Dent scores 21 points in his UCLA debut, helping the No. 12 Bruins beat Eastern Washington

Senior guard Donovan Dent had 21 points and nine assists in his UCLA debut to lead the No. 12 Bruins to an 80-74 victory over Eastern Washington in a season opener Monday night. Tyler Bilodeau scored 19 points for the Bruins, who opened a 15-point lead midway through the second half before the Eagles of the Big Sky Conference made it close in the final minutes. Dent, a heralded transfer from New Mexico, had a memorable performance in his Southern California homecoming.

No. 8 BYU beats Villanova 71-66 and spoils the debut of new Wildcats coach Kevin Willard

Freshman AJ Dybantsa had 21 points and six rebounds and eighth-ranked BYU defeated Villanova 71-66 Monday night in the Hall of Fame Series and season-opener for both teams. Richie Saunders added 15 points and seven rebounds and Robert Wright III scored 14 points for the Cougars, who spoiled the regular-season debut of new Villanova coach Kevin Willard. The victory extended BYU’s regular-season win streak to nine games, its longest since 2019-20.

Koa Peat scores 30 as No. 13 Arizona upsets No. 3 Florida in season opener

Freshman Koa Peat scored 30 points to lead No. 13 Arizona to a 93-87 win over third-ranked and defending national champion Florida in the Hall of Fame Series on Monday night. Peat was impressive in his college debut, shooting 11 of 18 from the floor and adding seven rebounds and five assists. Ivan Kharchenkov shook off an injury late in the first half that sent him to the locker room and finished with 12 points for the Wildcats.

No. 5 St. John’s handles early hype, routs Quinnipiac in season-opening tuneup for No. 15 Alabama

It took two years for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino to restore New York City pride and a winning tradition at St. John's. Pitino and the fifth-ranked Red Storm got off to a fast start in their season opener Monday night, overwhelming Quinnipiac from the outset in a 108-74 rout at Carnesecca Arena. “The one thing that stood out from an ultra-positive standpoint was our mentality going into the game," Pitino said.