The first week of the 2026-27 college basketball season is officially in the books.
The opening week delivered some outstanding first impressions. It’s far too early to draw major conclusions, as most teams have only played two games. But the first few days gave an early look at which programs might be better than expected.
These three teams stand out as the biggest stock risers.
Valparaiso Beat Purdue in Mackey Arena on a Buzzer-Beater
Valparaiso entered the season with most expecting them to finish in the middle of the pack in the Missouri Valley Conference. They were picked fifth in the preseason poll, slotted in behind Murray State, Illinois State, UIC, and Belmont. They finished last season with an 18-15 record overall and an 11-9 record in conference play.
The Beacons have looked much better than a middle-of-the-pack team playing in a traditionally one-bid conference like the Missouri Valley. They put together an impressive performance in their first game against Western Illinois with a 22-point victory at home. Valparaiso led this game 38-19 at halftime and did not look back.
The Beacons’ biggest win of the week, however, came when they took down Purdue in Mackey Arena this week. This was arguably the biggest upset of the college basketball season so far.
Purdue entered the season with NCAA tournament expectations and was considered a Top-25 caliber team by many. Valparaiso won in double overtime, 83-80, on a buzzer-beater. It was the first time that Purdue lost a home game to a non-power conference team since 2014.
The Beacons have been led by their returning talent from last season’s squad. Their four leading scorers so far are all returners.
6-foot-3 sophomore guard Rakim Chaney scored 35 points in their victory against Purdue. He’s been the team’s leading scorer to this point. 6-foot-8 sophomore forward J.T. Pettigrew has also been impressive, averaging 14.5 points and 5.0 rebounds. And 6-foot-3 junior guard Justus McNair, who hit the game-winner to beat Purdue, is also averaging double figures.
Valparaiso has another big game on Wednesday night when they go on the road to face South Dakota State. The 2-0 Jackrabbits also pulled off a big upset last week when they edged out Kansas State on the road.
Memphis Beat Iowa State and VCU in the Same Week
There might not be another head coach in college basketball who needs to find success this season more than Penny Hardaway does at Memphis.
With one of the biggest NIL budgets among non-power conference teams, Memphis finished last season with a 13-19 (8-10) record, good enough for a tie for eighth place. The Tigers were picked towards the top in the AAC preseason poll, but it’s not like they were anywhere close to being a ranked team before the season started.
On the opening night of the season, Memphis opened against No. 18 Iowa State. The game was played at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Cyclones were heavy favorites going into this matchup, but the Tigers had other ideas.
Memphis won 80-76. Northwestern transfer guard Jayden Reid was phenomenal, scoring 26 points and going 12-for-14 from the free-throw line. SEMO transfer guard Luke Almodovar also scored 18 points.
The Tigers won another nail-biter in their second game of the season. This one was at home against a VCU team that’s projected to be one of the best mid-majors in the sport and picked to finish first in the A10 preseason poll.
Memphis won again, this time 89-88. The Tigers rallied back from being down 10 earlier in the second half.
Jayden Reid led the way again in this one, scoring 32 points, going 11-for-21 from the field. Washington State transfer forward Rihards Vavers tacked on 17 points, and Southern Miss transfer Tylik Weeks also put up 17 in the win. All five of Memphis’s leading scorers so far are transfers.
Memphis’s brand-new roster this season looks to be quite an improvement from last year, as the Tigers have already grabbed two quality wins that will make quite an impact on their NCAA tournament resume.
It doesn’t get any easier for Memphis this week, though, as both their matchups are against AP Top 25 opponents. They’ll go on the road to play No. 22 Vanderbilt on Tuesday night, and then they play No. 10 Louisville at home on Sunday.
UCLA Took Down No. 5 Arizona and Looked Like a Top-10 Team
Unlike the previous two teams, UCLA did go into this season with high expectations. In the preseason AP Poll, UCLA slotted in at No. 22. However, they wasted no time in showing that ranking was probably too low.
The Bruins came away with arguably the best win of any team in the opening week of the season when they took down No. 5 Arizona. It was a neutral-site game in Las Vegas as part of the Hall of Fame Series.
UCLA beat the Wildcats 84-75. They got off to a hot start and led 43-29 at the break. Arizona battled back in the second half, making it a one-point game with just over three minutes left. Arizona power forward Ivan Kharchenkov scored a career-high 38 points, but it still wasn’t enough.
UCLA’s offensive rebounding was key in this matchup, notching a total of 16 offensive boards. They also held the Wildcats to just 37% shooting from the field.
The Bruins’ backcourt led the way in this game on offense. Sophomore guard Trent Perry was the team’s leading scorer with 21 points, going 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. Sophomore guard Jaylen Petty also delivered a great all-around performance, scoring 13 points while also adding on 7 assists and 7 rebounds. And senior forward Eric Dailey Jr. had 13 points and 8 rebounds in the win.
UCLA’s depth would prove to be a huge factor in this one, outscoring Arizona 20-4 in bench points.
In the Bruins’ second game of the season, they won 114-63 against North Florida. Five-star freshman forward Nikola Kusturica shined in his second career game. He led the way with 29 points, shooting 10-for-12 from the field. Petty had another nice game, scoring 22 points and shooting 8-for-12 from the field.
Mick Cronin’s squad has a backcourt that looks like it could be one of the best in the country, led by Perry and Petty. They also have one of the most talented freshmen in the country, 6-foot-9 forward Nikola Kusturica.
UCLA’s combination of experienced players, talented newcomers, and great depth should let them compete with anyone in the country.
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