Khalif Battle couldn't believe how open he was.

On Gonzaga's last two possessions he had taken just one step back and caught and shot 3-pointers, but here he was alone in the corner with no defender within 15 feet of him after Baylor lost him in transition .

The 3-pointer, which Battle celebrated with a smile and a shake of the shoulder, was the epitome of a Gonzaga victory that turned out to be much easier than expected. The Zags earned their biggest win ever against a top-10 opponent on Monday night at Spokane Arena, a 101-63 season-opening win over eighth-ranked Baylor.

Gonzaga's lead was already double-digit midway through the first half and stood at 19 at halftime. The gap continued to widen in the second half as the sixth-ranked Zags defended with maximum effort, willingly sharing the ball and generating attack after attack.

The top-10 matchup between Gonzaga and Baylor was a rematch of the 2021 national title game, which the Bears won convincingly. This win does nothing to avenge the Zags' bitter defeat, but it does raise the question of whether 2024-25 could finally be Gonzaga's year.

With the return of six rotation players and the powerful transfers Battle and Michael Ajayi, Gonzaga should collect points even more easily than a year ago. Guard Nolan Hickman (17 points) and forward Graham Ike (15 points) were two of five Gonzaga players with double figures on Monday night. The Zags shot 57.1% from the field and over 40% from behind the arc.

For Gonzaga, the biggest question is whether its defense will improve. Gonzaga's defensive efficiency has slipped into the top 50 nationally over the past two seasons, but the way the Zags held on to the ball against Baylor was a big step forward.

Gonzaga's dominant win makes the Zags the big winners of men's college basketball's opening night. Here's a look at some of the other winners and losers from a night that saw 19 of 25 AP Top 25 teams in action:

Loser: SEC

For a conference hailed as one of the best of the season in college basketball, the SEC had a tough opening night. Four teams in the league suffered defeats, each against opponents who were not ranked.

It was bad enough when South Carolina suffered a stunning home loss to North Florida and Missouri blew a 10-point halftime lead against Memphis. Then Texas A&M fell late to UCF and Texas blew a record-setting 29-point performance from freshman Tre Johnson in a loss to Ohio State.

Making matters worse for the SEC was the fact that college basketball's other four major conferences were largely spared from disaster. The ACC, Big East, Big Ten and Big 12 teams combined to go 48-1 on Monday, with the only loss being Baylor's no-show against Gonzaga.

The SEC likely has better days ahead this season, so the Big 12's social media team was quick to pounce while it had the chance.

Winner: Montverde Academy

It's easy to see why Montverde Academy went 33-0 last season and won its eighth high school national championship. Three of Florida's top prep school players made statements in their college debuts Monday night.

The headliner, as always, was Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in next year's NBA draft and the most hyped prospect to enter college basketball in more than a decade. The 6-foot-2 Duke freshman showed off his trademark stat-stuffing versatility in his highly anticipated collegiate debut, a 96-62 win over Maine.

Early in the first half, Flagg was Duke's best playmaker, drawing in defenders before delivering pinpoint passes to open teammates. Later in the game, Flagg became more aggressive, looking for his own shot and repeatedly coming downhill. He finished the game with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals, that high-flying dunk being his most memorable highlight.

Of course, Flagg wasn't the only five-star recruit at Montverde last season. Maryland center Derik Queen debuted with a 22-point, 20-rebound performance against Manhattan. And Georgia big man Asa Newell tied Dominique Wilkins' program record for most points by a player in his first game, posting 26 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in a narrow win over Tennessee Tech.

The most impressive part? There is another former Montverde star. Once he recovers from a calf strain, five-star recruit Liam McNeeley will make his UConn debut.

Loser: The Rims at Breslin Center

Thoughts and prayers are with those rims after Michigan State's Coen Carr did this.

And that.

And almost this.

Carr is the best dunker in college basketball. Rims, you have been warned.

Winner: Louisville

In two miserable seasons under Kenny Payne, Louisville was a laughingstock. One of college basketball's most storied programs posted a record of 12-52. The fans who made the effort to go to the KFC Yum! Center watched the Cardinals lose to the likes of Bellarmine, Wright State, Appalachian State and Chattanooga.

The revamped Louisville team that new coach Pat Kelsey unveiled Monday night looked nothing like the Payne-era Cardinals. Kelsey brought the joy back to the Louisville program by defeating underdog Morehead State 93-45.

Yes, it was just a game. Yes, it was an opponent projected to finish fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference. Still, this had to be a relief for Louisville fans given the program's dismal recent history.

Loser: Saint Louis

The opening game of Josh Schertz's tenure at Saint Louis couldn't have gone much worse. The Billikens suffered more than just an 85-78 loss to underrated Santa Clara at the Field of 68 Showcase on Monday afternoon. They may also be without star player Robbie Avila for a few weeks after the Indiana State transfer suffered a right ankle injury late in the second half.

Avila, along with Saint Louis, collapsed on the floor under the basket within four minutes and needed help limping to the locker room. He later returned to the Billikens bench with his ankle wrapped in ice. The injury is similar to the right ankle sprain that sidelined Avila for most of the preseason, Schertz told reporters after the game.

Schertz told the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, “It's not looking good.” He later added, “There's a possibility we'll have to be without him for a while.”

Winner: DePaul

Jacob Meyer made Southern Indiana pay for not fouling three players. The DePaul guard sank a game-winning right-wing three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in regulation time, enabling the Blue Demons to win 80:78 in overtime.

Loser: DePaul

This was Southern Indiana, KenPom's No. 336 preseason team, a third-year Division I program that went 8-24 a year ago. It's not an encouraging omen for Chris Holtmann's debut season that DePaul needed an unlikely shot to survive this game.