LOS ANGELES - In the most decisive preseason men's water polo coaches' poll in MPSF history, the UCLA men's water polo team has been selected to finish first among 10 teams in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) preseason coaches' poll, as announced by the conference office.
UCLA collected 78 points and eight first-place votes to headline the 2015 edition. The 12-point differential over second-place USC (66) surpassed the Trojans' previous record 10-point selection at the top of the 2008 poll.
The Bruins, who topped the annual preseason poll for the first time since 2005, are the defending NCAA Champions and finished unbeaten in the 2014 MPSF regular season.
UCLA returns six All-Americans, led by first-teamers Gordon Marshall and goalkeeper Garrett Danner. Marshall scored the game-winner in the 2014 National Championship to finish the year with 39 goals, while Danner has led the MPSF in goals-against average for the past two seasons (5.91 in 2014; 6.32 in 2013).
UCLA also returns All-American Danny McClintick, a senior utility who was named 2014 NCAA Tournament MVP after scoring four goals in the championship game.
USC, meanwhile, is coming off a 10th-straight appearance in the NCAA finals. Back are All-Americans Nick Bell, James Walters, Mihajlo Milicevic, and goalkeeper McQuin Baron.
Tied for third in the poll and just one point behind the Trojans were California and defending MPSF Champion Stanford, who each collected 65 points and one first-place vote. All-Americans Luca Cupido (42 goals; 2014 MPSF Newcomer of the Year) and Colin Mulcahy (58 goals) return for the Bears.
Stanford All-American Bret Bonanni will have the opportunity to become the MPSF's all-time leading scorer, 66 goals away from former Cardinal Tony Azevedo's record of 332. Bonanni is the only player in MPSF history to post multiple 90-goal seasons.
Pacific (44) rounded out the top-half of the poll, returning seven of its top-eight scorers from a year ago, including All-American Ben Stevenson off a 54-goal season.
Long Beach State was close behind the Tigers with 42 points, taking sixth. The 49ers reached the 2014 MPSF finals, and return several top scorers.
UC Santa Barbara (31), UC Irvine (28), Pepperdine (22), and first-year program San Jose State (9) rounded out the coaches' poll.
First sprint to the 2015 season is September 5, while MPSF Conference action kicks-off September 26. USC is this year's site of the MPSF Championship Tournament, November 20-22, where all 10 teams will compete for entry to the NCAA Tournament. UCLA will host NCAA's December 5-6, following the NCAA Play-In games on November 28. Since its inaugural season of 1992, the MPSF has captured all 23 NCAA titles in men's water polo.
2015 MPSF PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
| Rank | Team | Points (First-Place) | 2014 Record | 2014 MPSF Record (Finish) |
| 1 | UCLA | 78 (8) | 29-3 | 8-0 (1st) |
| 2 | USC | 66 | 24-7 | 6-2 (3rd) |
| 3T | California | 65 (1) | 22-7 | 4-4 (5th) |
| 3T | Stanford | 65 (1) | 26-4 | 7-1 (2nd) |
| 5 | Pacific | 44 | 14-12 | 2-6 (6th-Tie) |
| 6 | Long Beach State | 42 | 20-7 | 5-3 (4th) |
| 7 | UC Santa Barbara | 31 | 11-15 | 0-8 (9th) |
| 8 | UC Irvine | 28 | 15-14 | 2-6 (6th-Tie) |
| 9 | Pepperdine | 22 | 11-15 | 2-6 (6th-Tie) |
| 10 | San Jose State | 9 | 0-0 | First Year |