The UCLA men’s basketball team is a lot like an elaborate jigsaw puzzle fresh out of the box, with the pieces scattered around and some not yet turned over. Some of the pieces are obvious, others not so much, and responsible for arranging it all is fifth-year head coach Mick Cronin.

The Bruins will get some of their bigger pieces in order Monday in the regular-season opener against Saint Francis (Pennsylvania), which visits Pauley Pavilion for an 8:30 p.m tip-off as the second half of an opening night doubleheader on the Pac-12 Network.

The UCLA women’s program, ranked fourth in the country, will take the floor first against Purdue at 5:30 p.m.

After sitting out last Tuesday’s exhibition win over Cal State Dominguez Hills, sophomores Dylan Andrews and Adem Bona and freshman Aday Mara are expected to suit up for the Bruins, who come into the season picked to finish third in the Pac-12 and ranked 25th in the USA Today coaches’ poll.

Mara, a 7-foot-3 center from Spain and one of eight newcomers on the roster this season, was cleared to compete last Friday by the NCAA after being tied up in a legal dispute involving his contract and exit from professional Spanish team Basket Zaragoza.

Mara’s size, passing ability and soft touch around the basket are among the skills that already have him on the radar of NBA scouts.

UCLA’s freshman-heavy roster also includes international guards Ilane Fibleuil (France) and Jan Vide (Slovenia) and forward Berke Buyuktuncel (Turkey), along with U.S.-born combo guard Sebastian Mack and forwards Brandon and Devin Williams (no relation). Mack had team highs of 23 points and seven assists in the 97-56 exhibition win over the Toros.

As of Monday morning, Buyuktuncel, a 6-foot-9 wing, was still awaiting clearance from the NCAA.

Among the challenges, Cronin said throughout the offseason, will be teaching the new Bruins how to defend — a staple of his coaching identity — and building up the stamina of the players who didn’t get as much consistent playing time overseas.

“You’re trying to break bad habits and build good habits at the same time,” Cronin said of a team that will replace its top five scorers, including four starters from last season’s Pac-12 regular-season champions who advanced to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16.

Among the key losses were last season’s Pac-12 player of the year Jaime Jaquez Jr., league and national defensive player of the year Jaylen Clark, all-conference point guard Tyger Campbell, all-conference freshman team guard Amari Bailey and 3-point shooting sixth man David Singleton.

Bona, who is returning from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss two of the team’s three NCAA tournament games, is the team’s lone returning starter and top returning scorer coming off Pac-12 freshman of the year and all-conference defensive team honors.

Bona averaged 7.7 points on 67.5% shooting to go with 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks over 33 games last season.

Cronin has already made it clear that Bona will have to be comfortable assuming the role as UCLA’s best player this season.

“I’m so blessed to be able to play with guys like Jaime and Tyger, to be able to see that, learn from them and to be able to get the leadership role from them, also,” Bona said.

Assisting with some of the veteran leadership will be junior guard Lazar Stefanovic, a transfer from Utah who averaged 10.3 points while shooting 35.9% on 3-pointers last season.

In the Bruins’ exhibition win, he scored 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting — including 3 of 3 beyond the arc — and grabbed seven rebounds.

“When you’re a freshman, you never know what’s coming. Everything’s new to you,” Stefanovic said last month at Pac-12 Media Day. “So it’s good to have someone with experience and someone you trust.”

Running the team will be Andrews, who played inconsistent minutes off the bench while learning behind Campbell last season.

Andrews averaged 3.3 points and 0.9 assists in 10.9 minutes over 36 games. His on-ball defense and speed with the ball were among the strongest traits he’s looking to build upon in Year 2.

“It’s exciting,” Andrews said in the summer. “Just being here with the guys, it’s a whole new group of people. We have to pick up the pace fast, especially since we’re one of the youngest teams in the NCAA.”

Other key returners include sixth-year forward/center Kenneth Nwuba and redshirt sophomore guard Will McClendon.

Saint Francis posted a 13-18 record last season, including 9-7 in the Northeast Conference. It will be just the second meeting between the programs, with UCLA prevailing 95-58 in November 2018.

The Bruins will have just three nonconference games to prepare for a loaded Maui Invitational from Nov. 20-22. Five Associated Press Top 25 ranked teams are in the field, including top-ranked Kansas, No. 3 Purdue, No. 5 Marquette, No. 9 Tennessee and No. 11 Gonzaga.

UCLA will open the tournament against Marquette.