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LOS ANGELES — The Arizona Wildcats say they have been getting better by doing all the little things right.

From a distance, however, their improvements are so slight they are imperceptible.

Arizona was picked to finish seventh in the Pac-10 Conference's annual preseason poll, ahead of only Washington, Stanford and Washington State.

Speaking at the conference's annual media day gathering, UA coach Mike Stoops called the polls "a waste of ink — for most coaches, at least," "insignificant" and not indicative of his team's chances to compete.

The Wildcats are coming off a disappointing 5-7 mark in 2007. They return 10 offensive starters, including record-setting quarterback Willie Tuitama, but figure to be young and thin on defense.

Arizona's inexperienced defense, coupled with a history of early-season struggles, makes the program a bit of an unknown heading into a crucial season.

"We want to establish ourselves as a program that's going to be consistent every time we step on the field," Stoops said. "We have an opportunity in the next three or four months to do that."

USC was picked to finish first by the conference's media for the sixth consecutive year, with Arizona State, Oregon, Cal and UCLA rounding out of the top five.