HONOLULU — Eran Ganot took the court with an easy smile and doled out fist-bumps and handshakes to anyone within arm’s reach.

Coming off the first missed Big West tournament of his decade-plus tenure as Hawaii men’s basketball coach, questions were forthcoming about the pivotal season set to begin in six weeks.

But you wouldn’t have known it Tuesday by reading the self-described “fired-up” 11th-year coach, who enters 2025-26 on the final year of his contract coming off a missed Big West tournament appearance in March.

[Note: See below for more photos of the first Hawaii men’s basketball practice of the season.]

A sense of urgency coming off that 15-16 season?

“You don’t need extra motivation,” Ganot replied near a Stan Sheriff Center tunnel. “Your genuine, natural motivation should be enough. I was born with urgency. I grew up with urgency. It’s not like we change things for a big game or a big year. But certainly if you can ever add or fuel the fire as much as you can, we’ll do that.”

Hawaii coach Eran Ganot enters his 11th season leading the Rainbow Warriors. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Ganot and his staff conducted an extensive rebuild of the roster, and did so early enough that 10 players were present for summer workouts, sufficient to run self-contained fullcourt sessions in an open gym.

In addition to a dozen members of the media Tuesday, first-year UH Athletic Director Matt Elliott was in attendance in the recently rebranded Bankoh Arena.

All nine newcomers were in action along with four returnees — including a late surprise in Gytis Nemeiksa, last year’s leading scorer (12.3 points per game) who in August was granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA.

The Lithuanian forward said he’s out for some redemption for last year’s outcome.

“We didn’t make the Big West tournament last year and that’s a big dip for the program, because this program is a winning program,” Nemeiksa said. “So I just wanted to bring it back as a team, as a player, as much as I can. That was a big thing for me.”

He said he had a positive read on his new teammates — six Division I transfers, plus one player each from the Division II, junior college and prep school ranks — in the short time he’s played with them.

Now UH and the rest of its D-I peers can ramp up from four hours of basketball a week to 20.

Ganot said his staff would simplify the team’s base system while the newcomers get accustomed.

With graduate student pickups Hunter Erickson (Utah), Tanner Cuff (Evansville), Dre Bullock (South Dakota), Jalen Myers (Norfolk State) and Yacine Toumi (Seton Hall), plus another older player in senior center Isaac Johnson, UH has one of its oldest teams in recent memory.

Bullock, a 6-foot-6 wing who is playing for his fourth D-I program and fifth school overall including junior college, has regularly experienced rosters that have been cobbled together. But none were this senior.

“It’s pretty different,” Bullock said. “I never really had nobody 25 with wives and got kids on the way. But it definitely gives like an overseas experience, like a pro situation. … I’m starting to enjoy it though. Everybody’s mature; I feel like maturity helps a lot of situations.”

Bullock gave a shout-out to the team’s new general manager, NBA veteran guard Patty Mills, who put the team through some bonding activities over the summer.

Now comes the reality of forming a brand-new starting unit. Even Nemeiksa came off the bench for most of last season, behind fellow returnee Harry Rouhliadeff (6.5 ppg, 3.7 rebounds per game).

Point guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor started 11 games at point guard as a true freshman and recorded 72 assists against 30 turnovers. He and Cuff figure to battle it out for the primary ball-handler role.

“Hunter Erickson’s played some point, Hunter Carter’s played some point (as well),” Ganot said. “So right away, it’s part of throwing a young guy into the fire like Aaron Claytor. He’s a pretty experienced sophomore at a really key position. Cuff has been playing that position for years. They’ve been going at it. They’re complementing each other. They’re different. That’s exactly what we’re looking for.”

He noted that Cuff, at 6 feet 7, has a post-up skill set, while most of the UH bigs have the ability to step out to shoot.

“There’ll be some inverting, some different styles we’ll see,” Ganot said.

Isaac Finlinson, the 6-8 NJCAA Player of the Year out of Snow College, could battle it out with Bullock for the top spot on the wing that last year was occupied by Ryan Rapp.

The 7-foot Johnson, 6-10 Toumi and 6-9 Rouhliadeff did big man drills together at one end of the floor with assistant coaches Rob Jones and Gibson Johnson on Tuesday, battling it out to be the successor of sturdy center Tanner Christensen (10.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg), while the 6-8 Myers worked with the guards and wings with associate coach Brad Davidson.

UH opens at Oregon on Nov. 4 and plays its first home game Nov. 9 against East Texas A&M.

No preseason exhibitions have yet been announced.

Guard Hunter Carter dropped off a pass. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Forward Yacine Toumi dunked the ball with two hands. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Guard Isaiah Kerr, a transfer from Division II Chico State. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Guard Hunter Erickson went through a halfcourt drill. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Assistant coach Rob Jones went through a big man drill with center Isaac Johnson as teammates observed. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Center Isaac Johnson held Yacine Toumi at bay during a vertical leap drill. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Forward Yacine Toumi lobbed a floater. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Center Isaac Johnson dunked the ball. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Wing Isaac Finlinson dribbled into the paint. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Forward Jalen Myers executed a jump stop. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Former Rainbow Warrior guard Juan Munoz is the team’s new director of player development. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Guard Tanner Cuff took a 3-pointer over the contest of assistant coach Brad Davidson. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Jalen Myers slammed the ball. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Wing Dre Bullock went in for a layup. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Point guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor, one of UH’s four returnees, smiled as he worked on free throws. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Wing A.J. Economou enters his third season with UH. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Newcomer Dre Bullock, right, shook hands with coach Eran Ganot at the start of practice. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Guard Hunter Erickson executed a finger roll. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Forward Gytis Nemeiksa swooped in for a layup. Guard Hunter Erickson executed a finger roll. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Guard Isaiah Kerr went for a floater. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.