The 5 best games of men’s college basketball’s opening night

TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 22: Head coachTodd Golden of the Florida Gators huddles during the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Benchmark International Arena on March 22, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images The greatest sport in the world is officially back on Monday, and with the return comes a pretty loaded opening slate. Here’s a quick look at the five best games of college basketball’s opening day. 5. No. 18 Iowa State vs. Memphis (Sanford Pentagon: Sioux Falls, SD) (7 p.m. ET/FS1) T.J. Otzelberger and company will look to make an early statement that the show will go on without Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic when they take on Memphis at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota. The Cyclones may have lost their two leading scorers from last season’s Sweet 16 squad, but they return the next three in Killyan Toure, Blake Buchanan and Jamarion Bateman. Not many other squads ranked in the preseason top 25 can lay claim to that level of roster retention. On the other side, Memphis feels like a program at a crossroads. Despite the early excitement, the Penny Hardaway experience has been more bust than boom, and now Hardaway has spent $2.6 million of his own money to fund a roster that seems … just ok. The Tigers can make a big statement to the contrary if they can hang with ISU on opening night. 4. No. 25 BYU vs. Ohio State (Bad Boy Mowers Series, Salt Lake City) (9 p.m. ET/FS1) What was widely referred to as “the most anticipated season in BYU basketball history” wound up being something of a disappointment, as A.J. Dybantsa (despite being as good as advertised) and company lost 12 times and failed to win a game in the NCAA Tournament. Kevin Young will try to accomplish more without the likely No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, and has the chance to it thanks to the return of point guard Rob Wright and the additions of a deep portal class as well as five-star freshman Bruce Branch III. The Cougars should be pushed in an entertaining opener against an Ohio State team that features one of the nation’s most underrated players in John Mobley Jr. If Justin Pippen and Amare Bynum take steps forward, there’s no reason for Jake Diebler not to have an NCAA Tournament team in Columbus. 3. No. 15 Gonzaga vs. Purdue (Hall of Fame Series, Las Vegas) (7:30 p.m. ET ET/TNT) Purdue is 5-0 all-time against Gonzaga, including a Sweet 16 win in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. If the Zags are gonna notch win No. 1 over Matt Painter’s squad, this feels like the year to do it. In a flip of roles, it’s Gonzaga that enters this season expected to feature one of the biggest, baddest frontcourts in the country thanks to the return of Braden Huff and the addition of Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop. Purdue has size as well (per usual), it’s just unproven relative to its recent squads. Junior guard C.J. Cox was lights out during exhibition play and will now look to prove in a real contest that a breakout season is on the horizon. 2. No. 5 Arizona vs. No. 22 UCLA (Hall of Fame Series, Las Vegas) (10 p.m. ET/ESPN2) Hooray for the UCLA-Arizona rivalry returning. Less of a hooray for this game being played at a neutral site and not in front of a revved up crowd in Tucson or Westwood. Still, we’ll take what we can get, and what we’re getting is the 116th all-time meeting in arguably the best West Coast rivalry in the history of the sport. Arizona looks like a legitimate national title contender thanks in large part to the returns of Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov. The Bruins are less of a known commodity, but have a potential superstar in Nikola Kusturica, a 6’9 wing from Serbia who has the potential to make a large national splash on opening night. UCLA owns a 64-51 all-time advantage in this series, which dates back to 1923. Bruins head coach Mick Cronin is 7-7 against the Wildcats, with all seven losses coming to current ‘Zona head coach Tommy Lloyd. 1. No. 1 Florida vs. No. 14 Miami (Tampa) (6 p.m. ET/ESPN2) The showcase game of day one features the preseason No. 1 team in the country taking on a Miami team that more than a few people view as a darkhorse Final Four contender. The returns of Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu give the Gators the best frontcourt in the country, but Miami is one of the few teams on UF’s schedule with the size and athleticism necessary to keep up with Todd Golden’s team. Malik Reneau is back, and he has significant frontcourt help this season in the form of super athletic sophomore forward Shelton Henderson and Georgia big man transfer Somto Cyril. If Villanova transfer guard Acaden Lewis can be the star Jai Lucas believes he can, Miami could easily be the top challenger to Duke in the ACC. The last time the No. 1 team in the country lost on opening night? Seven years ago in 2019 when No. 1 Michigan State got toppled by No. 2 Kentucky in the Champions Classic.

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