Monday night may have been the busiest slate we’ll see all season. From Division II programs pulling off monumental upsets, to low-majors stunning Power Five opponents, to high-major powers taking care of business, the two nights have had a little bit of everything.

The three marquee matchups to headline the first three nights were Arizona vs. Florida, BYU vs. Villanova, and Duke vs. Texas — all played on neutral floors in Vegas, Vegas, and Charlotte, respectively. While those high-profile games gave us a glimpse at how some of the top teams are shaping up, the beauty of this sport lies in the depth of storylines beyond the national spotlight.

In this piece, I’m breaking down the 16 most impactful results of the first 3 nights, from Q1 wins for high majors to key mid-major battles all the way to a DII team pulling a massive upset over a top 50 preseason KenPom team, you can find it all here! 

Let’s dive in.

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

The Most Impactful Games of the Opening 3 Nights:

Arizona 93, Florida 87

Billed as one of the marquee matchups of the opening week, this game more than lived up to expectations. Freshman sensation Koa Peat shined in his debut, posting 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists to lead Arizona. Jaden Bradleyadded 27 points, 3 boards, and 5 assists, as the Wildcats showcased their interior dominance — attempting just five threes all night.

Arizona’s defensive activity made the difference: 15 forced turnovers, 8 steals, and 5 blocks. The Wildcats also owned the free-throw line, finishing with a 31–20 advantage in points and eight more attempts than the Gators.

For Florida, Thomas Haugh flashed his potential with 27 points, while four Gators finished in double figures. Their 26% mark from deep is worth monitoring as the season progresses. Defensively, Florida logged 9 steals and 2 blocks, but couldn’t overcome Arizona’s efficiency.

This goes down as a Q1 win for Arizona and a Q1 loss for the defending champs.

Boise State 78, Hawai’I Pacific (D-2) 79

Brutality in Boise. The Broncos fell victim to a shocking upset against a Division II opponent whose campus literally sits in a former strip mall. The vibes? Horrendous. Boise will need to regroup fast.

Statistically, nothing stands out as outrageous — 12 turnovers (10 via steals) and a 30% performance from deep — but the energy and execution simply weren’t there.

To clarify a common question: yes, this loss will appear on team sheets, though it won’t factor into metrics like the NET. Still, based on how Boise played in the opener, that distinction may not make much difference.

BYU 71, Villanova 66

This one was billed as another early-season gem — and while competitive, it unfolded a bit differently than expected. I came in high on BYU and skeptical of Villanova, but the Wildcats proved they’ll be better than I thought.

Freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa made an instant impact with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, leading BYU to a statement win. Saunders and Rob Wright also reached double figures. The Cougars shot 29% from deep, but smart shot selection and just 4 turnovers (compared to Nova’s 11) proved decisive.

Villanova’s bench carried the scoring load — Bryce Lindsay was sensational, pouring in 22 points on 5-of-9 from three, and Chris Jeffrey added 11. None of the starters reached double digits, a concern moving forward. Still, it’s clear this group will be competitive.

New Orleans 78, TCU 74

In the second-biggest upset of the night, New Orleans stunned TCU behind a balanced offensive attack and solid shooting from deep (39%). The Privateers had three players in double figures and capitalized on TCU’s frigid perimeter night.

The Horned Frogs had four players in double digits, led by David Punch, but a disastrous 3-for-27 performance from beyond the arc and a -11 rebounding margin doomed their chances.

This loss doesn’t eliminate TCU from at-large contention — but it makes the road significantly steeper.

Duke 76, Texas 60 

At times, this one felt more like a football game in Charlotte — physical, scrappy, and full of defensive grit. But as the second half wore on, Cam Boozer took over, scoring 15 after the break to help Duke pull away.

The Blue Devils were led by Isaiah Evans, who poured in 23 points, while Patrick Ngongba joined Boozer as the third Duke player in double figures. Duke shot 39% from the field and took care of the ball, committing only 10 turnovers.

Texas, on the other hand, struggled to find rhythm offensively. The Longhorns turned it over 16 times, shot just 29% from deep, and in a surprising stat for a Sean Miller–coached team — recorded only 6 team assists.

Daylin Swain (16 points), Matas Vokietaitis (15), and Jordan Pope (15) carried the scoring load, but with minimal support from the rest of the roster, Texas simply couldn’t keep pace with the more balanced and composed Blue Devils.

Boston College. 78, Florida Atlantic 83

And. Here. We. Go. Boston College entered the season projected as one of the weakest Power 5 teams in the country — and unfortunately, they lived up to that billing in an opening-night overtime loss to Florida Atlantic.

The Eagles got solid efforts from Donald Hand, Boden Kapke, and Chase Forte, who each reached double figures, but defensive lapses proved costly. Boston College allowed the Owls to shoot 50% from three, ultimately sealing their fate after the extra period. The Owls were led by Kanaan Carlyle with 19, and had 5 guys in double figures.

Bradley 63, St. Bonaventure 69

The Bonnies opened their season with an impressive win for themselves, and the A-10 as a whole; powered by a 24-point performance from Darryl Simmons IIand a balanced offensive attack that featured four players in double figures.

While SBU committed 13 turnovers, their defensive activity helped offset it — tallying 7 steals and 7 blocks. The Bonnies dominated the glass 44–29, controlling the tempo and limiting second-chance opportunities for Bradley.

The Braves also had four players reach double figures, but a 27% mark from three and their struggles on the boards proved too much to overcome. A statement win for St. Bonaventure to open the season.

