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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL
- Oregon
- Colorado
- Washington
- Arizona
- USC
- Arizona State
- Oregon State
- UCLA
- Utah
- Stanford
- Washington State
- California
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE 1ST TEAM
Tyler Bey – Colorado, JR G/F
CJ Elleby – Washington State, SO F
Nico Mannion – Arizona, FR G
Remy Martin – Arizona State, JR G
Jaden McDaniels – Washington, FR F
Payton Pritchard – Oregon, SR G
Nick Rakocevic – USC, SR F
Isaiah Stewart – Washington, FR F
Tres Tinkle – Oregon State, SR, F
McKinley Wright IV – Colorado, JR G
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE 2ND TEAM
Timmy Allen – Utah, SO F
N’Faly Dante – Oregon, FR C
Daejon Davis – Stanford, JR G
Josh Green – Arizona, FR G
Ethan Thompson – Oregon State, JR G
NOTES FROM DAVID. Last year the Pac-12 failed to put a single team in the top half of the NCAA Tournament, and while three teams got in, Arizona State just barely made it and was placed in the First Four, and Oregon (who was playing well at the end of the season and ultimately made the Sweet Sixteen) had to win the Pac-12 Tournament in order to punch their ticket. This year, the league should be substantially stronger.
Colorado has all five starters back and although they missed the NCAAs a year ago, they won 9 of their last 11 games heading into the NIT. It’s possible/probable that they’ll begin this season nationally ranked. The Buffs have a deep bench as well, and are strong in both the frontcourt and the back court.
Oregon got off to a very slow start last year, largely due to the fact that they had some crucial injuries. They would have actually been watching the NCAA Tournament on TV had they not win the Pac-12 Tourney, but by the end of the year they were playing like a Top 25 team and it showed with them making the Sweet Sixteen. Just two starters are back, but they do have several key players returning to go along with a very strong recruiting class. The Ducks will likely once again be a force.
Arizona missed the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time in several centuries, or something like that. It has been tumultuous on the court, and perhaps more tumultuous off the court for the Wildcats, but they still managed to sign an outstanding recruiting class and while it may take a little time to gel with young players, they should be back in the national spotlight (for the right reasons) this year.
The coaches and the media seem big on Washington and have them picked third. While that makes sense considering how steadily and consistently they have improved under Mike Hopkins, they did lose pretty much everyone from last year’s team. They do have some outstanding recruits coming in, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if they were once safely inside the bubble come March, but as of now I personally have more questions than certainties about the Huskies.
Andy Enfield has done a fantastic job at USC. They aren’t the class of the league by any means, but they are tons better than they were when he first arrived and they have another strong recruiting class this year. It looks as though they could end up being a sleeper team. Again.
For the last two years Arizona State has seemed to come out huge in November and December, then slipped a little bit as the season progressed, and then backed into the NCAA Tournament as a First Four team, but has been extremely entertaining along the way! With three starters back, including a strong guard in Remy Martin, and with what appear to be some pretty solid additions to the roster the Sun Devils should, if nothing else, be entertaining!
I like this Oregon State team more than most other people. They were kind of pitiful down the stretch losing four of their last five, but all the games were close. They won 18 total games last year, have four starters back including Tres Tinkle who is a very solid player, and are very well coached his father Wayne Tinkle. No one is expecting them to make a whole lot of noise, but if I had to pick a dark horse it would be the Beavers.
The Mick Cronin era at UCLA will begin this year! Mick Cronin did tremendously well at Cincinnati. When he took over that program it was in shambles. Like…it was worse than what Cal has been. And, he slowly progressed and by the time he left there they were a regular in the Top 25 and making the NCAA Tournament each year was seemingly a given. He has his work cut out for him at UCLA, and it may be a struggle early on, but it’s important to remember that they are nowhere near as bad off as Cincinnati when he took over there.
Mark Fox is a decent coach, but his new team at Cal is anything but decent. They are awful. He has his work cut out for him.
Kyle Smith is also taking over at Washington State, who is bad but not as bad as Cal.
The only team that I haven’t really talked about is Stanford. I guess because I don’t think they’re going to be good enough to really be all that excited about, but at the same time aren’t as bad as Cal and Wazzu where you have to point at them and say “WOW ! just look at how BAD they are!”