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PAC-12 MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:
- UCLA
- Oregon
- USC
- Arizona
- Oregon State (tied 4th)
- Colorado
- Arizona State
- Washington State
- Stanford
- Utah
- Washington
- California
COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-After barely making the NCAA Tournament last year, UCLA kicked it into a gear that I don’t think anyone knew they had and blew through the NCAA Tournament making it all the way to the Final Four where they barely lost to top-ranked Gonzaga. All five starters from that team are back, as well as some other pieces. They aren’t just the best team in the Pac-12, but are starting off ranked #2 in the nation and are a real threat to get back to the Final Four this year.
-Saying Oregon will be good this year is getting to sound like saying the temperature will go up in the summertime. They routinely win 20+ games, make the NCAA Tournament, and are more often than not in the rankings. I don’t see it seeing being any different this year. Three starters are gone from last year’s Sweet Sixteen team, but the pieces they have coming in should keep them from having any sort of a setback.
-USC did something down the stretch last year that you normally don’t see out of an Andy Enfield team, and that’s that they started to slow the tempo down and play to their strengths. They won 25 games and made it all the way to the Elite Eight, and once again exceeded pretty much all preseason expectations. They do lose three key players from a year ago, but if I’ve learned anything about the Trojans it’s that you should never underestimate them.
-A fantastic story from last season was Oregon State. They had an unspectacular season where they basically went into the Pac 12 Tournament needing to win it in order to make the field. They did win it, and then they kept winning until they lost in the Elite Eight. I don’t expect to see this team back in the Elite Eight this season, but I don’t expect to see them so far outside the bubble going into the conference tournament either. Hopefully last year’s run gave the Beavers’ program a bit of a jolt, and with three starters back they can carry that momentum into this season.
-Arizona has a new coach in Tommy Lloyd, and while they did go through a bit of a roster overhaul, they have some good pieces back (including four starters) and I think the pieces are there to where they can get back to the NCAA Tournament.
-I always seem to be high on Colorado coming in to the year. Most aren’t looking at them as a potential NCAA Tournament team, but…once again…I kind of like their team and think they can be a bit of a dark horse.
-Washington State is a program to keep an eye on. I don’t think they’ll make the NCAA Tournament this year, but they’ve improved significantly in each of the last two seasons, and with four starters back it wouldn’t shock me at all to see them take another major step forward this year. Coach Kyle Smith has done a hell of a job.
-Utah had a rather long season last year and with a roster overhaul will look to improve this year. I still look at them as being in rebuilding mode, though.
-Washington had perhaps a longer season and is also in rebuilding mode this year. They may have even more to rebuild than Utah.
-Stanford and Cal is…well…a great rivalry!!