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UCLA Basketball: Men’s team picked 3rd in Pac-12 Preseason Poll

By Mike Regalado

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 24: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins looks on in the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 24, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 24: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins looks on in the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 24, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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It is Pac-12 Media Day and the Men’s UCLA Basketball team has been picked to finish 3rd in the conference behind Arizona and USC.

The Men‘s UCLA Basketball team has been selected to finish 3rd in the Pac-12 in the 2017-18 Preseason Poll voted on by the coaches, which is what most critics were expecting in the offseason.

RELATED: UCLA Women’s Basketball team picked 1st in Pac-12 Preseason Poll

The Bruins show up behind the Arizona Wildcats who were picked to finish first (with 22 first-place votes) while UCLA’s crosstown rival was picked second. Here is how the entire preseason poll panned out:

2017-18 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll

1. Arizona (22)

2. USC (1)

3. UCLA

4. Oregon

5. Stanford

6. Arizona State

7. Utah

8. Oregon State

9. Colorado

10. Washington

11. California

12. Washington State

The UCLA Basketball team is in an interesting spot heading into the new season. Though they were picked third, recent controversy surrounding allegations of corruption have surrounded Arizona and USC which could result in the Bruins finishing higher than third.

Each of these two programs had an assistant coach arrested for accepting improper benefits to trying and direct players to their schools. With potential sanctions hang over the #1 and #2 ranked Pac-12 preseason teams, things could end badly for USC and Arizona.

This could include losses to the Wildcat and Trojan rosters due to players being deemed ineligible. If that is the case, Arizona and USC could lose some valuable talent and finish lower than predicted.

Though this could benefit UCLA, they have their own issues to deal with.

The Bruins lose five players from last season, four of which were starters, but the tank is not empty. Thomas Welsh, Aaron Holiday and Gyorgy Goloman return to bring necessary upper class experience and will be joined by seven freshmen, two of which were 5-star rated prospects in high school, PG Jaylen Hands and SF Kris Wilkes.

Next: The UCLA Basketball 2017-18 schedule is finalized with tipoff times and television

The talent is there, but the Bruins will need some time to bring it all together. With that in mind, we could see a very exciting and determined Bruins team finish at the top of the standings as they roll into the NCAA Tournament, hopefully getting farther than the Sweet 16. Go Bruins!