Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Picked Second In Pac-12 Preseason Poll
October 08, 2019 | Men's Basketball
Bey, Wright Named Preseason All-Pac-12
BOULDER – The University of Colorado was picked to finish second in the 2019-20 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball race according the league's Preseason Media Poll.
In addition, juniors Tyler Bey and McKinley Wright IV were named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 team by the same voting panel.
Colorado tallied 288 points which included nine first-place votes. The Buffaloes nearly claimed the top spot, just being edged out by three points to preseason favorite Oregon, which had 291 points and nine first-place votes.
Colorado's preseason conference poll selection is its best in either the Pac-12 or Big 12 eras. The three-point separation between the Buffaloes and Ducks is the fourth-closest preseason poll vote in league history (1988-89 – tie, 1994-95 – 2 pts, 2012-13 – 1 pt).
Five teams received first place votes, tying for the most in the Pac-12 annals. Defending regular season champion Washington had six and was picked to place third with 273 points. Arizona had a pair of first-place votes and was picked fourth with 263 points. USC picked up the final first-place vote and was selected fifth at 198.
Arizona State, who opens against the Buffaloes in the Pac-12 China game on Nov. 8, was sixth with 187 points. Oregon State was seventh (161), followed by UCLA (148), Utah (131), Stanford (84), Washington State (47) and California (35).
Bey and Wright were among 10 selected to the Preseason All-Pac-12 First Team, mirroring the number that appear on the final regular season squad. Bey led the Pac-12 with 17 double-doubles in 2018-19, averaging 13.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Wright, who also earned honorable mention to the Pac-12's All-Defensive Team, averaged 13.0 points, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals as a sophomore.
Both Bey and Wright were 2018-19 All-Pac-12 First Team members as sophomores. Colorado is the first conference team to return two First Team All-Pac-12 performers since California had Patrick Christopher and Jermoe Randle in 2009-10.
