The Arizona men’s basketball team is expected to finish second in the Pacific 10 Conference, right behind first-place Washington, according to the conference’s media poll announced during the league’s media day in Los Angeles.

The Wildcats received 296 votes and one first-place selection while the Huskies earned 348 votes and 33 first-place votes. UCLA was the only other team to tab a first-place vote from the 35 media voters.

“”With Washington’s great success over a decade, you can see why they’re picked one,”” Arizona head coach Sean Miller told reporters.

“”For us, we really can’t control anything outside of our program,”” he added. “”If we’re picked fifth, sixth, second, our goal will remain the same.””

Miller was joined in Los Angeles by sophomore forward Derrick Williams to discuss the Wildcat team with reporters from around the league.

“”I don’t know if any coach feels better about the player sitting by him than I do next to Derrick,”” Miller said, adding that just a year ago, there were talks of Williams redshirting his freshman year.

Arizona behind but improving in graduation

Arizona is still last in the Pac-10 in the annual Graduation Success Rate report, according to USA Today.

The Daily Wildcat reported last spring that Arizona’s graduation rate was 61 percent. It improved this year to 65 percent. That comes with a 48 percent football graduation rate.