Just seven months ago, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's basketball team lifted the Wilson Cup championship in celebration while "God's Plan" by Drake blared over the speakers on their home court at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

It was a major milestone for the Bold: just the third OUA championship win in program history, and the first in nearly 10 years. They advanced to the U SPORTS Final 8 national tournament, where they eventually finished as the fourth-best team in the entire country. TMU fans were captivated by a team like never before.

But with the dawn of a new season and as the squad ramps up for the opener, it's hard not to notice the Aaron Rhooms-sized hole in their roster.

Rhooms, the squad's leader both on and off the court during last year's Wilson Cup run, graduated from TMU over the summer and began his professional career overseas in Ireland. 

The wing averaged 21.6 points per game in his fifth and final season, nearly 10 points higher than the team's next-highest scorer. Rhooms earned his second straight OUA Men's Player of the Year award and was named the U SPORTS Men's Player of the Year. By the time the TMU veteran graduated, he ranked second in the program's all-time scoring list. 

The loss of such a legend was no doubt a game-changer for Bold Head Coach David DeAveiro and his roster. But with or without Rhooms, TMU still aims to repeat as Wilson Cup champions.

"It is the post-Rhooms era now – you can say it," DeAveiro said with a smile.

That doesn't mean that the Bold will be without a strong offensive presence. Before Rhooms graduated, DeAveiro and his coaching staff set a plan in motion to find the next high-volume scorer to shoulder the bulk of the team's offensive production. 

The result of that plan was the recruitment of 6-10 forward Ayub Nurhussien, who transferred to the Bold from the Ontario Tech University Ridgebacks, where he averaged 12.4 points per game in the 2024–25 season. After redshirting his first season with TMU, Nurhussien now returns to the court for his fifth year of eligibility as DeAveiro looks for him to assume the team's primary scoring responsibilities.

"We had a plan for our team when Aaron graduated, and a big part of that was Ayub," explained DeAveiro. "Replacing a fifth-year guy with another fifth-year guy."

Unfortunately, the forward is currently injured and is set to miss the start of the regular season. Once he does make his debut,  he'll be a prime candidate to step into that first-option role for the Bold.

"I've been staying down, being patient, waiting for my time to come. It's right around the corner," Nurhussien said. "I'm excited to get back out there with the guys and win another championship – that's the goal, as always."

Another candidate to take over the primary scoring duties is 6-2 guard Javier Gilgeous-Glasgow, who re-signed with the Bold over the summer after playing at the NCAA Division I level.

Gilgeous-Glasgow originally suited up for TMU during the 2024–25 season, when he led the team in assists per game with 4.6 and ranked second in points per game with 12.5. The guard then transferred to the Troy Trojans in Alabama, where he would advance all the way to the first round of the NCAA's March Madness tournament.

Just the next year, Gilgeous-Glasgow was back wearing blue and gold. In TMU's pre-season game against Division I opponent Central Michigan, the guard led all scorers with 28 points.

"Javier has the ability to create his own shot; not a lot of people can do that…he's really confident in who he is," praised DeAveiro.

But DeAveiro's calling card as a coach has never been tied exclusively to offence; it's the defensive side of the ball where his teams excel.

Last season, TMU allowed the second-fewest points per game in the OUA. In 2024–25, they ranked fifth in that category. DeAveiro's coaching style has always prioritized high effort and defence before anything else – and if his Wilson Cup trophy has anything to say about it, that coaching style works.

"I had a talk with Coach Dave," said Gilgeous-Glasgow. "He explained what it was going to be like coming back. I agreed to the terms…all he told me was to play hard and play defence. That's easy."

The most important piece in a strong defensive system is a big: someone who can protect the rim and deter high-percentage shots. The Bold lost their starting centre Aidan Wilson to graduation and their backup Andrejs Silconoks to a transfer, so DeAveiro decided to shop the market for an interior defensive presence. What he found was perhaps the best option available.

Recruit Ares Culley-Bremner is the definition of a rim protector: the 6-8 forward averaged 3.7 blocks per game for the McMaster Marauders in 2025–26, which ranked as the second-highest single-season average in U SPORTS history.

