SAN FRANCISCO – The ARIZONA Wildcats are picked to finish first in the 2014-15 Pac-12 Conference men’s basketball race, according to a poll of media members who cover Pac-12 men’s basketball.
Arizona, led by redshirt senior T.J. McConnell (8.4 ppg/3.6 rpg), secured the top spot in the poll for the third-straight year after garnering all but one first-place vote. UTAH narrowly claimed No. 2, with just one more point than third-place finisher COLORADO. Both the Utes and the Buffs return four starters from last season, including first team All-Pac-12 honorees in Utah’s Delon Wright (15.5 ppg/6.8 rpg) and Colorado’s Josh Scott (14.1 ppg/8.4 rpg).
Reigning Pac-12 Tournament champion UCLA is slotted fourth in the poll, followed by STANFORD at fifth, after both squads advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2013-14. WASHINGTON edged out CALIFORNIA by one point to round out the top half of the poll, weighing in at sixth while the Golden Bears come in at seventh.
OREGON is tabbed at eighth, followed by ARIZONA STATE at ninth and USC at 10th. WASHINGTON STATE was picked to finish 11th, while OREGON STATE rounds out the poll at 12th.
Media have correctly picked the Conference winner 13 times in 22 tries. Arizona has correctly been selected in eight of the previous 12 times it has been slated to capture the league crown.
The 2014-15 season gets underway for the Pac-12 with 11 games on Friday, November 14. All but one of those games will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks as part of this year’s Full Court Friday. For more information, including a composite schedule, visit www.pac-12.com.
Team (First Place) | Points | |
---|---|---|
1. Arizona (31) | 383 | |
2. Utah | 317 | |
3. Colorado | 316 | |
4. UCLA (1) | 290 | |
5. Stanford | 264 | |
6. Washington | 189 | |
7. California | 188 | |
8. Oregon | 159 | |
9. Arizona State | 155 | |
10. USC | 106 | |
11. Washington State | 84 | |
12. Oregon State | 45 |
Year | Predicted Winner |
Actual Finish |
Actual Winner |
Predicted Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014-15 | Arizona | TBD | TBD | TBD |
2013-14 | Arizona | 1st | Arizona | 1st |
2012-13 | Arizona | 2nd | UCLA | 2nd |
2011-12 | UCLA | 5th (tied) | Washington | 4th |
2010-11 | Washington | 3rd | Arizona | 2nd |
2009-10 | California | 1st | California | 1st |
2008-09 | UCLA | 2nd | Washington | 5th |
2007-08 | UCLA | 1st | UCLA | 1st |
2006-07 | UCLA | 1st | UCLA | 1st |
2005-06 | Arizona | 4th (tied) | UCLA | 3rd |
2004-05 | Arizona | 1st | Arizona | 1st |
2003-04 | Arizona | 3rd | Stanford | 2nd |
2002-03 | Arizona | 1st | Arizona | 1st |
2001-02 | UCLA | 6th | Oregon | 6th |
2000-01 | Arizona | 2nd | Stanford | 2nd |
1999-00 | Arizona | 1st (tied) | Arizona / Stanford |
1st / 3rd |
1998-99 | Stanford | 1st | Stanford | 1st |
1997-98 | Arizona | 1st | Arizona | 1st |
1996-97 | UCLA | 1st | UCLA | 1st |
1995-96 | UCLA | 1st | UCLA | 1st |
1994-95 | UCLA | 1st | UCLA | 1st |
1993-94 | California | 2nd (tied) | Arizona | 3rd |
1992-93 | Arizona | 1st | Arizona | 1st |
1991-92** | Arizona | 3rd | UCLA | 2nd |
1990-91** | Arizona | 1st | Arizona | 1st |
1989-90** | Arizona | 1st (tied) | Arizona / Oregon State |
1st / 3rd |
**The Pac-12 polls were decided in a vote among league coaches (1990-1992).