[valentine]

The Pac-10 didn’t get much respect in the coaches’ preseason top 25 men’s basketball poll released last week, and it got even less respect in the Associated Press preseason media poll released this week.

Washington was the only Pac-10 team ranked in either poll, and the Huskies, who were No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll, came in at No. 18 in the AP poll.

You have to go back to the 1985-86 season to find a preseason AP poll in which the Pac-10 fared worst.   No Pac-10 team was ranked in that preseason poll 25 years ago, which was then a top 20, and that’s not a good omen, because no Pac-10 team was ranked in the final AP poll in 1986 either.

Defending champion Duke was an overwhelming choice for the No. 1 spot in this week’s AP poll, just as it was in the coaches’ poll, and Michigan State was a solid No. 2 in both polls.

But the Pac-10 lagged way behind.

Not only was Washington the only Pac-10 team in the top 25, but the Pac-10 team with the next highest number of voting points was Arizona, which was 38th  with just eight voting points.   The only other conference team to get votes was UCLA, with five.

So, other than Washington, the Pac-10 garnered just 13 voting points.  In the coaches poll, UCLA, Cal and Arizona all got votes, combining for 19 points.    Cal, which got five votes in the coaches’ poll, got none from the media.

And it doesn’t get any better if you add Utah and Colorado, the two teams that will be added next season to form the Pac-12, because neither of them got a vote either.

The Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East each has four teams in AP’s preseason 25, and the ACC and the Southeastern Conference had three apiece.  And all five had at least one top-10 team.   The Pac-10 was even outdone by the nearby Mountain West Conference, which has two teams in the top 25.

Only four teams from the West were ranked at all, and the only one in the top 17 was Gonzaga at No. 12.   Besides Washington at No. 18, BYU and San Diego State made it at No. 24 and 25.

[llperez]

i dont expect anyone other then washington to get pre-season respect. But just watch, its not nearly as bad as people think. Both UCLA and Arizona are capable of entering the top 25 this next year. West coast always gets slept on by the national media. I saw dicky v’s top 50 teams and washington was the only pac 10 team on it. All we can do is wait and see.

[llperez]

i dont expect anyone other then washington to get pre-season respect. But just watch, its not nearly as bad as people think. Both UCLA and Arizona are capable of entering the top 25 this next year. West coast always gets slept on by the national media. I saw dicky v’s top 50 teams and washington was the only pac 10 team on it. All we can do is wait and see.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

yeah, watchout for UCLA their core group have been together for a while..In fact i think 6 of the league’s teams are returning at least 3 starters ..So those players know their teammates weaknesses and strengths..And Chemistry on Veteran laden teams can mean alot come Tournament time…

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

yeah, watchout for UCLA their core group have been together for a while..In fact i think 6 of the league’s teams are returning at least 3 starters ..So those players know their teammates weaknesses and strengths..And Chemistry on Veteran laden teams can mean alot come Tournament time…

[Author]

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