The Hawaii men’s basketball team has been picked to finish in fourth place in its inaugural season in the Big West Conference.

Defending champion Long Beach State was tabbed to repeat in the BWC preseason media poll released today, followed by Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine. The 49ers garnered 13 of 21 first-place votes.

After UH, it went UC Santa Barbara, Pacific, Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, UC Davis and UC Riverside.

UH senior center Vander Joaquim was one of six players named to the BWC preseason all-conference team, along with LBSU’s James Ennis, Northridge’s Stephan Hicks, D.J. Seeley and Kwame Vaughn of Fullerton, and Michael Wilder of UC Irvine.

Third-year UH coach Gib Arnold said this of the poll and preseason team: “LBSU and Fullerton appear to have the most talent on the roster. UC Irvine and Pacific are both returning their entire starting five. We obviously are the youngest team in the Big West with eight freshmen and have to develop our young guys to compete with the upper half of the conference. We do have one proven player in Vander and I am pleased he was voted preseason All-Big West.”