Hawaii received its first top-three placement in a Big West men’s basketball preseason poll on Wednesday morning. Cause for excitement? Not exactly.

Eran Ganot’s Rainbow Warriors, projected by the media to finish third behind UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara in 2015-16, reacted with something falling between disdain and apathy.

"We talk with our guys a lot about getting recognition for what we do, not what we say we can do," the first-year coach Ganot said.

UH previously hadn’t been picked higher than fourth in a preseason poll since joining the Big West in 2012. The Rainbows haven’t yet finished better than fourth in the Big West regular season, though they reached the conference tournament championship game as part of a 22-13 (8-8 Big West, fifth place) season in 2014-15.

"It’s just a preseason ranking and we still have to prove ourselves. Can’t get too caught up in that," said senior point guard Roderick Bobbitt, the reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Year and an all-league second-teamer last year. "Plus, we don’t want to be third place. … That really is irrelevant."

Preseason honors

Junior swingman Aaron Valdes, who led UH in scoring last season at 13.7 points per game, was named to the six-player preseason all-conference team after receiving an postseason honorable mention in 2014-15.

"I’m just thankful for it. Putting it all the work and stuff," Valdes said. "But right now it doesn’t really mean anything until we play games (and) actually get out there and show that I can actually do that stuff. Right now it’s just an assumption that I could. So, it’s just something to work towards for me too personally."

The high-flying Valdes averaged 3.2 points as a freshman, then broke out last year.

"Very happy for him," Ganot said. "And I’m very happy for guys like him who get it as a product of doing things right and working hard. He’s improved every year. The challenge we have for him now is to take another jump. He’s not off the radar anymore."

Some of the top talent in the league moved on since last year. Gone are UC Santa Barbara center Alan Williams, UC Davis guard Corey Hawkins and Long Beach State guard Mike Caffey.

Valdes was joined on the preseason team by center Mamadou Ndiaye and guard Luke Nelson of UC Irvine, forward Taylor Johns and guard Jaylen Bland of UC Riverside, and wing Michael Bryson of UC Santa Barbara.

Other nominations

The Rainbow Warriors also nominated Bobbitt, guard Isaac Fleming and forward Stefan Jankovic to the preseason team, but only Valdes was named to the six-player group.

"I’m just going to go out and play my game," said Bobbitt, the national steals leader last season at an even 100. "Let my game speak for itself. Me and my teammates are going to go out there and go hard, fight and win."

UC Irvine, which beat UH for the 2015 tourney title, received 19 of 23 first-place votes for 198 points. The Anteaters were followed by UC Santa Barbara (two first-place votes, 161 points); Hawaii (133); Long Beach State (128); UC Riverside (120); Cal Poly (two first-place votes, 117); CSUN and UC Davis (70 apiece); and Cal State Fullerton (38).

UH hosts Chaminade in a Nov. 5 exhibition and opens the regular season Nov. 13 against Montana State.