SAN FRANCISCO -βArizona was picked to finish in a tie for fourth with Oregon State in the Pac-12's official preseason media poll, while Wildcat sophomores Bennedict Mathurin and Azuolas Tubelis received preseason all-league honors.
Mathurin was named to the Pac-12's 10-player first team, while Tubelis was named to the five-player second team.
In a poll of media members who regularly cover the league, UCLA received 32 of 34 possible first-place votes after returning nearly all its key players from a Final Four run last season. Oregon, which loaded up on highly regarded transfers to replace standouts Chris Duarte and Eugene Omoruyi, was chosen second and USC third, despite losing star center Evan Mobley.
Here's the full poll, with total points and first-place votes in parentheses:
Predicted order of finish:
1. UCLA (32) 404
2. Oregon (2) 373
3. USC 320
T4. Arizona 245
T4. Oregon State 245
6. Colorado 235
7. Arizona State 224
8. Washington State 221
9. Stanford 151
10. Utah 105
11. Washington 85
12. California 44
The conference's preseason all-league teams:
First team
Name Yr. Pos. School
Warith Alatishe Sr. F Oregon State
Marcus Bagley So. F Arizona State
Evan Battey Sr. F Colorado
Tyger Campbell Jr. G UCLA
Jaime Jaquez Jr. Jr. G/F UCLA
Johnny Juzang Jr. G UCLA
Bennedict Mathurin So. G Arizona
Isaiah Mobley Jr. F USC
Will Richardson Sr. G Oregon
Noah Williams Jr. G Washington State
Second team
Name Yr. Pos. School
Boogie Ellis Jr. G USC
Quincy Guerrier Jr. F Oregon
De'Vion Harmon Jr. G Oregon
Jarod Lucas Jr. G Oregon State
Azuolas Tubelis So. F Arizona
HONORABLE MENTION (received votes from eight-or-more members of the media): Efe Abogidi (So., WSU); Daejon Davis (Gr., WASH); Jaiden Delaire (Sr., STAN); Harrison Ingram (Fr., STAN); Jabari Walker (So., COLO); Peyton Watson (Fr., UCLA).
