After losing four starters from last year’s Sweet 16 squad, UCLA men’s basketball was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12.
A preseason media poll slotted the Bruins behind Arizona, Utah and Colorado — but did give them one first-place vote. All 31 other first-place votes went to the Wildcats, widely considered a national title contender.
Kevin O'Neill on the media member who voted UCLA No. 1 in Pac-12's media poll: "He was drunk that day." #ArizonaWildcats
— Anthony Gimino (@AGWildcatReport) October 23, 2014
They lost guard Nick Johnson and forward Aaron Gordon — the Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the Year, respectively — but return point guard T.J. McConnell and adds five-star recruit Stanley Johnson.
“There’s no better team than Arizona,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle told USA Today last week. “Their defensive commitment and toughness on a night-in and night-out basis make them so hard to beat. In the Pac-12, it’s Arizona and the rest of us.”
UCLA is thin in the backcourt after losing Kyle Anderson, Jordan Adams and Zach LaVine to the NBA draft. It also graduated forwards Travis and David Wear.
Five-star freshman forward Kevin Looney is currently limited with a hip injury, but second-year head coach Steve Alford said the issue is not serious.
2014-15 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Media Poll
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
First-place votes in parentheses