There is no other way to frame Hawaii’s Big West opener at Cal Poly today.

"They’ve had our number, and we know that," UH coach Gib Arnold said. "It’s our job to make sure it doesn’t happen again this year."

This game in San Luis Obispo, Calif., has the makings of a potential roadblock for a Rainbow Warriors team that built considerable momentum through an 11-3 nonconference portion of its schedule. The ‘Bows have won nine of their past 10 games for their best 14-game start since 2003-04.

UH has the best record in the Big West, but had the benefit of a home-heavy schedule; it is only 1-1 on the mainland this season.

The Big West once again projects as a one-bid conference to the NCAA Tournament, with a 16-game league schedule boiling down to which of nine teams wins three games at the Big West tourney at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., in mid-March.

UC Santa Barbara (9-4), projected winner UC Irvine (9-7) and Cal State Northridge (8-7) are the only other Big West teams with winning records entering league play.

If the ‘Bows are to better their sixth-place preseason projection, the Mustangs’ cramped, 3,000-seat Mott Athletics Center would be a great place to start.

Cal Poly (4-9) has won four straight meetings over UH since 2010, including a home-and-home sweep in 2013, the first Big West season for the ‘Bows.

Fond memories of California’s Central Coast were hard to extract from the UH players who were present for last season’s 29-point blowout loss, the most lopsided of a 17-15 (10-8 BWC) season.

"I think it’s a beautiful place but I think their gym is not very nice," said UH senior Christian Standhardinger.

UH’s only other visit to Mott, for a Bracketbusters return game in Arnold’s first season of 2010-11, ended in controversy on a Mustangs putback that might have come after the buzzer, handing UH a 54-53 loss.

Modest crowds at Mott have a way of making visiting players see — and hear — double. Poly went 13-1 there last season, a school record, including a perfect 9-0 mark in the Big West.

"They’ve got a small gym, but the crowd is loud, amplified," forward Isaac Fotu said. "It seems like they have a bigger crowd. We seem to always have trouble with them. … Whatever we did, we couldn’t seem to beat them. We got different people this year and I think it’ll be a different story as well."

UH struggled mightily against Cal Poly’s perimeter players, but the ‘Bows feel they are better equipped to match up this year, with a starting five all essentially averaging double-figure scoring, plus better guard depth and an up-tempo style.

The ‘Bows are the highest-scoring team in the conference (82.0), while Poly is the lowest at 64.9 ppg.

"I’m just glad it’s at our place because it appears to us that you’ve got a very dominating team on your home court right now," Poly coach Joe Callero said. "We’re definitely going to have to play an A game to hang with (UH) this year."

Poly will turn to senior forward Chris Eversley (14.0 ppg), whose numbers are down so far against a tough schedule. His 3-point attempts are up at five attempts per game, but he’s made only 29.2 percent of them. Eversley scored 25 in leading Poly to a 64-61 win at the Stan Sheriff Center last March, spoiling UH’s senior night.

The Mustangs, as usual, are again the best team in the conference in ball control, turning it over only 10.5 times per game. But UH has improved that aspect of its game, at a respectable 12.8 turnover average.

"They’re going to know our plays, we’re going to know their plays," ‘Bows guard Brandon Spearman said. "We’re familiar with ’em from last year, and they’re familiar with us. But we out to hunt."

UH continues its league-opening stretch of four of its first five games on the road at Cal State Northridge on Saturday.

BIG WEST MEN’S BASKETBALL CAPSULES