SAN FRANCISCO – With the start of the season just two weeks away, Stanford men's basketball has been selected fourth in the preseason Pac-12 poll, including one first place vote. Additionally, senior Oscar da Silva and freshman Ziaire Williams were named to the Pac-12 Preseason Media All-Conference first team.
The fourth-place preseason ranking is Stanford's highest under head coach Jerod Haase, and the program's uppermost ranking since the start of the 2012-13 campaign. The Cardinal trailed UCLA, Arizona State and Oregon in the ranking, and was one of five schools to receive a first place vote.
Stanford was one of two schools, joining Oregon, to get multiple players on the preseason All-Pac-12 first team. Williams is one of two freshmen on the first team, and one of three freshmen overall, to receive the recognition. da Silva is one of four first team all-conference selections from last year's first team, joining Remy Martin (ASU), Chris Smith (UCLA) and McKinley Wright (COLO).
Stanford enters the 2020-21 season on the heels of its first 20-win campaign since 2014-15. One of the top defensive teams in the nation a year ago, the Cardinal returns four of five starters and adds an ESPN top-10 recruiting class.
2020-21 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
- UCLA (9) 251
- Arizona State (5) 246
- Oregon (7) 241
- Stanford (1) 209
- Arizona 173
- USC (1) 154
- Colorado 149
- Utah 131
- Washington 85
- California 65
- Washington State 54
- Oregon State 36
2020-21 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Preseason Media All-Conference
First Team
Timmy Allen, Jr., F, Utah
Matt Bradley, Jr., G, California
Oscar da Silva, Sr., F, Stanford
Chris Duarte, Sr., G, Oregon
Remy Martin, Sr., G, Arizona State
Evan Mobley, Fr., F, USC
Will Richardson, Jr., G, Oregon
Chris Smith, Sr., G, UCLA
Ziaire Williams, Fr., F, Stanford
McKinley Wright IV, Sr., G, Colorado
Second Team
Isaac Bonton, Sr., G, Washington State
Tyger Campbell, R-So., G, UCLA
Josh Christopher, Fr., G, Arizona State
Ethan Thompson, Sr., G, Oregon State
Alonzo Verge Jr., Sr., G, Arizona State
Honorable Mention (on four or more ballots)
James Akinjo, Jr., G, Arizona
Evan Battey, Jr., F, Colorado
Quade Green, Jr., G, Washington
Jalen Hill, R-Jr., F/C, UCLA
Jaime Jaquez Jr., So., G/F, UCLA