Arizona was ranked fifth in the preseason USA Today coaches Top 25 poll released Thursday.
Arizona was a consensus No. 1 pick among major preseason publications, all of which had deadlines before the FBI investigation became public on Sept. 26, so it's possible that the lower ranking reflects fallout from the allegations.
In fact, one coach, Idaho State's Bill Evans, said he didn't vote for any teams implicated in the federal complaint that resulted in the arrest of UA's Book Richardson and nine other college basketball figures.
USC, also named in the complaint, was ranked 11th in the coaches poll and UCLA was 18th. Among UA nonconference opponents, Villanova (a possible opponent in the Battle 4 Atlantis) was ranked sixth and Alabama 25th.
The other major Top 25 poll, the Associated Press media poll, has not released its preseason poll results yet.
UA's Deandre Ayton was named to the preseason watch list for the Karl Malone power forward award.
Tyler Herro told Scout that Arizona has been among the schools talking to him since his decommitment from Wisconsin (a move that Frank Kaminsky didn't like).
