Hoops is back. Not just practice, not exhibition, actual (more or less) games. Twelve SEC played Monday night, and here are 10 takeaways from Opening Night.

1. Even a limited Kentucky is a good Kentucky

Without Oscar Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler and Daimion Collins, No. 4 Kentucky played its opener against Howard … and looked pretty darn solid. The Wildcats shot 55%, including 46% from 3, and won by 32 points. Veteran transfer guards Antonio Reeves and CJ Fredrick combined for 42 points, including 8 3-pointers. Cason Wallace missed a triple-double in his first game by 2 boards and 1 assist. Jacob Toppin is still maybe the most improved player on UK’s roster. It’s not the 2012 or 2015 teams, but it’s a very good Kentucky team … and will be better when 3 of the top 8 players are back.

2. Veterans carried the Hogs

After much of the offseason hype being about Arkansas’ 3 incoming McDonald’s All-Americans, the trio combined for … 7 points in 48 minutes played. Yes, Nick Smith missed the game due to minor injury. But it was the wily old guys who took care of business for Arkansas in an 18-point win over North Dakota State. Wichita State transfer Ricky Council, Mizzou transfer Trevon Brazile and Razorback returnee Davonte Davis combined for 61 of Arkansas’s 76 points — as well as 21 boards (12 from Brazile). Those 3 also took all 10 of Arkansas’s 3-point attempts (with Brazile making 3 and Council adding 1). Winning in multiple ways isn’t a bad thing, even if it was a bit of a surprise for the No. 10 Hogs.

3. Tennessee’s defense is fine

After No. 11 Tennessee thumped Gonzaga in an exhibition game, it was pretty clear their offense was fine. The defense? Against Tennessee Tech, it was pretty impressive. The Vols held Tech to 33% shooting, outrebounded them by a +9 margin, and forced 22 turnovers, mostly via 17 steals. Also, Tyreke Key is a bad man. Finally playing as a Vol after missing last season due to injury, Key had 17 points in 24 minutes and picked up 3 of the aforementioned steals.

4. Auburn will be spotty

No. 15 Auburn won its opener by 18 but also looked a little questionable. The guards ran hot and cold a year ago, and opened this season with starters Wendell Green Jr. and Zep Jasper shooting a combined 6-for-21. KD Johnson shot 4-for-13 off the bench. As a team, Auburn shot 34% and went 4-for-25 from 3-point range. They got by with it Monday but will have to avoid those kinds of performances against major conference foes.

5. Bama was boarding

No. 20 Alabama had a fairly nondescript 21-point win over Longwood … in which the Tide grabbed 67 rebounds. Four starters had double-digit rebound games, and Alabama went a tidy +29 on rebounds. Charles Bediako had 8 offensive rebounds (the Tide had 22). Yes, Bama shot 39% overall and went 3-for-28 from long distance. But Monday’s story was the backboard, and if Bama hits the glass like that, even poor shooting nights won’t matter much.

6. Balanced Gators looked good

The Todd Golden era got off to a nice start in Gainesville. Thirteen Gators scored in Florida’s 81-45 win over Stony Brook. Most impressive was LSU transfer Alex Fudge, who came off the bench for 16 points in 18 minutes. Florida’s starting 5, meanwhile, shot a combined 18-for-32. UF went +16 on the glass and +8 in turnovers. If Monday is a guide, the Gators could surprise this season.

7. Good news, bad news for Mizzou

The good news for new coach Dennis Gates was that Missouri scored 97 points on Monday in his first game. The bad news was that they gave up 91, including allowing Southern Indiana to shoot 15-for-30 on 3-pointers. Kobe Brown had a good game for the Tigers, with 20 points and 14 boards. But the Tigers have to do a better job guarding the 3-point line or it’ll be a long year in CoMo.

8. Vandy takes the league’s lone loss

While Vandy took the only loss in the SEC on opening night, they also played the toughest opponent, in Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers. Vandy does miss Scottie Pippen Jr.’s scoring punch, as they shot 41% for the game and were outrebounded by 7 boards. Junior guard Tyrin Lawrence, who had just 3.8 points per game a year ago led Vandy with 14 points on Monday. But more offensive firepower is needed in Nashville.

9. Aggies sharp from long range in opener

Buzz Williams’s Texas A&M squad shot 12-for-26 (46%) from three-point range in their opening win over Louisiana-Monroe. Wade Taylor and Dexter Dennis combined to shoot 7-for-10 from long range, and dependable Henry Coleman had 14 points and 7 boards. GIve how A&M will rebound (+11 on Monday) and defend (27% shooting for ULM), if they can shoot the outside shot like this, look out.

10. State, Ole Miss struggle early

Ole Miss and Mississippi State picked up solid wins (Ole Miss 73-58 over Alcorn State and Mississippi State winning 63-44 over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi). However, both teams struggled for long portions of their game. The Bulldogs trailed until a Tolu Smith free throw with 16:07 to play gave them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Ole Miss, meanwhile, led by just 1 point at halftime. The common thread seems to be a lack of offensive punch. Ole Miss shot just 37% and State shot 42%, including 6-for-25 from long range. Both teams have to find more scoring punch in a hurry.