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Big night for freshmen, more surprises and takeaways from men's openers

Multiple Contributors

Nov 4, 2025, 12:45 AM ET

The first slate of men's college basketball in more than 200 days didn't disappoint.

Strong debuts by a loaded freshmen class headlined the action, led by Koa Peat's 30-point performance in No. 13 Arizona's 93-87 upset of defending champion and No. 3 Florida.

Elsewhere, No. 20 Auburn narrowly escaped Bethune-Cookman with a 95-90 overtime win in new head coach Steven Pearl's first game since succeeding his father, Bruce.

What did ESPN's analysts make of opening night to the 2025-26 season? Jeff Borzello, Joe Lunardi and Myron Medcalf break down the highlights below.

How capable did Florida look of defending its title despite the loss to Arizona?

There is nothing for the Gators to sulk about after losing to No. 13 Arizona, a legit Big 12 contender that showed the college basketball world Monday that it has a star in Peat with Big 12 Player of the Year aspirations.

Thomas Haugh proved he has the versatility to play in the small forward spot he was moved to with an incredible 27 points, but the Florida frontcourt struggled to stop Peat from attacking the rim.

In the Gators' backcourt, Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland had poetic moments in which they demonstrated the benefits of employing two point guards. With under nine minutes left, Lee -- All-Ivy League at Princeton the past two seasons -- hit Fland with a no-look pass and the former Arkansas star finished in the lane and drew a foul. That said, there were stretches in which they gave into their instincts, and the offense didn't consistently flow with two natural distributors who arguably forced too many shots.

Florida's defensive challenges -- the Gators surrendered 50 points in the paint -- is its biggest priority after Monday's loss. And the chemistry the Gators will need to chase another title will require more time with their new backcourt. Despite the loss, Florida has the players to make another run. -- Medcalf

Could Koa Peat play himself into the freshman of the year conversation?

Peat produced one of the best college debuts we've seen in recent years, finishing with 30 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in a win over Florida -- and what looked like the best returning frontcourt in the country.

The versatile forward was the West Coast version of Cameron Boozer in the class of 2025, winning everything at the high school and international level while producing consistently over all four years. Now he's making a case that the big three of Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Boozer at the top of this class is a big four, at minimum.

According to ESPN Research, Peat was the first player in Big 12 history to have 30 points and 5 assists in their career debut. He looked as if he's ready to carry a talented Arizona team this season. -- Borzello

How did AJ Dybantsa look in his debut for BYU?

Dybantsa will look back and regret some of his missed layups and free throws (2 of 7 from the line), but the top-ranked recruit still finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in No. 8 BYU's 71-66 win over Villanova. More importantly, he came up with big play after big play when the game got tight late in the second half.

With the score tied at 59, Dybantsa recorded six of the next eight points, finishing in a variety of ways. He was surprisingly denied at the rim on a couple of occasions, but for the most part, was able to get to his spots for either short midrange jumpers or finishes at the rim.

With his size, athleticism, body control and playmaking ability, Dybantsa is just too much of a force for most defenders to handle. -- Borzello

How did Darryn Peterson look in his debut for Kansas?

Peterson had a 3-pointer and a dunk before the first media timeout and didn't slow down until halftime. The potential NBA No. 1 pick had 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 17 first-half minutes, and with the game out of reach, Bill Self didn't need his star freshman much after the break. Peterson played only five second-half minutes and finished with 21 points.

He showed his typical efficient offense, going 7-for-11 from the field and making three 3-pointers. One positive sign for Kansas' offense as a whole was that Peterson and Flory Bidunga (23 points) look like a potentially dominant inside-outside duo after Bidunga was clearly the focal point after Peterson. Being a high-usage option in the post isn't something we saw from Bidunga as a freshman or in October's exhibition games, but it would benefit Peterson from a balance perspective. Friday's trip to North Carolina should be more telling for both Peterson and Bidunga. -- Borzello

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Darryn Peterson gets up for the beautiful jam

What did we learn from some of the other freshmen debuts?

Each player's ranking in the SC Next 100 for the class of 2025 is listed in parenthesis.

Nate Ament (No. 4), Tennessee

Ament had some questions after his performance against Duke in last month's exhibition game, particularly surrounding his shot selection and efficiency on offense. He was much better in Monday's 76-61 win over Mercer, going 6-for-11 from the field and finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds. His activity on the glass has been surprisingly impressive early, given he also was productive in that area against the Blue Devils. Ament's usage is not going to be in doubt moving forward, as Rick Barnes' team needs the freshman's explosiveness on offense. The shotmaking that made him so sought after at the high school level will come around. -- Borzello

Caleb Wilson (No. 5), North Carolina

The five-star recruit has a claim that even Michael Jordan can't match. After his 22-point performance over 25 minutes in a 94-54 win over Central Arkansas, Wilson became the fifth North Carolina freshman to score 20 or more points in his debut, according to ESPN Research. The 6-foot-8 standout and his teammates faced an opponent ranked 348 out of 365 teams in KenPom's preseason rankings, which means it will only get more challenging from here. But Wilson (also 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block) affected the game on multiple levels in an efficient effort by the freshman. -- Medcalf

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Caleb Wilson elevates for slam dunk vs. Central Arkansas Bears

Darius Acuff Jr. (No. 7) and Meleek Thomas (No. 11), Arkansas

John Calipari has a strong track record with elite guards. Derrick Rose, John Wall, De'Aaron Fox and others have been the anchors for Calipari's best teams. Acuff and Thomas could be next in line after the duo finished Monday's 109-77 win over Southern with a combined 53 points (7-for-15 from 3), 11 assists, 4 steals and only 3 turnovers. The talented freshmen could be the catalysts for a team with veterans such as Trevon Brazile (25 points on Monday). It was a strong debut for the young Arkansas guards. -- Medcalf

How did Steven Pearl's debut leading Auburn go?

