Women’s and men’s basketball tip off the season with big matchups

The GIST: So nice we had to say it thrice: College basketball is so back. And the season is starting off hot thanks to some opening-week top-25 matchups. Hoop yeah.

No. 8 Baylor men visit No. 6 Gonzaga for late-night thriller: This game marks the eighth all-time meeting between these two powerhouse squads, and since five of those matchups were decided by single-digits, we’re all set up for an instant classic tonight at 11:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

• The players to watch? Khalif Battle, who the Zags picked up in the transfer portal, and Baylor’s No. 3–ranked freshman VJ Edgecombe.

Top women’s teams take the court for Aflac’s Oui-Play doubleheader from Paris: The women’s hoops season will begin in the City of Light for a second straight year, a magnifique way to follow up last season’s record-breaking numbers.

• No. 3 USC and the aforementioned No. 20 Ole Miss kick things off at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN, the first chance to see USC’s preseason All-Americans JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen, who just transferred from Stanford. Beware these Trojans.

• Then, No. 5 UCLA and No. 17 Louisville meet at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, with UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Louisville’s Olivia Cochran leading their respective squads in a battle of the bigs. Oui oui!