The UCLA men’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the Pac-12 preseason media poll, released Thursday morning.
Voted to win the league was Arizona, which received 18 first-place votes — double that of second-place pick Cal. Utah received seven first-place votes, while Oregon and the Bruins each got received one.
USC was picked to finish 10th, above only Washington and Washington State.
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. Continue reading “UCLA picked to finish fourth in Pac-12 media poll” »
Live updates from Jack Wang and the Los Angeles News Group, the Denver Post, the Salt Lake Tribune and the San Jose Mercury News throughout two days of Pac-12 Football Media coverage in Los Angeles, July 23-24, 2014.
When you gather together every Pac-12 coach into one room, a few good moments are bound to materialize. Here are some of the best quotes from Thursday’s Pac-12 Media Day, held at Pac-12 Networks studios in San Francisco.
— Arizona ran away with media votes in the preseason poll, taking 21 of 23 first-place votes. UCLA and Colorado finished second and third, respectively, each taking one of the two remaining votes.
Buffs guard Spencer Dinwiddie didn’t agree with that projection: “We don’t view Arizona as the top, the cream, and everybody else in the rest. We view ourselves as the cream and everybody else can fight for the rest of the spots.” Continue reading “Best quotes of Pac-12 Media Day” »
CULVER CITY – If Anthony Barr’s growing hype can be distilled into a single sequence, it would be one on Nov. 17, 2012. That day, the UCLA linebacker blew through USC’s line untouched, crushing quarterback Matt Barkley on second-and-seventh.
Less than three minutes later, UCLA beat USC 38-28, winning the rivalry for the first time since 2006. Shoulder separated, Barkley never played another collegiate down.
Asked about the moment at Friday’s Pac-12 Media Day, Barr laughed.
“I want to know why the tackle just let me go, for whatever reason,” Barr said. “He should be standing up here and talking to you guys, because he’s the reason why I was able to make that play.” Continue reading “UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr ready to embrace hype” »