Take a gander at the U of T men’s basketball team results from last year and you will probably scoff at the idea of an OUA championship. The 6-16 record isn’t exactly dazzling, and certainly doesn’t conjure up images of gold.

But numbers can lie and that record was not indicative of the hard work and effort the Blues put into last season. Add to the mix an unsteady coaching record for the past few years and you might have to re-think your opinion on the team. All things considered, they didn’t do too badly last year.

Fast-forward to the present and the Blues seem optimistic about the upcoming year. They have a new coaching staff under the direction of Mike Katz and quite a few returning players bringing varying levels of experience. Katz is anticipating an exciting season for his team, yet remains realistic about his expectations.

“I want to take everything one step, one game at a time,” he said as his players began warming up at practice. “The biggest goal I have is to see consistent play everyday, be it a practice or a game. They [players] have the ability to be a top team, but our first goal is to be consistent. The rest will follow.”

Katz may not be putting visions of glory in his head just yet, but it’s clear that his players are thinking otherwise. Team captain and fifth-year veteran Kenny Hillborn said he wanted his team to reach the National Championships: “We have a lot more experience and great chemistry between the coaching staff and players.”

Second-year shooting guard Paul Sergautis was quick to agree: “Last year we sort of underachieved. We’ve set a high standard and we’ll be upset if we don’t make Nationals.”

Sergautis cited the camaraderie and unity amongst his teammates as a major strength, a sentiment that was echoed by second-year student David Tron: “We have a lot of returning players and we’re all thinking about Nationals.”

Watching them practice, one realizes that rapport is not hard to see. The boys seem at ease and very comfortable with each other, as well as with the coaches. And that’s an aspect that will only get stronger as the season progresses.

Having won 2 games out of a possible 3 at the recent McGill Redman Classic, the Blues look to be on target to achieve their goals. Katz is counting on veterans Kenny Hillborn, Dayo Baiyewu, and Paul Zyla for their leadership and experience, but, Katz continues “it’s input from everyone. I mean Rob Paris is our top-recruited freshman. There are a bunch of returning guys…I don’t focus on one or two guys, I want to play nine or ten people every game. And we’re good enough to do that.”

Time will tell if they are good enough to do that. On the other hand, it seems that they are getting better, one step at a time.