Utah top pick again

Steve Addy

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2000 | 10:23 a.m.

Here are the results from the preseason Mountain West Conference media poll, with first-place votes in parentheses:

Utah coach Rick Majerus figures the Mountain West media goofed by ranking his team No. 1 in the preseason poll.

He claims his Utes have too many question marks to be picked higher than fourth.

Tough luck, coach. Utah has won six straight league titles, having shared last season's first MWC championship with UNLV, and that was surely a major factor in Utah being chosen to again rule the roost.

"I think five teams can win it, and we're one of those teams," UNLV coach Bill Bayno said today. "I think this is the toughest the league has ever been, going back to the WAC days, all the way back to Danny Ainge."

Wyoming's selection at No. 2 is only a mild surprise, because the Cowboys have one of the MWC's best front lines with 6-foot-8 forwards Josh Davis and Ugo Udezue. The latter played only five games last year before having season-ending knee surgery, but averaged 20.5 points in 1998-99.

"Now there are expectations for our program, and I love it," Wyoming coach Steve McClain said. "I'm upset that a couple of magazines picked us third or fourth. I'm not excited about being picked second. I'm waiting for the day we're picked No. 1."

Kaspars Kambala, who led the Rebels in scoring (18.5) and rebounding (9.3) last year, was chosen the top returning player.