Preseason basketball poll puts the Bruins at No. 2

UCLA is ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press preseason basketball poll released Friday, landing second to North Carolina in a major preseason poll for the second time.

The voting by a panel of 72 sports reporters was tight, just as it was in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll released last week.

North Carolina, with three starters back from a team that was stopped by Georgetown a step shy of the Final Four, received 29 first-place votes and 1,728 points.

UCLA, which has added national high school player of the year Kevin Love, a post player, after losing guard Arron Afflalo from its second consecutive Final Four team, had 24 first-place votes and 1,710 points.

Memphis, with five starters back from a team that lost in the Elite Eight and a standout freshman guard in Derrick Rose, was close behind in third, with 18 first-place votes and 1,680 points.

USC, preparing for the much-anticipated debut of freshman guard O.J. Mayo, was ranked 18th.

The Pacific 10 Conference, which Arizona Coach Lute Olson is calling the strongest he has seen in his 25 years at the school, led all conferences with six teams.

-- Robyn Norwood