The first slate of 2026-27 college hoops games offered everything and more after a tumultuous offseason.
Things officially tipped Sunday in Rome, where Notre Dame got the first win of the campaign over Villanova.
The bigger upsets came Monday night, particularly with two ranked matchups on the schedule: No. 1 Florida reminded everyone why it was at the top as it dismantled No. 14 Miami. Meanwhile, No. 22 UCLA took down No. 5 Arizona, marking the third time in four years that an AP top-5 team lost its season opener.
Elsewhere around the league, the reigning national champion pulled out a win with its new roster, the second-biggest Division I upset in 30 years happened in Norman, Oklahoma and some coaches on the hot seat notched statement wins. The mid-majors showed out, too.
ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Myron Medcalf and Joe Lunardi monitored the action all day and night, and had some thoughts on the most noteworthy results and performances.
Does Florida look like a legitimate No. 1 team?
Yes. Most of the positives from Florida's season-opening win over Miami on Monday night didn't come as a surprise. Thomas Haugh began his Player of the Year bid with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, while Alex Condon (11 points, 7 boards, 3 assists) and Boogie Fland (12 points, 4 assists, 4 steals) contributed. Rueben Chinyelu's 14 rebounds helped Florida win the battle on the glass.
But Todd Golden might come away most impressed by the production from his bench, after Florida ranked in the bottom 30 nationally in bench minutes last season. Urban Klavzar was still the only bench player to see more than 15 minutes Monday night, but the Gators received a noticeable boost from him, as well as Isaiah Brown and Domen Petrovic. Klavzar hit a couple of 3s, Brown was plus-16 in 13 minutes, and Petrovic posted six points and three boards in just 11 minutes.
It wasn't a perfect performance -- Florida shot just 44% inside the arc and 57% at the free throw line, and it really struggled offensively in the second half. But the Gators got their usual production from their stars, made shots from the perimeter and took Miami out of its game. Nothing about their national championship credentials has changed after Monday night. -- Borzello
What does this top-5 upset tell us about UCLA (winner) and Arizona (loser)?
Arizona was on the right side of last season's opening-night statement win, beating reigning national champion Florida behind a breakout performance from Koa Peat. The preseason No. 5 Wildcats still had the standout performance of this season's opening night -- more on that in a second -- but this time, they were on the losing end, falling to former Pac-12 rival No. 22 UCLA, 84-75.
First, an appreciation for the winners: Mick Cronin already seems to have a strong handle on this season's roster, and this is a group that looks far more dynamic than we've seen from recent UCLA teams. The Bruins' backcourt of returnee Trent Perry and Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty works well, as both players can score on their own or create for others; they combined for 34 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Eric Dailey still gives the Bruins a bully-ball element in the halfcourt, but touted international arrival Nikola Kusturica and athletic freshman Joe Philon III provide dimensions Cronin hasn't had in recent years. Throw in Xavier Booker looking like a real factor at both ends of the floor, and there's enough here to achieve the season-long consistency Cronin's teams have been lacking.
The story on the other side was Ivan Kharchenkov. The buzz out of Arizona all offseason had been that the sophomore forward was poised for a breakout campaign -- but nobody could have seen Monday night's performance coming: 38 points on 12 for 20 shooting, along with 10 rebounds. The Germany native looked like a true All-American.
Still, that wasn't enough. Tommy Lloyd will need much more from projected lottery picks Caleb Holt and Motiejus Krivas. Holt, a top-three freshman, struggled to get anything going offensively, finishing with 7 points while dealing with foul trouble. Krivas, meanwhile, was far too passive down low. He passed up multiple shots at the rim against smaller defenders and ultimately only attempted four shots from the field. Krivas still had 9 rebounds and 6 blocks, but Arizona has been at its best when it can dominate the paint -- and Krivas needs to be at the heart of it. -- Borzello
Does Michigan look capable of defending its national title?
It's a fair question, and one new coach Mike Boynton will face the entire season. But it's also not the right question for a group that looks nothing like the team that cut down the nets seven months ago. That Michigan team looked like a juggernaut from day one. This Michigan team isn't on that level, at least on paper. Last season, the Wolverines' best player was Yaxel Lendeborg -- who just finished with 37 points and 6 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday -- and two more lottery picks.