Academy Africa center Khaman Maluach, a projected top-5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, 3 of Duke’s incoming freshmen are projected lottery picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, with Flagg and Maluach projected to go No. 1 and No. 3 and Isaiah Evans projected to go No. 13.

Of course, we see every year that 1-and-done freshmen can be rather boom-or-bust when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Duke lost this year in the Elite Eight, and a deeper run next season will be heavily contingent on what happens with guards Jeremy Roach and Tyrese Proctor. Roach has an extra year of eligibility if he wants it. Proctor has a draft decision to make.

Kentucky’s odds also present an interesting proposition. The Wildcats are reportedly losing coach John Calipari to Arkansas, which puts the second-ranked 2024 signing class up in the air and will have every other player on the UK roster considering their future.

Who replaces Calipari? Nate Oats has already issued a statement that he intends to remain at Alabama. Dan Hurley said Monday night he’s focused on building a dynasty at UConn. Can Kentucky lure Scott Drew or Billy Donovan to Lexington? Both have already won national championships at the college level.

The nature of college basketball now means rosters will be highly fluid and volatile for the next few months. Things will change quite a bit, with the Kentucky opening having the potential to radically alter the landscape on its own.