No. 3 Stanford leads the way as Pac-12 looks to shine again

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Five teams from the Pac-12 are in The Associated Press preseason poll for a sixth straight season, led by defending champion Stanford. The Pac-12 is tied for the most ranked teams with the ACC and Big Ten. Stanford sits at No. 3 and Oregon at No. 10, Oregon State 14th, UCLA at 20 and Arizona at 22. Coaches and players throughout the Pac-12 knew well before last season’s NCAA Tournament that they had one of the most talented conferences in the country. Then, Stanford edged Arizona by a point in the NCAA championship game.