College basketball picks, schedule: Predictions for Arizona vs. UCLA, more Top 25 games on opening day

After an offseason full of court cases with unresolved outcomes for dozens of players fighting for a fifth year of eligibility, the 2026-27 college basketball season is here at last. For the rest of the season, actual basketball games will be the focus in the coming days and weeks to follow. Twenty of the preseason AP Top 25 teams will be in action Monday, including two ranked-on-ranked matchups that will set the table for what should be a season full of intriguing storylines. Florida enters the season ranked No.