By Eli Silverstone

Consistently performing and fostering exciting atmospheres, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men’s and women’s basketball teams are looking for another successful run in the 2025-26 season. It hasn’t been since the early 2010s that either TMU basketball squad had a season with a losing record. 

Last season, the women’s team ended with a 18-6 record while the men’s team ended with a 17-8 record. After a few Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoff wins, both squads bowed out in the semi-finals which were held in the nation’s capital. The men’s team lost to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and the women’s team lost to the Carleton University Ravens. 

After coming one win away from playing in the U Sports National Championship, this year’s teams are eyeing a return to the final four—this time with greater results. 

Men’s basketball

“Timeline-wise, we are a long way away but as far as how ready the team feels, how confident we are in our ability to reach our potential in March, it’s pretty high,” said fifth-year forward Aidan Wilson. 

Wilson is one of two veterans returning to the men’s team. He and fifth-year guard Aaron Rhooms have been massive parts of the Bold’s success over the past few years with the 6’11” Wilson anchoring the paint and Rhooms being awarded the OUA Player of the Year and Team MVP awards last year. 

“It’s great news that they both decided to come back. They bring that veteran leadership and that experience of being in situations that maybe some of our guys haven’t [been in yet] so they can help them through those scenarios,” said head coach David DeAveiro.

After a solid recruiting class last year, the Bold are expecting strong performances from second-year guards Kevin Toth, Maxime Louis-Jean, Landon Wright and Greg Angelakos. All of them bring a trademark skill to the roster, such as Toth’s passing, Louis-Jean’s three-point shooting, Wright’s athleticism and Angelakos’ defence and hustle. With their rookie seasons under their belt, they will be key contributors to how far this team goes. 

“It’s good having a lot of those younger guys come back to their second and third years, because that’s how you build a program, that’s how you build a culture,” said Wilson.

This year’s recruiting class includes nine new players, including third-year guard/forward Deandre Goulbourne. The Centennial College transfer averaged 18.6 points per game last year for the Centennial Colts and dropped 26 points for the Bold in their first pre-season game against the Kansas City Roos on Aug. 22. 

“You’re looking at an athletic guy who’s a little bit older, a little bit more experienced, but he can score, he can get a bucket,” said DeAveiro. “So now, we’re not as one dimensional in terms of always relying on [Rhooms] to get a bucket. [Golbourne] can do that for us as well.” 

The men’s team will win games with their defence and top-end offensive skill, along with help from fans at the Mattamy Athletic Center.

“We got a lot of tough nose guys, blue-collar type of mindset guys,” said Wilson. “We want to be one of, if not the top, team in the OUA and make it to nationals this year.”

Women’s basketball

A few years removed from their 2021-22 U Sports National Championship victory, the TMU women’s basketball team came close last year. This season, they are working relentlessly to get back to the top of the mountain.

“Our goals are always the same—to be in a position at the end of the year to be competing for a championship,” said head coach Carly Clarke. “If we are getting better every day then we feel like we are in a position to do that.” 

Clarke runs a fast moving system that allows the Bold to get out and run in transition. TMU’s big new signing—two-time Canada West All-Star guard Myriam Kone—will flourish in this system as a scorer and playmaker. Kone averaged 16.5 points last season for the University of Calgary Dinos. With a few of the Bold’s top scorers having graduated this summer, Kone will fit into the role of a primary ball handler and be one of the players her teammates will look to when needing a bucket. 

“Having a player of that caliber and experience, I think that really bolsters our lineup,” said Clarke. 

Building on that fast-paced style of attack, scoring will come from an array of options this year for TMU. Third-year guard Catrina Garvey is expected to take a big step after averaging 11.8 points last year— second highest average on the team. Alongside Garvey, third-year forward Hailey Franco DeRyck has the potential to average a double-double this upcoming season, after averaging 7.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game last year. Her 239 total rebounds set a single-season TMU record.

With so much depth to their squad this season, Clarke believes that the team has “a variety of weapons in different places.”

Some of those weapons are the five new team recruits, including first-year guard Reese Bolibruck who is starting to settle in thanks to the leadership on the roster.

“[The team has] been really welcoming, walking us to our dorms and stuff like that,” said Bolibruck. “Just including us in everything, all the traditions.” 

With half the roster consisting of first and second years, players like Bolibruck are determined to showcase their effort and poise in hopes of helping the Bold make a deep playoff push

“Being a good energy person is a goal for me. Giving the team whatever I can, whatever they need, wherever I fit in. Rebounding, getting on the floor for loose balls, stuff like that,” said Bolibruck. 

Using their momentum from successful 2024-25 seasons, these new-look TMU hoop squads can anticipate another exciting year at the MAC.