In the first week of the 2026-27 college basketball season, there weren’t too many marquee matchups. In fact, there were four games between ranked opponents in the first eight days. For the winners (UConn, UCLA, Virginia, and Florida), they’re riding up near the top of the polls.
But what about the losers of those games? Should there be any concerns about how good they really are? Here’s a closer look at each team’s defeat and whether or not we think they can still be in the top-tier of college basketball.
Buy or Sell Miami as a top-15 team after losing 77-67 to No. 1 Florida?
Losing by 10 points in what was never an uncontested game is a great thing for Miami. Especially considering that their two best players (Sheltdon Henderson and Malik Reneau) combined for just 12 points on 3/19 FG shooting. Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis (24 points) looks ready to take the leap and the Hurricanes won’t play another opponent of this caliber until they face Duke. Look for them to not fall down the rankings much after this.
Buy
Buy or Sell Arizona as a top-5 team after losing 85-74 to UCLA?
Considering that sophomore forward Ivan Kharchenkov went for a career-high 38 points against a good Bruins defense, it’s hard not to like the Wildcats. The issue is that they don’t have much to offer outside of him, with five-star freshman Caleb Holt and big man Motiejus Krivas the only other consistent double-digit scoring options. The lack of depth has been clear all preseason and they’ll need their Big 3 to consistently play at a high level to beat ranked opponents. They still can beat anyone but can also lose to more teams than originally expected.
Sell
But or Sell Arkansas as a top-15 team after losing 91-72 to Virginia?
Playing a Virginia squad who is largely intact after winning 30 games a year ago is a recipe for disaster for a brand new Arkansas roster. Five-star freshmen Jordan Smith Jr. and Miikka Muurinen look the part overall, while Billy Richmond and Davion Thompson look to be quality supporting pieces. But questions remain about the role that Georgia transfer and leading scorer Jeremiah Wilkinson fits into the offense, along with frontcourt depth. They have the talent to be a top-15 team throughout the season but will need to gain more experience fast against the rest of the strong non-con.
Buy
Buy or Sell Michigan as a top-20 team after losing 85-77 to UConn?
It’s important to remember that this roster is being coached by Mike Boynton and not national champion head coach, Dusty May. And going up against a two-time champion in Dan Hurley on the other end is hard to overcome. Moustapha Thiam, their prized transfer, played just 15 minutes as well after recovering from an illness. They ultimately didn’t play too bad and comparing themselves against a Final Four contender is tough. For now, this should be a top-20 team in the country. But there is a scenario where they can lose more than expected without May around.
Buy
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