This season, the University of Hawaii basketball team has embraced a defensive attitude.

“We all take pride in guarding our man,” said Beon Riley, a third-year Rainbow Warrior, “and guarding our yard. That’s what Coach (Eran Ganot) says: ‘guard the yard.’”

In racing to an 11-3 start, including 2-0 in the Big West, the ’Bows have disarmed opposing shooters. The ’Bows entered the week allowing 59.7 points per game, 16th fewest among 352 NCAA Division I teams. They are 50th in field-goal defense (39.8%), and 12th in defending 3-point shooting (27.6%). Four opposing teams shot under 20% from behind the arc.

“Just the will,” Riley said of the ’Bows’ defense. “We have a saying: ‘We score, you don’t. We pass, you guys don’t.’ We really key on certain guys. We pay attention to scouts. We really try to follow it to a T. We feel we’ve been executing so far.”

Entering the Diamond Head Classic two weeks ago, Pepperdine forward Maxwell Lewis and guards Houston Mallette and Mike Mitchell were converting on better than 44% of their 3s. Against the ’Bows’ aggressive man-to-man defense, they were a combined 2-for-10 on 3s.

Washington State guards Justin Powell and Jabe Mullins were 1-for-8 on 3s against the ’Bows. UC Davis’ best player, Elijah Pepper, went zip-for-6 from behind the arc. Kobe Sanders, Cal Poly’s 6-foot-8 point guard, missed both his 3s.

“It takes an incredible amount of effort and sacrifice and team(work),” Ganot said.

With videos available of every team’s games, there are few secrets. “People scout defensive stuff, as well, finding cracks in there,” Ganot said. “The beauty of our team is we have versatility defensively. Size around the rim. We can move guys to different spots. We have point-of-attack guys at different spots. Sometimes we’ll guard a 20-a-game guy inside, sometimes it might be on the perimeter.”

Associate head coach John Montgomery, who coordinates the UH defense, designed a scheme to frustrate Alimamy Koroma, Cal Poly’s 6-8 post. When guarding Koroma, UH centers Bernardo da Silva and Mor Seck stayed put in the low post. When Koroma, a multiple-pivot shooter, got the ball, a guard would slide down. Koroma was held to 10 points — four coming after the outcome was decided — and took only one free throw. He missed it.

“I feel it’s a collective thing,” Riley said. “If we want to achieve a goal, it starts on the defensive end.”

The development of the bench has helped the defense. Da Silva can defend more aggressively because of Seck’s emergence as a rim protector. Seck is a 7-foot-1 freshman with a 7-6 wing span.

Riley has come off the bench to defend the two, three and four spots. Samuta Avea, a 6-6 wing who usually guards an opposing team’s top shooter, and Riley combined to frustrate UC Davis’ Pepper.

“We always talk before games,” Riley said of strategy sessions with Avea. “Even in pregame huddles, we’re talking to each other. ‘Remember that this guy has hard-right tendencies. He likes to shoot. It’s like his favorite move.’ From a leadership standpoint (Avea has) been great. Everybody has been great.”

In the past four games, the ’Bows have connected on 31.3% of their 3s, including 1-for-11 against Cal Poly. “I think shots will eventually fall,” said guard Noel Coleman, who averages a team-high 13.9 points. “We’re in a little bit of a dip. But I think our defense makes up for it a lot.”

Coleman added: “Our coach really hammers on building a wall and playing team defense. You’ve got to play good one-on-one defense. But I think our team defense is at a high level right now, which covers getting beat baseline or getting beat middle.”