UNLV 81 UT Martin 86

Dragos Lungu and Andrija Bukumirovic stole the show in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, combining for 46 points (23 each) to lead UT Martin to a surprise upset over the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels.

The Skyhawks turned the ball over 14 times, but their defensive pressure made up for it — forcing 22 UNLV turnovers and racking up 12 steals in the process. Offensively, UT Martin shot a respectable 37% from three but struggled despite a plethora of opportunities at the line, hitting just 27 of 48 free throws.

For UNLV, it was an all-around off night. The Rebels connected on just 30% from deep and went 28-of-37 from the stripe, failing to capitalize on multiple chances.

Takeaways: UT Martin needs to clean up its free throw shooting, while UNLV will be heading back to the drawing board after letting this one slip away.

SC Upstate 67, Fresno State 62

The disastrous start to the Mountain West’s season continued into night three, as the Bulldogs fell at home to USC Upstate. The Spartans stormed back from an 11-point second-half deficit, completing one of the more intriguing early-season comebacks. (And yes — the win probability chart tells the story perfectly.)

Karmani Gregory led USC Upstate with 15 points, while Mason Bendinger and Carmelo Adkins also reached double figures. Despite committing 22 turnovers, the Spartans overcame their mistakes by controlling the glass (38–34) and moving the ball effectively, finishing with 11 assists to Fresno’s 8.

For the Bulldogs, Zaon Collins paced the offense with 19 points, and Jake Heidbreder added 12, but no other player scored more than 7. Fresno’s shooting woes let the Spartans back into it — just 23% from three (7-for-30) — and 12 turnovers proved costly down the stretch.

Auburn 95, Bethune-Cookman 90

Auburn fans — it might be time to worry. Or at least start adjusting expectations, because this season might be a grind.

Despite escaping with a win, the Tigers looked shaky. Bethune-Cookman shot a scorching 55% from three and forced 8 steals. Auburn, meanwhile, struggled from deep at just 26%, committed 11 turnovers, and managed 9 steals and 4 blocks of their own.

The difference? Free throws. Auburn attempted 29 more free throws than Bethune did, a margin that almost certainly won’t hold in most games. With a brutal non-conference schedule ahead, the Tigers will need to adapt quickly if they want to avoid an early-season slide.

UCF 82, Hofstra 78

For the Knights: The good is the 5 guys in double figures and 8-20 from deep. The Bad? 16 turnovers and poor defense. 

Georgia Tech 56, Maryland Eastern Shore 52

The Yellow Jackets did everything in their power to fall victim to an opening-night upset — but ultimately survived. That said, the offensive performance was deeply concerning, and if this showing is any indication, Georgia Tech may be battling Boston College for a spot near the bottom of the Power 5 this season.

Reeves and Sylia were the lone bright spots, each finishing in double figures, but the lack of rhythm and spacing offensively is something the Jackets will need to address quickly.

UCLA 80, Eastern Washington 74

This one wasn’t nearly as close as the final score suggests — but UCLA still has some learning to do when it comes to putting teams away.

Donovan Dent, the Bruins’ marquee portal addition, led the charge with 21 points, as five UCLA players finished in double figures. The offense showed balance and rhythm, but defensively, the Bruins left plenty to clean up. If they can tighten things up on that end, everything else should fall into place as the season progresses.

Colorado 84, Montana State 78 

For the Buffaloes, there was both good and bad in their season opener.

The good: Isaiah Johnson led the way with 24 points, and five players finished in double figures — a promising sign for Colorado’s offense outputs.

The bad: Three-point shooting and defense. The Buffs went just 3-for-12 from deep and allowed 78 points to Montana State, a worrying start for a team hoping to surprise people and make the NCAAT. If Colorado wants to contend in the Big 12, defensive improvement will have to come quickly.

NJIT 72, Fordham 61

Massive Upset on Tuesday night! NJIT led by 3 guys in double figures, and they shot 55% from deep! Fordham shot 17% from deep. 

Ohio State 118, IU Indianapolis 102

This one deserves a shoutout for the sheer chaos of the scoreline. If you’re betting trends this season — take IUPUI overs. Their coach’s philosophy is simple: push tempo, pile up possessions, and score in bunches — and it clearly translates up to the DI level.

Ohio State had three players top 20 points, led by Christoph Tilly’s 28, though the 17 turnovers are a red flag that’ll need to be addressed when the pace slows down.

The Jaguars were equally relentless, finishing with five players in double figures, including two with 20+. Expect plenty of fireworks in IUPUI games this season — defense is optional, entertainment is guaranteed.

Opening Game Takeaways

First and foremost — having college basketball back is incredible. The balance of this opening week has been refreshing, with each night offering a mix of power-conference drama and high-level competition across nearly every window.

From a national perspective, a few themes are already emerging:

• Mountain West: It’s been a rough start. The league has dug itself into a hole that most likely cost it at least one NCAA Tournament bid down the road.
• Atlantic 10: The A-10 looks poised to capitalize on that lost opportunity from the MWC and steal an extra bidcome March.
• Big East: Outside of Xavier’s near stumble, the league has been solid — taking care of business and posting results that should help in the metrics.
• Big Ten: Quietly effective. The conference largely won the games it was supposed to and avoided any damaging early losses or headlines.
• SEC: Has mostly treaded water, but let two big opportunities slip away that could’ve bolstered the league’s early tournament profile.
• Big 12: The most perplexing of the bunch — though honestly, that’s nothing new. The top of the league remains elite, but the bottom continue to be a mixed bag of results. Will the middle of the conference step up or fall back?

All in all, a fun and chaotic start to the season — just the way we like it.