TORONTO - Five consecutive national medal finishes. Two provincial banners. Numerous No. 1 in-season U SPORTS rankings. 

The Ryerson Rams men's basketball team's level of excellence is known throughout the nation. The Rams have dominated on all ends of the court, coming to be known as one of the top programs in the country.  

The growth of this team within the last decade is entirely undeniable. Led by head coach Roy Rana, the Rams have qualified for the OUA playoffs for the last 12 years and the U SPORTS Final 8 national championship for the last five. 

Some new changes have taken effect this year. Coach Rana's departure to the Sacramento Kings left an opportunity for long-time lead assistant coach Borko Popic to take over the program. The loss of five key graduates left some significant holes in the team's starting lineup but also provided an opportunity for new and returning players to step up and prove themselves. 

Now, bolstering a new head coach and a seven-player recruiting class, the Rams will attempt to tackle a plethora of challenges this season. But, those challenges are merely obstacles on the road back to greatness; every individual in this program understands what it takes to compete at such a high level, and the excellence established by Coach Rana and the graduates will live on this season and beyond. 

"I'm excited to work with the guys as we continue to build this program from coach Rana's time, to continue to build on what's been established here," says Popic. "I'm excited to continue that tradition of success."

Last year's graduating players have certainly left their mark on this program. Two true fifth-year players, Jean-Victor Mukama and Filip Vujadinovic each played their own pivotal roles in the advancement of this team. Myles Charvis, the team's starting point guard for the last three seasons, earned OUA All-Star honours in 2019 after leading his team to the Final 8 tournament yet again last year. Nate Culbreath and Yusuf Ali played key roles during their time here, contributing both on and off the court. 

Their loss will undeniably be felt this season, but those five departures leave an opportunity for one of the many new or returning Rams to step up and seize the opportunity to lead this team. 

"With the mix of returning guys and new players, we're hoping to bridge that gap that's been left by those graduates," says Popic. "It's an opportunity for our returning players to take on leadership roles and for some of our young guys to step in and establish roles early on. It's a time of transition, but it's also very exciting."

Highlighting this year's group of returnees is third-year forward Tanor Ngom (Dakar, Senegal). Ngom has made huge leaps during his two years with the program, and this year appears to be no different. The seven-foot-two forward averaged 11.3 points per game last season, and his 63.8 shooting percentage ranked him second in the province. As one of three true third-year players on the roster, Ngom will likely play a crucial role for the team moving forward this season. 

Another forward, fourth-year senior Keevon Small (Montreal, Que.) will have an opportunity to step up and lead this team in 2019. Small has been a part of the program since 2016 and will likely see a spike in playing time this season as he prepares to wrap up his time with the Rams.  

"Keevon knows what the day-to-day and long term grind of a season looks like," comments Popic. "His presence within our group makes him a natural leader."

In his fourth year of eligibility but his second year with the team, Jayden Frederick quickly solidified his place in the Rams' starting lineup last season. Frederick appeared in all 23 regular-season contests for the Rams, averaging 10.9 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the floor. Frederick will likely also take on a bigger role this year, a challenge he is well-equipped to tackle. 

The team's returning players will be aided by several key additions brought in this summer. Ryerson's 2019 recruiting class will bolster the team's depth chart like no years past; a mix of transfers and true first years will bring a diverse range of skill and experience to the court, helping fill in some of the gaps left by last year's graduates.

"Everyone's on a different path because of their backgrounds and experience levels," says Popic on the group of recruits. "We're hoping guys can step in immediately and contribute within their roles. Not everyone's roles are the same, but we want all of them to thrive." 

A true first-year player, Tom Dumont is set to join the Rams from France as the team's only international recruit of the year.  Dumont, alongside Luka Dolman (Vancouver, B.C.), Diar Alkaldy (Hamilton, Ont.) and Mouhamed Ndiaye (Longueuil, Que.), round out the Rams' 2019-20 freshman class. 

Two-time OUA All-Star Teuvan Kokko (Markham, Ont.) highlights the group of transfers set to join the team this season. NCAA Div. II transfer Jalen Butler (Toronto) completes the team's 2019-20 recruiting class, further bolstering the depth and skill of this new Rams team. 

Nevertheless, several new faces and a new authority figure don't change the facts: this team is hungry for a title. Armed with depth and top-level talent, the Rams will look to continue their reign as one of the top contenders in the nation this season. 

The Rams' personnel adjustments aren't the only change taking effect in the OUA this season. A new conference realignment sees the Rams move into a division with Brock, Lakehead, McMaster, Toronto, and York this year; each team will play two games against their divisional opponents and a single game against teams in different groups.  

The top three teams in each division will automatically qualify for the playoffs, and the next three teams with the highest winning percentage from across the league will also earn a playoff berth. Similarly to previous seasons, the OUA's top four teams will receive a bye through the first round of the playoffs.

Kicking off their 2019-20 campaign against their new divisional rivals, the Rams are set to open their season on October 24 against the York Lions at home. Ryerson has dominated their rivalry over the last decade, winning 12 of the last 12 meetings dating back to 2011. There have been some close games in that time span, though, and the Lions have been known to push the Rams to the edge. The team will need to remain focused and play their game if they want to start the season with a win against their cross-town rivals.

Opening weekend continues Saturday as the Rams head to St. Catharines to take on the Brock Badgers. Another close divisional rival, the Badgers finished last season ranked second in the OUA West and will be hungry to make a statement against the Rams in their first meeting of the season. 

Teams across the league will only play 22 games this season, meaning the Rams and the Carleton Ravens will only face off once in the 2019-20 season. A fan-favourite matchup, the Rams and Ravens rivalry produces some of the best basketball the OUA has to offer. The second-semester game is likely circled on both teams' calendars, though the Rams will have a lot to prove as they look ahead to the January 25, 2020 matchup. 

With so many challenges looming in the distance, Popic says the team has opted to focus their attention on the day-to-day processes rather than the bigger picture of the season. 

"Our mindset is focusing on how we get better today and how we take care of our next opponent," says Popic. "If we take care of that, the standings will take care of themselves."

Overall, the 2019-20 season will answer a lot of questions for this new Rams team. Carrying on the legacy of Roy Rana and the graduating players will undoubtedly be a significant challenge, maybe one too big to tackle this season. But, the level of excellence established and left behind by both coaches and players has helped shape this program into what it is today. The culture, the systems, and the knowledge remains instilled in every individual within the team. 

The road back to the Final 8 may be an uphill battle, but this team has faced plenty of adversity before — if any team can come out on the other side and still rise to the top of the nation, it's this one.

The Rams will officially tip off in their season opener on Thursday, October 24 against the York Lions at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. The game will begin at 8:00 p.m. and can be streamed live at OUA.tv.