LOS ANGELES – Steve Alford is doing his best to hold tight to the preseason projections.
After UCLA’s 13th consecutive win to begin the season, the coach of the second-ranked basketball team in the country declared that Oregon is still the favorite to win the Pac-12.
Who can blame Alford for trying to deflect some of the pressure from his team before it travels to Eugene, Ore., to open conference play against defending Pac-12 champion Oregon on Wednesday? But in reality, its performance to this point might have made UCLA the favorite to win more championships than just the conference.