Media picks UCLA to win

Basketball: UCLA was picked on Friday to win the Pac-12 men’s title, something the Bruins haven’t done since 2008 when they made the last of three consecutive trips to the Final Four.

The Bruins received 421 points and 14 first-place votes in polling by media who cover the reconfigured conference. They won three consecutive league titles from 2006-08.

UCLA narrowly edged California and Arizona in first-place votes. The Golden Bears were picked second with 405 points and 13 first-place votes, while defending champion Arizona had 404 points and 11 first-place votes for third.

Washington, the defending tournament champion, was picked fourth with 355 points, followed by Oregon, Stanford and USC.

Oregon State was picked eighth and Arizona State ninth. Newcomer Colorado and Washington State tied for 10th. New addition Utah was picked last.

• California coach Mike Montgomery said he was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had surgery last week that has left him cancer-free.

The school announced Montgomery’s surgery on Oct. 19, but didn’t disclose any details about it.

“I went from having high-grade bladder cancer to being totally cancer-free at this juncture,” he said.

Associated Press