The 2026-27 college basketball season tipped off Monday with 20 preseason AP Top 25 teams in action, highlighted by two ranked-on-ranked showdowns. No. 1 Florida faces No. 14 Miami in Tampa, while No. 5 Arizona meets No. 22 UCLA in Las Vegas in a renewal of their former Pac-12 rivalry.
Arizona will be without forward RJ Godfrey due to eligibility issues, but the Wildcats feature a formidable trio in freshmen Caleb Holt and Ivan Kharchenkov along with big man Mo Krivas. UCLA counters with Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty, 17-year-old freshman Nikola Kusturica, and forward Eric Dailey Jr. Coach Mick Cronin's slow-tempo approach has limited possessions in six of the last seven meetings with Arizona's Tommy Lloyd. The pick: UCLA +4.5.
In Tampa, Florida's frontcourt of Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu, and Alex Condon is considered among the nation's best. Miami relies on Malik Reneau, Somto Cyril, and Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis. The pick: Miami +5.5.
No. 18 Iowa State takes on Memphis in Sioux Falls. Memphis will miss big man Nemanja Popovic, ruled ineligible for the first six games, while Iowa State is without guard Killyan Toure (shoulder) but welcomes back fifth-year senior Tamin Lipsey. The pick: Memphis +13.5.
No. 15 Gonzaga meets Purdue in Las Vegas. Gonzaga boasts three elite big men — Braden Huff, Massamba Diop, and Izan Almansa — against Purdue's lone serviceable big, Daniel Jacobsen. The pick: Gonzaga -4.5.
Ohio State faces No. 25 BYU in Salt Lake City. BYU retains star guard Robert Wright III, adds five-star wing Bruce Branch III, and lands former Michigan State big Jaxon Kohler. Ohio State's ceiling hinges on five-star forward Anthony Thompson. The pick: BYU -2.5.
All games tip off Monday evening Eastern time, marking the start of a season expected to be filled with intriguing storylines after an offseason dominated by eligibility court cases.
