Utah women's basketball: Utes picked t..

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If preseason prognostications are correct, the Utah women's basketball team will be fighting for an NCAA Tournament berth when March rolls around.

On Thursday, the Utes were picked to finish seventh in the conference at Pac-12 media day. It's a sign of respect for Utah that Anthony Levrets' program has been forcasted to place that high. Senior center Taryn Wicijowski is out for the season with a torn ACL, and she's one of the top post players in the league.

But the return of senior forward Michelle Plouffe carries weight for the Utes. A preseason all-conference and all-american selection, Plouffe is one of the best all-around players in the Pac-12. Utah returns point guard Danielle Rodriguez — a starter last year as a freshman — and the Utes bring in a talented recruiting class.

Stanford has been picked to win the league for the 13th consecutive season. Last year the Cardinal won 30 games for the sixth straight season.

Tony Jones —

Pac-12 women's basketball poll

Team Points

1. Stanford (11) 121

2. California (1) 111

3. Colorado 91

4. Washington 85

5. UCLA 80

6. USC 77

7. Utah 59

8. Oregon State 51

9. Washington State 50

10. Arizona State 29

11. Arizona 21

Note: First-place votes in parentheses

Utah women's basketball: Utes picked to finish seventh in Pac-12