Cal picked second in Pac-12 poll
Stanford tabbed ninth in men’s basketball poll
The Cal men’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the Pac-12 Conference by a panel of 36 media members who cover the league. Stanford was picked to finish ninth.
Arizona was tabbed to win the conference title in a vote that was released during Thursday’s Pac-12 media in San Francisco. The Wildcats have won the conference title nine of the previous 13 times they were picked first.
The Wildcats received 18 first place votes and 408 total points, compared with nine first-place votes and 378 votes for Cal, which features three returning starters and elite freshmen Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb.
Stanford is replacing three departed senior starters, including career scoring king Chasson Randle.
Pac-12 commissioner n Larry Scott says he’s intrigued by the idea of pushing back the start of the college basketball season and creating a one-semester sport.
“I absolutely think it should be explored. We should look at everything,” he told reporters at Pac-12 media day. He also said the status quo has merit.
“We should realize that March Madness is something very unique, part of the psyche of the American sports fan, something that is very hard to re-create,” he said. “I do love the idea of college basketball being a one-semester sport.”
Women’s soccer
Samantha Witteman’s goal at the 61-minute mark lifted No. 23 Cal to a 1-0 win over 19th-ranked Santa Clara in Berkeley.
The goal Witteman’s fourth of the season, and all have been game-winners for the Golden Bears (10-3-2). Cal’s Emily Boyd had three saves, and Andi Tostanoski had five for Santa Clara (95-0).
Swimming
Freshmen Amy Bilquist and Katie McLaughlin won two events each to lead the Cal women to a 174-120 victory over Utah at Spieker Aquatics Complex.
Bilquist won the 50yard freestyle (23.05 seconds) and 200 backstroke (1:57.03). McLaughlin took the 200 free (1:46.65) and 500 free (4:50.40).
The Cal men beat Utah 165-128 as Ryan Murphy won the 50 freestyle (20.15) and 100 butterfly (47.22, fastest in the nation this year) and also swam on the winning 200 medley relay.
Freshman Andrew Seliskar was Cal’s other double winner, taking the 100 backstroke (49.11) and 200 breaststroke (2:00.46).
Volleyball
Nikki Hess recorded 15 kills and Kirsten Mead had 36 assists as Santa Clara (15-4, 6-1 West Coast Conference) swept past Pepperdine 25-15, 25-18, 25-22 in Malibu.
It was the Broncos’ sixth consecutive victory.
San Jose State outn lasted visiting Wyoming in five games, 18-25, 25-22, 2628, 25-14, 16-14.
Giulia Gavio had 16 kills and Tyanna Roy 14 to lead five players in double figures for the Spartans (11-9, 3-4 Mountain West).
Softball
Stanford’s Jessica Plaza, Cal’s Jazmyn Jackson and Annie Aldrete and former Bears star Valerie Arioto were among 43 players invited to compete at the 2016 USA Softball Women’s National Team selection camp in January in Irvine.
Hockey
Ryan Carpenter, Micheal Haley and Nikita Jevpalovs scored second-period goals, and the San Jose Barracuda (1-1) picked up their first win of the season, 4-1 over the host Stockton Heat.
Jevpalovs added another goal in the third period. Aaron Dell had 25 saves.