Head coach Steve Alford (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

The UCLA men’s basketball team was picked to finish third in the Pac-12 in the preseason media poll, the conference announced Thursday at Pac-12 Media Day.

The Bruins, who finished behind projected champion Arizona and USC in the media poll, are coming off their third Sweet 16 appearance in four years, but lost four starters.

They return senior center Thomas Welsh and guard Aaron Holiday, who will lead a highly touted freshman class that includes McDonald’s All-American guard Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes.

Arizona was a near unanimous pick to win the conference in the preseason poll as the Wildcats received 22 of 23 first-place votes. USC, which returns all five starters from last year’s team that won a school-record 26 games, was picked to finish second.

The full media poll: