The defending national champion UConn Huskies dominated the 2023 NCAA Tournament with six double-digit wins in six games by an average margin of 20 points. But if their season-opener on Monday is any indication of things to come, this season’s Huskies team, dare I say, may be even more unstoppable.
OK, so not every game it plays this season will be against literal Lumberjacks, but No. 6 UConn nonetheless made quick and easy work of visiting Northern Arizona, dominating the Lumberjacks 95-52 in one of the most lopsided showings of the day. The spread was between 25.5 points in favor of UConn, so winning is no surprise, but winning by 43 and outscoring them by 26 in the closing 20 minutes — even more than the spread for the game — is demolition reminiscent of the UConn team that routinely demoralized opponents en route to the title last season.
That’s enough to get you the top line in our opening day winners and losers recap of the day that was in college basketball. A tip of the cap, Huskies. We see ya.
Here are more winners and losers from the first day of the 2023-24 college basketball season.
Winner: Princeton builds off magical NCAA Tournament run
Remember the Princeton Tigers: the team that knocked off Arizona in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and then beat Missouri to advance to the Sweet 16? Yeah, that team. They’re back for more. The Tigers aren’t even the favorite to win the Ivy League (that belongs to Yale), but they delivered one of the more impressive wins on opening night by knocking off Rutgers 68-61.
“We’ve got class tomorrow,” Princeton coach Mitch Henderson said. “I’m thankful for the 15-minute ride (home).”
Loser: Opening day has few compelling matchups
Twenty-one of the 25 teams ranked in the AP Top 25 preseason poll were in action on Monday, and yet there was not a single ranked vs. ranked matchup on the slate to open the 2023-24 season. (Spalding and IUPUI opened the season officially on Monday afternoon for crying out loud!) Now, to be fair: the opening slate on the whole did not disappoint, and there were plenty of standout performances and entertaining bouts, especially for sickos who love the sport like you and I. But to say the day opened with a thud would be putting it kindly. We love ourselves some college hoops and will watch just about anything on the TV, but some ranked matchups — heck, just one! — would be a nice way to kick the season off in style. Alas.
Winner: Syracuse wins back an old fan
The Audrian Autry era officially began for Syracuse basketball. The Orange’s 83-72 victory vs. New Hampshire marked the first time the team has played a game not coached by Jim Boeheim in more than four decades. That pleased at least one fan in attendance, who proudly let it be known that as a 1975 alum, he was watching the Orange for the first time since his time in school. (Boeheim, of course, took over as head coach in 1976.)
We’re not sure if he missed the Boeheim era in protest of zone defense or just didn’t prioritize watching basketball for four-plus decades, but we’re impressed all the same.
It’s one thing to lose a “buy” game. That, to be clear, is bad. But it happens occasionally in college basketball. It’s another thing entirely to lose a “buy” game to a team who is coached by your former coach – but said coach is not even there because he is serving a suspension.
That’s what happened Monday as McNeese State was on the road to take on VCU and came away with a 76-65 win despite being a double-digit underdog. With Will Wade, former VCU coach and current McNeese coach, serving a 10-game suspension due to NCAA recruiting violations that occurred while he was coach at LSU, the Cowboys stunned the Rams and handed their new coach a hilarious and surprising welcoming gift to open the 2023-24 season.
Winner: Samford guard dazzles in opening tip
OK, so I’ll admit, I’m using the word “dazzle” loosely here. And by loosely I really mean: incorrectly. But Samford guard Dallas Graziani stole the show – even if for reasons that aren’t particularly flattering – in the team’s opening tip vs. No. 3 Purdue on Monday. The 5-foot-8 guard lined up across from 7-4 center Zach Edey in a truly incredible moment that went instantly viral, and it was as spectacular as you might imagine:
Even more spectacular, though, is the context behind this moment. Samford (obviously) knew the opening tip would be against Edey, the towering big man who won national player of the year last season, so they leaned into it on social media in a series in which they prepped Graziani – hilariously overmatched – for the big moment.
Edey and Purdue indeed came up big as he finished the night with his 40th career double-double, scoring a game-high 16 points with 11 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action as the Boilermakers rolled over the Bulldogs 98-45.