The Patriot League released its preseason poll, and Navy checked in at No. 5, trailing (in order) Bucknell, Army, Colgate and Lehigh.
It's the first time in league history that the Midshipmen have been ranked outside of the top two in the preseason poll. The team's 4-9 overall record and 2-4 mark in the Patriot League surely fueled the low placement, but Navy either won the regular season outright or shared the title every year between 2004 and 2008 and captured the tournament crown in six consecutive years.
For new coach Rick Sowell, who succeeded Richie Meade, the preseason ranking is meaningless.
"One thing I don't get myself caught up in is what's being written in January," Sowell said during a conference call Wednesday. "I'm sorry, but at the end of the day, it doesn't mean anything."
Sowell pointed out that when he coached Stony Brook in 2010, that team wasn't ranked in the preseason, but almost beat Virginia to advance to the Final Four. The following year, the Seawolves were ranked in the Top 10 and lost to Hartford in the America East tournament final.
"So I've been on both sides of it," he said. "At the end of the day, it's not about what's being written. You've got to go out and prove it on the field. … I can't get too caught up in that, and I'm not. My focus has been with my team, preparing them for a challenging season."