College basketball’s much-needed turnaround on opening night is Christmas Day … until the buyout starts to get hairy in the second half of the game. Just ask North Carolina’s Michael Malone, who had to bench his starters amid a second-half meltdown against Western Carolina. UNC avoided disaster in an 80-72 win on Monday with some untimely technical help from the Catamounts, but it was a far cry from a $20 million roster spot that seemed far from the top of the ACC.
Area 68 also gets some well-deserved recognition for bringing back the opening day marathon! Grambling State and Northern Illinois played one of their best games on Monday at 4 p.m. The Grambling State Tigers won 89-87.
Let’s take a look at the winners and losers from Monday’s slate.
Winner: Illinois is good at all things crime
The Illini are on the verge of changing their offensive game plan, going from a team that plays slow and relies heavily on pick-and-rolls to a zoom-zoom passing offense that has no game.
It took one game to break the record books.
The 75-point victory was the largest for Illinois at the State Farm Center since it opened in 1963. The Illini fell seven short of tying the school record for points scored in a game.
The Illini finished with a program-best 19 3-pointers in a 120-45 romp over FSU. They hit 51 3-pointers. They went 26-31 on layups or dunks. 30 out of 46 buckets were helped. These stat lines were bonkers:
Seven different players made multiple treys. Offensive coordinator Tyler Underwood remains at the top of his craft, and Brad Underwood’s willingness to change may be his strongest attribute. It’s also stronger than the excellent evaluations of guys like Brown, a three-star recruit with no high-profile offers who suddenly looks like part of a perennial Big Ten starter.
Illinois’ performance was even more impressive considering the Illini were playing without CBS Sports First Team All-American David Mirkovic, who is recovering from foot surgery in early August and had an appendectomy Saturday, sidelined indefinitely. – Isaac Trotter
Winner: Florida native Haugh shows why he’s a POTY contender
Thomas Haugh has two games with four 3-pointers in his Florida career: in the Elite Eight against Texas Tech in 2025 and Monday against Miami. Haugh shot a career-high 32.6% on 5.9 attempts from beyond the arc last season, but one of the best shooting nights of his career came in the first game of his rookie season.
And it wasn’t just the shooting that caught the eye. Known as the ultimate Swiss Army knife, Haugh finished with 10 rebounds, four assists and a block and a steal for 19 points. Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. He was named the best player of the year by CBS Sports. However, there is a case for Haugh to win the award. And if this was any indication, it’s going to be a special season for Haugh and the Gators. – Cameron Salerno
No. 1 Florida opens season with convincing win against Miami: Gators show why they deserve No. 1 seed
Cameron Salerno
Loser: The struggles continue for Miami’s Reneau
Reneau led Miami with nearly 18 points per game last year. Having him back for a fifth year was a huge boon, but Florida had no real answer to an elite frontcourt. Reneau was fouled in 24 minutes and had just five points, including a 0-for-5 2-point mark. Reneau is now shooting just 50% with 2 points in his last 25 games against top 50 opponents. If Miami wants to reach the Final Four, it will have to overcome elite teams. More than Reneau is needed to scale this mountain. – Trotter
Winner: Cronin, all smiles for UCLA
No. 22 UCLA defeated No. 5 Arizona 84-75, which has appeared up and down the list. Point guard Trent Perry had 21 points and five assists in a physical win over an old Pac-12 rival. Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty is known as a driller, and he did just that with four 3-pointers and 13 points. Xavier Booker, getting fouled and in foul trouble, found a way to impact the game in a big way with a big block and three. Even freshman Nikola Kusturica got in on the fun with nine points, five rebounds, two dimes, three blocks and two steals. The potential No. 1 pick in 2028 is an excellent all-around player. UCLA looks better than the 22nd seed. It’s bad to smell bad this season. — Trotter
Loser: Iowa State just isn’t the same Iowa State
Memphis beat No. 18 Iowa State 80-76 behind 26 points from Jayden Reid and 18 points and eight rebounds from SEMO transfer Luke Almodovar. Iowa State entered Monday ranked No. 6 by KenPom.com. That seemed high for a roster that lost Milan Momcilovic (Kentucky) and Joshua Jefferson (to the NBA). First impressions are that Iowa State is nowhere near a top-10 team right now. Without injured defender Killyan Toure. Not if running back Jamarion Batemon goes scoreless. If Tamin Lipsey is going to score just 12 points on 13 shots, he looks pretty rusty. The TJ Otzelberger group has a lot going on. – Trotter
Defeated: Oklahoma suffers a historic loss
After finishing as the first team out of the 2026 NCAA Tournament field, Oklahoma is fighting an uphill battle to reach the Big Dance in 2027 after the Sooners lost in a stunning 68-64 loss to East Texas A&M. The visitors entered with a 42-87 record in four seasons as a Division I member, but did an unthinkable job of slaying an SEC foe as a 28.5-point opponent. The Sooners have reached the NCAA Tournament just once under sixth-year coach Porter Moser, and while the event’s expansion to 76 teams gives OU a little more fun, it’s already a concern.
It’s not a blue-blood program, but Sooners fans are held to higher standards than what this program produces. It’s just one game, but it will almost certainly become a Quad 4 loss, and it will be a few weeks before OU gets a chance to undo the damage against a truly quality opponent. — David Cobb
Winner: BYU’s offense is turbocharged
No. 25 BYU’s starting lineup makes a lot of sense. At point guard, Rob Wright III can pressure the rim. Collin Chandler is a big combo guard who can hit the 3-pointer and drive to the rim. Tyler Betsey is a network splitter. Freshman wing Bruce Branch III can play on or off the ball. Michigan State’s 5-on-5 transfer Jaxon Kohler was a skeleton key. His ability to play the 5 and stretch the floor keeps the paint open for everything to fall into place.
The image on paper came to life in the opener against Ohio State. BYU scored 60 (!) points in the second half of Monday’s 94-83 win. Wright scored 33 points and the rest of this starting lineup cracked double figures. It would be amazing if BYU didn’t finish as a top 10 offense this year. The staff is very good. — Trotter
Winner: Now is the time for the Zags’ Fogle
Gonzaga sophomore wing Davis Fogle is poised for a big season, and he was involved in the Zags’ 78-72 season-opening win over Purdue. Fogle scored 22 points, a slick drive, a sweet catch-and-shoot 3-pointer and 10 attempts from the charity stripe. He was just a handful for this Purdue wing corps, which was on the small side. — Trotter
Winner and loser: UCF does UCF things and Dior Johnson does Dior Johnson things
Dior Johnson scored 41 points because Dior Johnson should be able to. Meanwhile, UCF survived FGCU 96-95 in overtime. I don’t have high hopes for UCF in the Big 12 this year, but at least Johnson will be absolutely insane like once a week. – Trotter
Winner: This is just the beginning for High Point
Clad in his ice-cold purple suit, High Point coach Flynn Clayman was back in the spotlight as his Panthers beat a good Liberty team 72-57. High Point’s offensive point defense will be a major strength this season. South Florida transfer CJ Brown and top-150 freshman Trey Pearson chase after defenders who piled on Liberty’s guards for 40 minutes.
This High Point squad doesn’t project to be an awesome 3-point shooting team, but its best offense might be this suffocating defense that can lead to numerous good looks in the open floor. Pearson and former Arizona tight end Conrad Martinez combined for 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and just one steal. Oh, and they were both coming off the bench. Clayman has another real crew. High Point is currently favored by double figures in every Big South game. – Trotter
Winner: This is just the beginning for Murray State, too
Murray State has the deepest pockets in the middle major ranks, and this roster looks like a high major outfit. Full stop. The Racers buried Tennessee 94-64 with a new defensive recipe. Murray State switched from a passive to an aggressive defensive scheme, and it passed the first test. Loaded with numerous former top names such as Arterio Morris (Texas), Aaron Bradshaw (Kentucky) and Ty-Laur Johnson (Wake Forest), Tennessee turned the basketball over an incredible 26 times.
Murray State was everywhere. Sophomore wing Roman Domon was excellent, finishing with 22 points, five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. Domo has a chance to get paid to play basketball for a very long time. This team is deep and talented, but has plenty of room for growth. If first impressions are any indication, Murray State has the pieces to earn an at-large bid. For the Missouri Valley, that hasn’t happened since 2021. – Trotter