Tracking the Preseason Polls: West Coast Edition

Our six westernmost D1 conferences have all released their preseason polls. Let's see how prognosticating reporters and coaches think the season will go.

The short version: Should the seers be proven correct, here are your conference champs:

Pac-10: Cal
WCC: Gonzaga
MWC: BYU
WAC: Utah St.
Big Sky: Weber St.
Big West: Long Beach St.

To the polls!

Pac-10 Media Poll

Cal has practically their entire team back, including the only two returners from last year's all-conference team. UCLA getting five first-place votes was a bit of a surprise -- some voters may have leftover ballots from the 70s when the Bruins came pre-filled at the top of the conference. Arizona seems to have earned their ranking largely on reputation as well.

Pac-10 teams in the AP poll: Cal (13), Washington (14), UCLA (33).

West Coast Conference Coaches' Poll

1. Gonzaga - 48 (6)
2. Portland - 44 (2)
3. Saint Mary's - 34
4. San Francisco - 26
5. Santa Clara - 26
6. San Diego - 21
7. Pepperdine - 13
8. Loyola Marymount - 12

The Zags lose three starters and have no frontcourt, but most of the league's coaches think they'll get their tenth straight WCC title anyway. Portland has their top 12 players back from last year's third-place team.

WCC teams in the AP poll: Gonzaga (37)

Mountain West Conference Media Poll

1. BYU - 215 (23)
2. San Diego State - 166 (1)
3. UNLV - 161
4. Utah - 143
5. New Mexico - 141
6. Wyoming - 89
7. TCU - 82
8. Colorado State - 58
9. Air Force - 25

Only one voter thinks BYU won't repeat as league champions. Likewise, only one voter thinks Air Force won't finish last. Obviously the voters see a clear division between the league's haves and have-nots.

MWC teams in the AP poll: BYU (40)

Western Athletic Conference Media Poll

1. Utah State - 273 (15)
2. Nevada - 269 (12)
3. New Mexico State - 226 (6)
4. Idaho - 193
5. Boise State - 145
6. Louisiana Tech - 140
7. Fresno State - 130
8. San Jose State - 88 (1)
9. Hawai'i - 66

No consensus of opinion here. Utah State and Nevada have dominated this league over the past five years, both winning more than 70% of their conference games. Most voters think one of the two will win again. One iconoclast picks San Jose St., which was 6-10 in conference last year. The Spartans did have a ton of injuries, but a jump up to #1 seems unlikely.

WAC teams in AP poll: Utah St. (49)

Big Sky Conference Media Poll

1. Weber State - 251 (23)
2. Montana - 202 (3)
3. Portland State - 194 (2)
4. Idaho State - 157
5. Montana State - 134
6. Northern Colorado - 119
7. Northern Arizona - 87
8. Eastern Washington - 73
9. Sacramento State - 36

Weber St. was 15-1 in the conference last year, but didn't make the NCAAs because Montana St. upset them in the conference tourney semis. They lose Big Sky POY Kellen Moore, but have four other starters back. They are obviously the consensus pick.

Big West Conference Media Poll

1.    Long Beach State (17)    209
2.    UC Santa Barbara (6)     178
3.    Cal State Northridge       130
4.    UC Riverside                   127
5.    Pacific (1)                        126
6.    UC Davis                         114
7.    Cal State Fullerton            90
8.    UC Irvine                           76
9.    Cal Poly                             30

Former Gonzaga coach Dan Monson will return to the NCAAs this year, according to the Big West media. Long Beach State brings back three players from last year's all-frosh team, including guard Larry Anderson, who made all-conference -- the first Big West true frosh to do that since Quincy Pondexter's uncle Cliff, a future NBAer, did so 35 years ago. UC Santa Barbara's first-place votes are largely due to speculation about the impact of transfer Orlando Johnson, who led Loyola Marymount in scoring and boards as a freshman and was named to the preseason all-conference team.

Big West teams in the AP poll: None