With the ease and force of an Aaron Gordon dunk on a fast break, the Arizona Wildcats ran away from the rest of the Pac-12 in preseason voting about the league race.
Arizona was picked to finish first by the media, receiving 21 of the 23 first-place votes. UCLA got a nod at No. 1, as did Colorado.
The Bruins edged the Buffs for second in the poll (212 points to 211), followed by Oregon, Cal and Stanford.
The second half of the league went like this: Arizona State, Washington, Utah, Oregon State, USC and Washington State.
The Pac-12 is holding its annual Media Day today in San Francisco.
The USA Today coaches poll also was released Thursday morning. Arizona checks in at No. 5, trailing Kentucky, Michigan State, defending champ Louisville and Duke.
Only two other Pac-12 teams made the USA Today Top 25. In a difference of opinion from the conference writers, the 32 coaches from across the country, put Oregon as the next-best Pac-12 team, ranking the Ducks at No. 18. UCLA is No. 23.
Here is the full Pac-12 poll:
| Rk. | Team | Pts. |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Arizona (21) | 273 |
| 2. | UCLA (1) | 212 |
| 3. | Colorado (1) | 211 |
| 4. | Oregon | 196 |
| 5. | California | 194 |
| 6. | Stanford | 166 |
| 7. | Arizona State | 159 |
| 8. | Washington | 121 |
| 9. | Utah | 68 |
| 10. | Oregon State | 67 |
| 11. | USC | 63 |
| 12. | Washington State | 39 |