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The Ross Hodge era begins in Morgantown as West Virginia hosts Mount St. Mary’s on Tuesday night. After last year’s 9-23 finish, the Mountaineers aim to reestablish defensive identity and stability under their new coach. Hodge arrives from North Texas, where he went 46-24 and emphasized efficient tempo and disciplined defense. He rebuilt West Virginia’s roster with eight transfers, including Honor Huff, who led the nation in 3-pointers made at Chattanooga. North Dakota’s Treysen Eaglestaff and St. Bonaventure’s Chance Moore join Huff as key scoring options. Mount St. Mary’s, picked ninth in the MAAC, returns only one starter under second-year coach Donny Lind. Veteran guard Xavier Lipscomb anchors the backcourt alongside Trey Deveaux, a transfer from Western Illinois. See more

No. 9 Kentucky begins its season Tuesday at Rupp Arena against Nicholls, a mid-major trying to rebuild under coach Tevon Saddler. The Wildcats, 24-12 last season and a Sweet 16 team, look to make a deeper March run under second-year coach Mark Pope. Expectations are sky-high in Lexington. Pope’s revamped roster blends returning guards Otega Oweh and Trent Noah with transfers Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe, and Denzel Aberdeen. Add in standout freshman Jasper Johnson, and Kentucky’s depth should overwhelm most early opponents. Nicholls, which finished third in the Southland Conference last year, lost its top scorers but returns solid rotation pieces like Trae English and Jaylen Searles. The Colonels added guard Zee Hamoda from Sacramento State and Iona transfer Christian

Arizona State tips off the new season Tuesday night in Tempe with a rebuilt roster and plenty of unknowns. The Sun Devils come off a 13-20 campaign and were picked to finish last in the Big 12. They’ll face a Southern Utah squad also in transition after an eighth-place finish in the WAC. Bobby Hurley retooled his program with 14 newcomers, including transfer guard Moe Odom from Pepperdine, who ranked fourth nationally with 7.5 assists per game. Hurley also added several European players led by Andrija Grbovic, expected to play a major role. Visit the full college basketball preview section for more early-season breakdowns. According to the latest numbers on the NCAA basketball odds page Arizona State opened around a

Change defines the USC Trojans as they open the season on Nov. 3 at the Galen Center against Cal Poly Coach Eric Musselman overhauled his roster after a 17-18 finish in his first Big Ten campaign. Thirteen newcomers join the Trojans, including graduate forward Chad Baker-Mazara, who helped Auburn reach the Final Four, and 7-foot-5 transfer Gabe Dynes from Youngstown State. Cal Poly counters with experience. The Mustangs reached the Big West semifinals and return sophomore guard Peter Bandelj, last season’s top scorer at 10.4 points per game. Coach Mike DeGeorge’s team averaged 82.1 points and brings a roster featuring players from nine countries. USC’s defense shined in an exhibition win over Loyola Marymount, holding the Lions to 28 percent