College basketball opening night brought a full slate of drama, close calls and eye-opening performances across the country. North Carolina steadied late to avoid an upset scare from Western Carolina in an 80-72 win that included benching starters during a shaky second-half stretch. Grambling State edged Northern Illinois 89-87 in a pre-dawn thriller as the return of the opening day marathon delivered instant theater.
Here are Monday’s winners and losers.
Winner: Illinois offense erupts on college basketball opening night
Illinois unveiled a faster, free-flowing attack and promptly rewrote the program book in a 120-45 rout of FDU. The 75-point margin was the Illini’s largest at State Farm Center since it opened in 1963, and they finished seven points shy of the school’s single-game scoring record.
Illinois buried a program-best 19 3-pointers on 51 attempts, went 26-for-31 on layups and dunks, and assisted on 30 of 46 field goals. Seven players hit multiple threes. The outburst came without First Team All-American David Mirkovic, who is recovering from foot surgery and an appendectomy and is out indefinitely, according to the team.
Winner: Florida’s Haugh looks like a Player of the Year threat
Thomas Haugh canned four threes and stuffed the box score in No. 1 Florida’s convincing win over Miami. He finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal, showing the two-way versatility that fueled last season’s postseason run.
Haugh shot 32.6% from deep last year, but his opening performance underscored why he is in the early national conversation.
Loser: Miami’s Reneau struggles in matchup with Florida
Miami brought back leading scorer Reneau for a fifth season, but the veteran big ran into trouble against Florida’s front line. He fouled out in 24 minutes and scored five points, missing all five of his two-point attempts.
He has hit just 50% on twos over his last 25 games against top-50 opponents, a trend Miami must reverse to contend deep into March.
Winner: All smiles for Cronin as UCLA upsets No. 5 Arizona
No. 22 UCLA knocked off No. 5 Arizona 84-75 with contributions across the roster. Point guard Trent Perry led with 21 points and five assists.
Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty hit four threes on his way to 13 points, while Xavier Booker made momentum plays on both ends, including a key block and a timely triple. Freshman Nikola Kusturica added nine points, five rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals as the Bruins looked far sharper than their preseason ranking.
Loser: Iowa State not yet looking like a top-10 team
Memphis beat No. 18 Iowa State 80-76 behind 26 points from Jayden Reid and 18 points with eight rebounds from Luke Almodovar. The Cyclones entered rated No. 6 at KenPom, but early signs suggest work remains.
Iowa State is playing without defensive anchor Killyan Toure, while breakout candidate Jamarion Batemon went scoreless and Tamin Lipsey needed 13 shots to score 12 points.
Loser: Oklahoma takes a historic home defeat
Oklahoma absorbed a damaging 68-64 loss to East Texas A&M, a program that arrived with a 42-87 Division I record across four seasons. The Lions were 28.5-point underdogs but handed the Sooners what figures to be a Quad 4 defeat.
Under sixth-year coach Porter Moser, OU has just one NCAA Tournament appearance, and even with the field expanding to 76, this setback tightens the margin.
Winner: BYU offense shifts into overdrive
No. 25 BYU exploded for 60 second-half points in a 94-83 win over Ohio State. Rob Wright III scored 33, and the entire starting five reached double figures.
The spacing provided by Michigan State transfer Jaxon Kohler at the five opened the floor for guards Collin Chandler and Tyler Betsey, while freshman Bruce Branch III fit seamlessly. On paper and on court, BYU looks like a top-10 offense.
Winner: Gonzaga’s Fogle seizes the moment
Gonzaga sophomore wing Davis Fogle powered a 78-72 victory over Purdue with 22 points. He mixed drives with catch-and-shoot threes and earned 10 free-throw attempts, overwhelming a smaller Boilermakers wing group in the opener.
Winner and loser: UCF escapes as Dior Johnson goes off
UCF survived FGCU 96-95 in overtime, while Dior Johnson poured in 41 points. The Knights’ Big 12 outlook remains uncertain, but Johnson showed he can swing a game with a weekly scoring eruption.
Winner: High Point’s defense sets the tone
High Point coach Flynn Clayman, back in the spotlight in a purple suit, guided a 72-57 win over Liberty. The Panthers’ point-of-attack defense hounded Liberty ballhandlers all night.
South Florida transfer CJ Brown and freshman Trey Pearson spearheaded the pressure, while Pearson and former Arizona walk-on Conrad Martinez combined for 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists off the bench. High Point projects as the Big South favorite and may lean on defense to generate offense.
Winner: Murray State flashes at-large potential
Murray State routed Tennessee State 94-64 and debuted a more aggressive defensive identity that forced 26 turnovers against a roster loaded with former high-major names. Sophomore Roman Domon led the way with 22 points, five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal.
With depth, talent and room to grow, the Racers profile as a Missouri Valley title contender with an early at-large case.
