SAN FRANCISCO – Oregon is picked to finish second and Oregon State tied for fourth in Pac-12 men’s basketball as the preseason media poll was unveiled Wednesday morning.
UCLA, a Final Four team of a year ago, is the selection to win the conference title, earning 32 of 34 first place votes.
The preseason poll and all-conference teams were announced prior to Wednesday’s media day for men’s basketball at the conference office in San Francisco.
Oregon, coming off a Sweet 16 appearance last March, had two first place votes but finished well behind the Bruins for the top spot. The Ducks have won the past two regular season titles.
Oregon State, which made an Elite Eight run for the first time since 1982, tied Arizona for fourth in the poll. It is the Beavers’ highest position in the preseason poll since 1992-93.
Oregon State and Oregon had one player each on the all-conference first team in Beavers’ forward Warith Alatishe and Ducks’ guard Will Richardson. Second team selections include OSU’s Jarod Lucas and Oregon’s De’Vion Harmon and Quincy Guerrier.
Here is the preseason poll:
1. UCLA (32 first place) 404 points
2. Oregon (2) 373
3. USC 320
T4. Oregon State 245
T4. Arizona 245
6. Colorado 235
7. Arizona State 224
8. Washington State 221
9. Stanford 151
10. Utah 105
11. Washington 85
12. California 44
Here is the all-conference team:
FIRST TEAM
Warith Alatishe, F, Oregon State
Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State
Evan Battey, F, Colorado
Tyger Campbell, G, UCLA
Jaime Jaquez Jr., G, UCLA
Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA
Bennedict Mathurin, G, Arizona
Isaiah Mobley, F, USC
Will Richardson, G, Oregon
Noah Williams, G, Washington State
SECOND TEAM
Boogie Ellis, G, USC
Quincy Guerrier, F, Oregon
De’Vion Harmon, G, Oregon
Jarod Lucas, G, Oregon State
Azuolas Tubelis, F, Arizona
Honorable mention: Efe Abogidi, Washington State; Daejon Davis, Washington; Jaiden Delaire, Stanford; Harrison Ingram, Stanford; Jabari Walker, Colorado; Peyton Watson, UCLA.
–Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel