UCLA Picked To Win Pac-12 Title

LOS ANGELES--The UCLA Bruins are picked to finish first in the 2011-12 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball race, according to a poll of media members who cover Pac-12 men's basketball.

UCLA, led by junior All-Conference forward Reeves Nelson (13.9 ppg/9.1 rpg), tallied 14 first-place votes and narrowly edges out CALIFORNIA and ARIZONA. California, paced by senior All-Conference guard Jorge Gutierrez (14.6 ppg/4.5 apg) and senior forward Harper Kamp (14.2 ppg/5.6 rpg) picked up 13 first-place votes and is tabbed for second. Arizona, the reigning regular-season Conference champion, pulled in the remaining 11 first-place votes and are picked to finish third.

WASHINGTON, the defending Pac-12 Tournament champion, is slotted fourth, followed by OREGON in fifth and STANFORD sixth. The second half of the predicted race starts with USC edging out OREGON STATE for seventh with ARIZONA STATE picked ninth. COLORADO and WASHINGTON STATE are tied for tenth, followed by UTAH.

Media have correctly picked the Conference winner 12 times in 19 tries. The media were successful with their choice in five of the previous seven times UCLA was slated to capture the league crown.

The 2011-12 season gets underway for the Pac-12 on Monday, November 7, when Arizona hosts Valparaiso in a Coaches vs. Cancer matchup.