"Honestly, I wasn't really planning on coming back to school," Culley-Bremner explained. "Then, Coach Dave hit me up…with Andrejs leaving, they needed a big to fill the spots. TMU had some programs that aligned with what I wanted to do school-wise, and obviously the basketball side was huge: winning a championship, being in the heart of Toronto."

"Hopefully I can bring some of my defensive attributes to the team," he added. "I'm excited to see what we're going to do."

DeAveiro shares that excitement, but still feels like Culley-Bremner can reach another level: 

"He led the country in blocks [per game] – around three-point-something – we're challenging him to have more than that."

That mentality is exactly what helps the Bold succeed on the court, but it's their off-court chemistry that truly makes the program special.

The players work hard together in practice and during games, and maintain bonds outside of the gym that few other university programs can match. That moment after the Wilson Cup championship win where the players belted the lyrics to "God's Plan" wasn't just a moment shared between teammates, but one shared between brothers.

Gilgeous-Glasgow FaceTimed his Bold teammates every day even while playing in America with the Trojans: 

"I just wanted to come back home," he said. "It felt like I never left."

Nurhussien credits the team's chemistry as a key to its success:

"Everyone is bought into the same goal. There are no egos, there isn't anyone who wants to be bigger than the program or overstep boundaries…that's what's going to ultimately keep a team winning at the end of the day."

Returning third-year guard Kevin Toth will reunite with recruit Tobe Ezeokafor this year, whom he played alongside at Fort Erie International Academy in 2023–24. 

"It's definitely cool," said Ezeokafor when asked about the opportunity to play with Toth once again. "He's a pass-first point guard, and I'm a shooter, so we mesh on the court."

Ezeokafor scored 24 points in the Bold's second pre-season matchup against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, showing off his elite ability to shoot off the catch.

Toth led the team in assists per game in 2025–26 with 5.0. As one of the few returning rotation players this season, he's someone – alongside Gilgeous-Glasgow – who stands out to DeAveiro to step up as a vocal leader.

"Kevin – and even Javier, because he was here two years ago – are going to have to step up [as vocal leaders]," he said.

"Part of it is knowing Coach's system, right?" added Toth. "Just knowing the ins and outs of what he wants to see on the court, and making sure the new guys get that as well. And just being more vocal, having more of a leadership presence while I'm here."

Toth put together one of the greatest performances in TMU history during the first round of the U SPORTS Final 8 tournament against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, where he scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Bold to an 18-point comeback victory. 

"I think confidence-wise, it did [help] a little bit, but [winning] is the goal," said the guard. "It was really nice for it to happen, but obviously I can't recreate it all the time. I'm trying to be as consistent as I can."

Another returning player in a leadership role is fourth-year Gabriel Gutsmore. He ranked second on the Bold in scoring last season, sitting only behind Rhooms with 11.7 points per game while leading the team in steals per game at 1.7. Gutsmore's two-way presence fits perfectly into DeAveiro's culture and system.

The 6-1 guard earned Player of the Game honours during the team's Wilson Cup championship win against the Carleton Ravens, where he used his slippery downhill attacking skills to log 14 points on 50 per cent shooting.

Gutsmore, Toth, and – to a degree – Gilgeous-Glasgow look to lead the way as the constants in what was a busy offseason for DeAveiro in the "post-Rhooms era". 

With plenty of new faces on the block, it's important that the squad stays true to what brought them success in the past: their connection as teammates. DeAveiro has created a remarkable team culture that has attracted both long-term pieces like Toth and Gutsmore as well as talented recruits. His plan for the team's post-Rhooms era was executed to perfection, leaving TMU with players such as Nurhussien, Culley-Bremner, Ezeokafor, and even a returning Gilgeous-Glasgow to help replace the production they lost over the off-season. 

The Bold may have had to retool, but thanks to their chemistry, they can still aim for the repeat. 

The regular season begins on Friday, Oct. 23 in Waterloo against the Laurier Golden Hawks. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m., and fans can tune into the game live on OUA.tv.