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College basketball is finally here, and there are going to be some fireworks from day one. Between the Field of 68 opening tip marathon, to some matchups between top-25 teams, the first week of college basketball shouldn't disappoint.
Some teams still are trying to figure out who's eligible or not for their roster, but regardless, the first week is always a good chance to really start getting a feel for some of the teams across the country. These are the top games to be focused on this week.
The battle of Florida kicks off the season in an exciting way for two of the top teams in the country. The number one ranked Florida Gators take on Miami FL in Tampa Bay. Florida returns a lot of their core from last season including Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, and Boogie Fland. Miami also returns some key players in Malik Reneau, Shelton Henderson, and Dante Allen.
These are two teams who want to dominate the glass and be physical on the interior. Post scoring and rebounding could end up being the deciding factors in this one.
The frontcourt battle will feature the biggest matchups to watch, but the backcourt shouldn't be overlooked. Acaden Lewis transferred to Miami, and he gives the Hurricanes a true point guard who can run the offense. He's joined by Dante Allen and Shelton Henderson to give Miami a terrific trio. Denzel Aberdeen transferred to Florida, joining Boogie Fland in the backcourt. Both teams have lead guards who can operate the offense, so it'll be important to see which guards emerge in the game.
Just five days into the college basketball seasons, a rematch of last season's National Championship game happens. UConn will get their chance to avenge their loss last season.
UConn's defense can be one of the best in the country with their ability to apply pressure with their high hedge system. In the exhibition against Purdue, UConn was incredibly connected defensively, not allowing Purdue to get settled at all. Silas Demary, Jayden Ross, and Braylon Mullins are expected to help lead an offense that could be better than people anticipate.
After winning the National Championship, Michigan has a mix of new and old. Head coach Dusty May, Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, and Morez Johnson all went to the NBA. Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney, and Roddy Gayle returned to Michigan, giving the Wolverines stability in the backcourt. Michigan has talent on the roster, including Moustapha Thiam and JP Estrella in the front court, but this is a tough matchup against UConn to try and figure out your identity.
Two of the biggest rivals in college basketball open up the season on opening day. After a Final Four run, Arizona will be one of the best teams in college basketball again this season, headlined by the returnees of Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov. 5-Star Caleb Holt gives Arizona a potentially elite perimeter scorer to pair with the interior dominance the Wildcats want to play with.
UCLA went out and got some talent this offseason, although there'll still be questions about how it all fits together. One of the biggest questions will be how the front court can handle size and physicality, and the Bruins will get a good feel for that in this matchup. Trent Perry and Jaylen Petty lead the backcourt and give UCLA two guards who can both score from the outside. This'll be the first chance to see Nikola Kusturica in college. The 6'9" freshman from Serbia has a very high ceiling to his game if it can come together.
While NFL Sunday is kicking off, find a screen to put on Arkansas vs Virginia, two teams with very high ceilings. Arkansas head coach John Calipari did what he always does, assemble a roster with plenty of talent on it. The Razorbacks only have five players with any collegiate experience, so an early season matchup like this should allow Arkansas to try and figure things out early. Miikka Muurinen is a 7-foot-0 forward from Finland with a unique skillset in college. The lanky forward can be a potential matchup nightmare with his ability to play out on the perimeter like a guard.
After finishing last season at 30-6, head coach Ryan Odom returns a lot to this Virginia team that has aspirations of going deep in March. Virginia returns four players who averaged over twenty minutes per game last season for the Cavaliers, led by Thijs De Ridder and Same Lewis. Virginia will have a lot of wings that can be interesting matchups for defenses.
On paper, these are two teams who matchup well. Virginia has a top-10 defense per KenPom, while Arkansas has a top-15 offense. On the other hand, Virginia is 24th in offense and Arkansas is 30th in defense, so each unit seems to be ranked closely to the opposition.
Purdue and Gonzaga are two teams with plenty of questions to answer, and they'll get a good look at their teams on opening night.
Gonzaga returns Braden Huff and Davis Fogle to the Bulldogs, but everyone else is either a transfer, freshman, or international player. Huff has the ceiling of an All-American with his ability to score at the power forward position. Xaivian Lee and Nathan De Sousa give Gonzaga two guards in the backcourt with experience of running high level offenses that should allow Gonzaga to push the ball consistently.
Purdue has plenty of questions this season with Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, and Oscar Cluff all gone from the roster. Purdue has up to eleven guys they could potentially trust this season, but most of the team hasn't had to play in the roles they'll have this season. Omer Mayer, Gicarri Harris, and CJ Cox all return to Purdue's backcourt, and they'll be asked to be major contributors this season. 7'4" Daniel Jacobsen will have a lot of eyes on him as the skilled center has plenty of upside, but he hasn't been able to find consistent footing early in his career.
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