Pearl's first game went about as bad as anyone could have imagined.

Bethune-Cookman, a plus-25.5 underdog at ESPN BET heading into the game, left the gym with its head held high after it took the No. 20 Tigers to overtime on the road. The Wildcats (236th on KenPom) had the lead with 2:05 to play, then hit three free throws at the end of regulation to force overtime. Yes, Pearl's squad escaped with a win in his first game, but any projections about Auburn as a potential SEC sleeper -- Tahaad Pettiford is the only player on the team who logged minutes in the Final Four last season -- were likely erased after the effort Monday.

The Tigers have a lot to prove after they nearly lost at home to a team that made 55% of its 3-pointers. -- Medcalf

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Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Auburn Tigers: Game Highlights

Which top-25 team surprised you?

Arizona Wildcats

In retrospect, we should have given more preseason respect to an Arizona team that returned three starters from a Sweet 16 roster and then added two top-15 recruits. The Wildcats are loaded with talent, with a group of prospects bettered only by Duke from top to bottom. But coming together this quickly? Against the reigning national champs? That was unexpected. Their performance takes them from the "second-weekend threat" to "Final Four contenders" tier for me.

Peat was terrific and looked like the go-to offensive focal point this team needs, but Jaden Bradley taking a step forward was a difference-maker. He did whatever he wanted late in the game against Florida's guards, scoring 10 straight points at one point.

The scary part is there's still room for the Wildcats to grow. They didn't do much to answer pressing questions about perimeter shooting, although Ivan Kharchenkov made a pair of 3s. And Brayden Burries had only three points while Dwayne Aristode played only six minutes. -- Borzello

Illinois Fighting Illini

Over the summer, Brad Underwood was concerned that immigration issues could disrupt his team's start to the season. Instead, the Illini pummeled SWAC contender Jackson State by a tidy 58 points in one of the more impressive blowouts on an opening night schedule full of them. More importantly, it served to remind us that Purdue has multiple challengers in a deep and Final Four-minded Big Ten. Along with the Boilermakers, Michigan and perhaps UCLA, let's add Illinois to the list of legitimate contenders to finally end the conference's long national championship drought.

Louisville is also worth an honorable mention. The Cardinals held South Carolina State to 15 first-half points, rolling to a 104-45 victory. -- Lunardi

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Jackson State Tigers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini: Game Highlights

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Mere days after a judge granted him an injunction to play this season, Tyon Grant-Foster didn't waste any time finding his place on a Gonzaga team with multiple standouts. He, Graham Ike and Braden Huff combined for 42 points to lead the charge for the Bulldogs, who scored more points in the second half (52) than Texas Southern did for the game (43). Considering all it has required for Grant-Foster to get here -- the 2023-24 WAC Player of the Year struggled at Grand Canyon last season before spending this past offseason working legal channels to secure another year of eligibility after injuries and cardiac ailments cost the 25-year-old multiple season -- it was surprising that he played like someone who was further removed from all of that drama. -- Medcalf

Which team outside the top 25 surprised you?

Boise State Broncos

Over the past four seasons, Boise State has gone to three NCAA tournaments. In the one season the Broncos fell short (2024-25), they won 26 games and were one of the last teams left out of the field. They were picked third in last month's preseason Mountain West poll with the widespread expectation that Leon Rice's team would get back to the tournament. But that potential bounce-back season got off to a brutal start as Boise State lost 79-78 at home to Division II Hawaii Pacific -- a team that went 15-14 last season and didn't receive any votes in the preseason Division II coaches poll.

There's a long way to go, and games against D2 teams don't technically factor into a team's metrics, but it was maybe the biggest stunner on the opening night slate. -- Borzello

TCU Horned Frogs

It might be unfair given it's the first week of November, but TCU has already put a serious dent in its NCAA tournament bubble chances. Picked 10th in the Big 12 and starting the season at No. 83 on our Bracketology rankings, the last thing the Horned Frogs needed was an opening night no show against a team picked seventh in the Southland Conference and No. 309 on our board. How else can we describe an 18-point first-half deficit in a guarantee game against New Orleans?

Give the Privateers credit for going into Fort Worth and pulling off a 78-74 win, but this is more about a TCU team desperate to avoid a second straight mediocre season. So far, no good. -- Lunardi

Baylor Bears

Baylor lost key players such as Robert Wright III to the transfer portal, was picked to finish seventh in the Big 12's preseason poll and brought in a five-star freshman Tounde Yessoufou, who could be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA draft. The Bears secured a double-digit win over UT Rio Grande Valley -- a team projected to finish at the bottom of the Southland Conference standings after returning only one starter -- but surrendered 81 points to the Vaqueros, allowing them to score on 56% of their 2-point shots and 41% of 3-point shots.

Baylor has finished 10th or lower in defensive efficiency in conference play in two of the past three seasons. The Bears might still have questions on that end of the court based on their effort Monday night. -- Medcalf