The college basketball season has arrived! Today’s opening day slate features many elite teams, but the lone game featuring two Top 25 teams is the Florida Gators vs. the Arizona Wildcats. This is the fifth game between these two teams, with the series being tied 2-2. Arizona won the last game against Florida 65-64 in 2012.
Here’s a college basketball pick for Monday’s game between Arizona and Florida.
Florida vs. Arizona (7:00 p.m. ET)
Two of the best programs, Florida and Arizona, face off on opening night. Todd Golden led the Gators to their third NCAA Championship last season. This season, Florida will be without its top three scorers (Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, and Will Richard) from last year’s team.
The Gators return three frontcourt players from their championship roster: Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, and Rueben Chinyelu. Golden went in the transfer portal and added three more talented guards to replace last year’s core. Boogie Fland, AJ Brown, and Xaivian Lee will lead the way this season for Florida on offense.
Like Florida, Arizona has lost a ton of its players from last season’s roster. Four of their top five scorers are not returning for the Wildcats. But Arizona’s starting PG and their leader, Jaden Bradley, is back for his senior season. Bradley is coming off an impressive season, averaging 12.1 points, 3.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per contest. Three additional players return for Arizona: Tobe Awaka, Motiejus Krivas, and Anthony Dell’Orso.
Arizona has the second-best recruiting class in the country this year, as two five-star prospects and three four-star players are joining the program. Brayden Burries and Koa Peat lead the way for Arizona’s newcomers, as they are two of the best freshmen in college basketball. Dwayne Aristode and Ivan Kharchenkov are two other talented freshmen who should be valuable pieces for Arizona this season.
Since Arizona is not too far from Las Vegas, T-Mobile Arena has become a home away from home, with many fans labeling it “McKale North”. That is because the Wildcats are 10-1 at T-Mobile Arena under Tommy Lloyd. When Arizona competed in the Pac-12, its annual conference tournament was held at T-Mobile Arena each season.
Although Florida is coming off winning a National title, this isn’t the same team that cut down the nets in April. Yes, Arizona is ranked 10 spots behind Florida in the preseason AP Poll, but they possess the upside to not only cover the spread but beat Florida outright. The Wildcats have more continuity, thanks to a versatile roster that will be able to match the Gators’ style. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Arizona is +150 to beat Florida and +3.5 on the spread.
