SAN FRANCISCO -- The ARIZONA Wildcats are picked to finish first in the 2015-16 Pac-12 Conference men’s basketball race, according to a poll of media members who cover Pac-12 men’s basketball.

Arizona, led by senior Kaleb Tarczewski (9.3 ppg/5.2 rpg), secured the top spot in the poll for the fourth-straight year and received 18 first-place votes. CALIFORNIA picked up nine first-place votes and finished in the second spot just 18 points ahead of UTAH at No. 3. The Bears return the league’s top backcourt with senior Tyrone Wallace (17.1 ppg/7.1 rpg) and junior Jordan Mathews (13.6 ppg/3.4 rpg) and welcome in one of the top recruiting classes in the country. The Utes, who grabbed seven first-place votes, return four starters from the 2014-15 squad, including senior guard Brandon Taylor (10.6 ppg/3.3 apg) and sophomore forward Jakob Poeltl (9.1 ppg/6.8 rpg), one of the Pac-12’s best big men.

OREGON, the runner-up finishers at the 2015 Pac-12 Tournament, were picked to finish fourth in the poll, followed by UCLA at fifth, after it advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2014-15. The Ducks and Bruins picked up one first-place vote each. OREGON STATE rounded out the top half of the poll, weighing in at sixth while COLORADO came in at seventh.

ARIZONA STATE is tabbed at eighth, followed by STANFORD at ninth and USC at 10th. WASHINGTON was picked to finish 11th, while WASHINGTON STATE rounds out the poll at 12th.

Media have correctly picked the Conference winner 14 times in 23 tries. Arizona has correctly been selected in nine of the previous 13 times it has been slated to capture the league crown.

The 2015-16 season gets underway for the Pac-12 with 11 games on Friday, November 13. All but one of those games will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks as part of this year’s Full Court Friday. The Pac-12 China Game featuring Washington and Texas will take place in Shanghai, China, at 7 p.m. PT on ESPN. For more information, including a composite schedule, visit www.pac-12.com.

2015-16 PAC-12 MEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA POLL

Team (First Place Votes) Points 1. Arizona (18) 406 2. California (9) 378 3. Utah (7) 360 4. Oregon (1) 338 5. UCLA (1) 304 6. Oregon State 235 7. Colorado 188 8. Arizona State 165 9. Stanford 145 10. USC 111 11. Washington 96 12. Washington State 65

PREVIOUS PAC-12 MEN'S BASKETBALL POLLS

Year Predicted

Winner Actual

Finish Actual

Winner Predicted

Finish 2014-15 Arizona 1st arizona 1st 2013-14 Arizona 1st Arizona 1st 2012-13 Arizona 2nd UCLA 2nd 2011-12 UCLA 5th (tied) Washington 4th 2010-11 Washington 3rd Arizona 2nd 2009-10 California 1st California 1st 2008-09 UCLA 2nd Washington 5th 2007-08 UCLA 1st UCLA 1st 2006-07 UCLA 1st UCLA 1st 2005-06 Arizona 4th (tied) UCLA 3rd 2004-05 Arizona 1st Arizona 1st 2003-04 Arizona 3rd Stanford 2nd 2002-03 Arizona 1st Arizona 1st 2001-02 UCLA 6th Oregon 6th 2000-01 Arizona 2nd Stanford 2nd 1999-00 Arizona 1st (tied) Arizona /

Stanford 1st /

3rd 1998-99 Stanford 1st Stanford 1st 1997-98 Arizona 1st Arizona 1st 1996-97 UCLA 1st UCLA 1st 1995-96 UCLA 1st UCLA 1st 1994-95 UCLA 1st UCLA 1st 1993-94 California 2nd (tied) Arizona 3rd 1992-93 Arizona 1st Arizona 1st 1991-92** Arizona 3rd UCLA 2nd 1990-91** Arizona 1st Arizona 1st 1989-90** Arizona 1st (tied) Arizona /

Oregon State 1st /

3rd

**The Pac-12 polls were decided in a vote among league coaches (1990-1992).