Tad Boyle and company are back to their traditional spot for expectations for the 2021-22 season, right in the middle of the pack.
The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12 preseason media poll released on Wednesday.
The UCLA Bruins, coming off a Final Four appearance, received 32-of-34 first-place votes to sit atop the preseason poll.
The Bruins return all five starters from their team that finished fourth in the Pac-12 this season and have bolstered their roster with five-star recruit Peyton Watson and Rutgers big-man transfer Myles Johnson. They are not only picked to win the Pac-12 but one of the favorites for the national championship.
The Oregon Ducks, who only return two starters from a year ago, come in at second in the preseason poll followed by the USC Trojans, Arizona Wildcats and Oregon State Beavers to round out the teams ahead of Colorado in the polls.
With 10 freshmen and sophomores on the roster and only two upperclassmen, the Buffs will be one of the youngest teams in college basketball next season. But it isn’t without star power.
Senior Evan Battey was selected to the preseason All-Pac-12 first team while sophomore Jabari Walker was an honorable mention. Boyle brings in the best recruiting class in program history, a class that finished 13th in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-12 on the 247Sports rankings.
A team that has a lot to prove, but if there is anything we know about Tad Boyle it’s that he likes to exceed expectations.
2021-22 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
1. UCLA
2. Oregon
3. USC
t4. Arizona
t4. Oregon State
6. Colorado
7. Arizona State
8. Washington State
9. Stanford
10. Utah
11. Washington
12. California