The Arizona men’s basketball team will finish fourth in the Pacific 10 Conference this season, according to results of a poll of Pac-10 media memebers released yesterday..

The Wildcats finished tied for third in the conference last season.

Defending Pac-10 champion UCLA was picked to finish first, receiving 33 first-place votes. Washington State was slotted in second place – its highest predicted finish since the media poll began in 1992-1993. Oregon came in third.

The Pac-10 “”is by far and away the best conference in the nation and by far and away the best conference top to bottom that it’s ever been,”” said UA head coach Lute Olson in a press release.

Olson said the conference has become tougher over the years because of teams’ improving coaching staffs.

“”Unfortunately, the other coaches that have come into this league have been really good coaches with good experiences,”” said Olson, who enters his 25th year at Arizona. “”A while back, they used to hire an assistant from another program; now, they are getting the best coaches they can get.””

With great coaches, it’s easier to recruit great players, Olson added.

“”It’ll be fun for the fans (and) the players – and the coaches will need a lot of Rolaids,”” he said.

-Arizona Daily Wildcat