The 2026-27 college basketball season is officially underway, and twenty of the preseason AP Top 25 teams are hitting the court tonight, including two massive ranked-on-ranked clashes that are gonna set the tone for everything. Forget the offseason court cases and eligibility drama, because the real show is finally here.
No. 1 Florida Kicks Off With a Massive In-State Test
First up, the reigning No. 1 ranked team, Florida, is looking to snag their second title in three years. But they’re getting tested immediately, right out of the gate, against their in-state rival, No. 14 Miami. This one’s going down in Tampa at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN, and if you’re not tuning in, you’re missing out. The absolute key to this game is gonna be how Miami’s frontcourt even attempts to stack up against Florida’s monster trio of Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu, and Alex Condon. Seriously, these guys are arguably the best frontcourt unit in the entire nation. Can Miami’s Malik Reneau and Somto Cyril possibly limit the damage? If they can, this game is gonna be a nail-biter right down to the wire. Keep an eye on Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis for Miami, too. He’s been looking awesome in exhibition games and has a real shot at being a star this season. My money’s on Florida to win outright, but Miami to cover that +5.5 spread.
Cross-Country Rivalries and Fresh Faces Light Up Vegas
Later tonight, get ready for a throwback as a former Pac-12 rivalry gets renewed when No. 5 Arizona faces off against No. 22 UCLA in Las Vegas. This isn’t just a big game, it’s the debut for two of the best freshmen in the sport: Arizona’s Caleb Holt and UCLA’s Nikola Kusturica. Remember last season when Arizona edged out UCLA in a thrilling neutral site matchup in Los Angeles? This one could be just as wild. Beyond those two epic showdowns, we’ve got No. 15 Gonzaga taking on Purdue, No. 18 Iowa State battling Memphis, and Ohio State squaring off against No. 15 BYU. All three of those matchups are going down at neutral sites, setting up for some early season chaos.
Memphis and Iowa State Hit With Early Blows
Speaking of Memphis, they’ve been hit with some brutal news: big man Nemanja Popovic has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA for the first six games. That’s a huge blow because the 24-year-old Serbian looks like Penny Hardaway’s best player, and his playmaking would’ve been absolutely critical against an Iowa State defense that traps early and often. That means guys like Corneilous Williams and Maxim Logue are gonna be forced into bigger roles, and let’s be real, they aren’t exactly razor-sharp playmakers. Iowa State isn’t totally unscathed either, as they’ll be without ace defensive guard Killyan Toure due to a shoulder injury. However, fifth-year senior guard Tamin Lipsey is eligible to play, which is a huge boost for them. This opening night is just getting started, folks, and there’s so much more action to come!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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