UCLA Stuns No. 5 Arizona in Opening-week Showdown

WHO:

NCAA Basketball - UCLA’s men’s basketball team, coached by Mick Cronin, faced Arizona, coached by Tommy Lloyd.

CBS Sports - Arizona’s listed players included Caleb Holt, Ivan Kharchenkov and Mo Krivas; UCLA’s included Jaylen Petty, Nikola Kusturica and Eric Dailey Jr.

NY Post - Arizona center Mo Krivas was featured in its prediction headline about the matchup.

WHAT:

NCAA Basketball - Arizona’s Ivan Kharchenkov scored 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against UCLA.

NCAA Basketball - UCLA upset No. 5 Arizona in a men’s basketball game during the opening day of the 2026–27 season.

NCAA Basketball - The UCLA–Arizona game was part of the 2026 Hall of Fame Series.

CBS Sports - The matchup was listed as No. 5 Arizona versus No. 22 UCLA. CBS Sports columnist Isaac Trotter picked UCLA +4.5, citing UCLA’s full roster and Arizona’s absences.

CBS Sports - Arizona was without forward RJ Godfrey, described as being in “5-in-5 legal purgatory.”

CBS Sports - Trotter said UCLA guard Jaylen Petty was a Texas Tech transfer and described freshman Nikola Kusturica as 17 years old.

CBS Sports - Trotter said the last six of seven Cronin–Lloyd matchups had been played at a pace in the mid-60s possessions.

WHERE:

CBS Sports - Arizona and UCLA played in Las Vegas.

WHEN:

NCAA Basketball - The game took place on the opening day of the 2026–27 college basketball season.

CBS Sports - The matchup was scheduled as one of the final games of the night; CBS Sports listed its broadcast time as 10 p.m. ET on TNT.

WHY:

CBS Sports - Trotter favored UCLA because it had its “full arsenal,” while Arizona was short-handed.

CBS Sports - Trotter said UCLA coach Mick Cronin’s approach was to slow the game to limit Arizona’s transition attack.

HOW:

NCAA Basketball - Kharchenkov’s 38 points and 10 rebounds gave him a double-double in the season opener.

NCAA Basketball - The NCAA Basketball article presented highlights from the UCLA–Arizona game.

NY Post - The article’s headline predicted that Mo Krivas’s “monster game” would lead Arizona past UCLA.

UCLA upset fifth-ranked Arizona in Las Vegas during the college basketball season opener. Arizona’s Ivan Kharchenkov scored 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in defeat. The Bruins beat Arizona despite predictions favoring the Wildcats in their Hall of Fame Series matchup.