Notre Dame’s season-opening win over the Wildcats came with a little extra weight attached. The Irish had already lost their top three scorers from last season - Markus Burton to Indiana, Jalen Haralson to Tennessee and Cole Certa to Clemson - and still found enough to pull out a two-point victory on Sunday.
That makes it the biggest win of the Micah Shrewsberry era, and it sets Notre Dame up for three straight games in South Bend before a matchup with Florida in the first round of the Players Era 8 in Las Vegas on Nov. 17.
That Florida-Miami meeting in Tampa has the look of a real early-season test. Florida sits first in the ROTHSTEIN 45, while Miami is 11th, and the Hurricanes bring a higher ceiling into Jai Lucas’ second season after he guided them to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in his first year as a head coach. One name to watch is Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis, who is expected to bring a different gear to the point guard spot after averaging 12.2 points and 5.3 assists.
Out in Las Vegas, Nikola Kusturica is set to make his college debut against Arizona, and UCLA fans have every reason to be intrigued. The 6-foot-9 freshman is being talked about as one of the best long-term prospects in college basketball, but Mick Cronin will be the first to say that doesn’t mean much in a game like this.
What makes Kusturica so unusual is that he can take over without needing the ball in his hands all the time; he can pass, defend and rebound at a level that already looks advanced. The bigger question is whether he can help solve UCLA’s issues on the glass against an Arizona team that enters ranked sixth in the ROTHSTEIN 45 and brings back two starters from last season’s Final Four run under Tommy Lloyd: Ivan Kharchenkov, who averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, and Motiejus Krivas, who posted 10.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.
There are plenty of other games worth circling on the board, too. BYU against Ohio State in Salt Lake City stands out as the sleeper of the day, with both teams sitting inside the top 33 of the ROTHSTEIN 45.
St. John’s carries a 17-0 regular-season mark under Rick Pitino at Carnesecca Arena into tonight’s opener against Monmouth in Queens.
Syracuse begins the Gerry McNamara era at JMA Wireless Dome against New Haven, and the last time the Orange were not coached by an alum was March 13, 1976, the final game of Roy Danforth’s run before he took the Tulane job. That was 18,496 days ago.
Alabama will be without a full-strength freshman group to start the season. Nate Oats told 247Sports that Jaxon Richardson will likely be on a minutes restriction for Tuesday’s opener against Sam Houston after playing just 10 minutes in last week’s exhibition against Auburn. Another freshman, Anderson Diaz, is doubtful because of an elbow injury.
And then there’s Memphis, which opens the 2026-27 season tonight in Sioux Falls against Iowa State before heading home to host VCU this weekend, then traveling to Vanderbilt and later welcoming Louisville to FedExForum. Who’s in charge of Penny Hardaway’s non-conference schedule?! Does anyone else need a drink after reading that?
In Other News...
Florida Could Pull Off A Huge Recruiting Surprise Here
A major recruiting decision is coming into focus for one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2028 class, and Florida has managed to stay in the thick of it. Brysen Wright has trimmed his list to Florida, Texas and Miami, with an announcement set for Nov. 5, after taking unofficial visits to all three programs. For the Gators, simply being in the final group for a national-caliber receiver says plenty about the pitch they have made early in the process.
Miami is viewed as the clear favorite in the prediction game, but Florida remains a finalist and has a real chance to make this interesting. Wrights status as a highly ranked prospect gives this race extra weight, especially with three prominent programs still in the mix and a decision date now on the calendar. The Gators will be watching closely to see whether they can turn a strong position into a surprise win. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Bowl Push Comes Down To Three Urgent Fixes Vs Oklahoma
Floridas path to bowl eligibility heads into a critical stretch against Oklahoma, and the Gators have a short list of issues that need cleaning up if they want to keep their season alive. The offense has been uneven, the defense has had its own lapses, and the Sooners bring enough volatility of their own to make this feel like a game Florida can still control if it gets the basics right.
The first order of business is settling the quarterback rotation, because the Gators cannot afford more uncertainty at the games most important spot. Florida also needs a more productive day from Jadan Baugh on the ground and a steadier pass rush to keep Oklahoma from finding rhythm, but the bigger question is whether the Gators can put those pieces together at the same time when the stakes are this high. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Is Still Waiting On Vernell Brown III For One Reason
Floridas receiving room has had to keep moving without Vernell Brown III, and the wait has stretched longer than the Gators likely hoped. Brown has now missed four games after a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, and coach Jon Sumrall said the sophomore had a non-surgical procedure as part of the process.
Even with the uncertainty, Brown has stayed around the program as a vocal presence and continues working his way back. The issue now is less about whether he still matters to Florida and more about when, or even if, the Gators will get him back this season. [Read more 🡒]