Opening night’s most notable contest pits defending champion Florida against a strong Arizona squad; who’s getting off to the 1-0 start in this highly-anticipated showdown in Las Vegas?
TV schedule: Monday, November 3, 7:00 pm ET. TNT/truTV
Arena: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
The last time we saw Florida, Todd Golden’s squad was cutting down the nets as national champions, capping off an incredible season for the Gators. Expectations will be sky high entering a year where this program could conceivably repeat as champions, especially with the new and returning talent in Gainesville.
It’s a brand new backcourt after a few stars from last season bid farewell, but the combination of Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee provides a major boost. Florida does return significant talent, and will get junior years from big men Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon, and Thomas Haugh, each of whom have higher expectations and are hungry for even more national success.
The preseason AP poll has Florida ranked #3 in the nation, though KenPom has them even higher at 2nd to start the year. The Gators have a great offense and return those major playmakers at the back end. They have the shot making and size to be a force in the SEC once again, especially if Fland can live up to his 5-star billing and lead the charge.
On the other side, Arizona found themselves in the Sweet Sixteen yet again last season, though the Wildcats are looking for their own memorable postseason run in the near future. Tommy Lloyd’s squad looks a bit different this season, with a crew of top freshmen and international prospects filling the holes left from losing Caleb Love and a few others in the offseason.
Many recruiting sites had both Brayden Burries and Koa Peat as Top 15 prospects at the very least as the two 5-stars become major pillars for this team. The Wildcats get Jaden Bradley back to run the point as a senior and will hope he can be even more of a leader and playmaker. It’s also worth mentioning the returns of faces like Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso who each should take steps forward after last season.
There are still certain expectations in Tucson, with Arizona beginning the season ranked #13 in the AP Top 25. They’re a little lower at 15th in KenPom, but the consensus is that the Wildcats are a Top 25 team that should again have a great offense and formidable defense. We’ll see how this new influx of talent affects the team in their second season in the Big 12.
This game is truly a gift on an opening night slate that rarely has a plethora of exciting matchups. It’ll be very interesting to see which team adjusts to their new lineups and rotations better, though there’s certainly an advantage there for the Gators. Florida knows exactly what to expect in the frontcourt and can count on those new guards leading the charge, whereas Arizona has a lot more moving pieces.
We are by no means counting out the Wildcats, who could deliver quite the early statement against the defending champs. Arizona needs a big start from Peat and perhaps important minutes from 7-footer Motiejus Krivas against the size and skill of the Gators. This game won’t be won solely in the trenches, but that’s how the Wildcats can pull of a shocker. We’ll ride with the Gators in what should be Monday’s most exhilarating contest.