College Basketball's Wild Opening Week: East Texas A&M Stuns Oklahoma, UCLA Upsets Arizona

College basketball's 2026-27 season is only a few days old, and it has already produced one of the sport's biggest upsets of the decade, plus a marquee statement win in Las Vegas. East Texas A&M stunned Oklahoma, and UCLA knocked off a top-five Arizona team on the same opening night.

East Texas A&M's Historic Upset

East Texas A&M walked into Lloyd Noble Center in Norman on November 2 as a 28.5-point underdog for Oklahoma's season opener, and walked out with a 68-64 win. It was the Lions' first victory over a power-conference opponent in program history, and according to CBS Sports and the Associated Press, it was one of the biggest upsets by point spread in Division I men's basketball since at least December 2022. ESPN Research called it the second-largest point-spread upset in the sport over the past 30 years.

The result is even more jarring given East Texas A&M's preseason standing: the Lions, formerly known as Texas A&M-Commerce, were picked to finish last in the 12-team Southland Conference preseason poll after going 11-21 a year ago.

A Final Possession for the Ages

Bo Aldridge led the way with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Mohamed Diakite and Alonzo Dodd each scored 15. The Lions took the lead for good on an Aldridge basket with 2:33 remaining. Oklahoma clawed back within 66-64 in the closing seconds, but East Texas A&M grabbed the decisive rebound and Aldridge sealed it from the free-throw line.

Oklahoma coach Porter Moser did not mince words afterward, saying the only thing he knew to do was apologize to the fan base and get better. It's a brutal way to open a season that carried real expectations in Norman, and it immediately puts pressure on a Sooners roster that now has to answer serious questions before conference play even begins.

UCLA Ends Arizona's Opening-Night Streak

A few hours away in Las Vegas, a different kind of statement was made. UCLA, ranked No. 22 entering the season, beat No. 5 Arizona 84-75 at T-Mobile Arena as part of the TNT Sports Hall of Fame Series. Guard Trent Perry paced the Bruins with 21 points and five assists, while Arizona's Ivan Kharchenkov had a career night of his own with 38 points and 10 rebounds — it just wasn't enough.

The loss snapped a remarkable run for Arizona: the Wildcats had won their season opener for 20 consecutive years before UCLA ended the streak. ESPN called it UCLA's best season-opening win in the AP poll era, a notable marker for a program looking to reestablish itself as a national contender.

What Comes Next in the Rankings

Both results arrived just two weeks after the preseason AP Top 25 came out, with Florida as the runaway No. 1 and Arizona sitting at No. 5. Expect Arizona to take a meaningful hit in the next poll, while UCLA's win over a top-five team on a neutral floor should push the Bruins up the board. Oklahoma, unranked but carrying real preseason buzz, now has to prove the loss to East Texas A&M was a one-off rather than a sign of deeper problems.

It's one night of results, but opening week has already reshaped the national conversation. For more on how the preseason picture looked before these upsets, see our AP preseason poll breakdown and college basketball's biggest preseason storylines. Follow the rest of the season in our college basketball coverage.

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