A new season awaits the Hawks’ men’s basketball program, and preparation for the upcoming campaign saw some growing pains.
The University of Toronto Varsity Blues rolled into the Hawks Nest Tuesday night and dominated from tip-off, cruising to an 85-58 victory over Humber.
Despite it being an exhibition game, long-time Hawks head coach Omar Miles did not mince words regarding his team’s performance.
“We didn’t match U of T’s energy, physicality and effort,” Miles said. “That showed quite early as we were down and gave up 29 points.”
The Hawks got off to a slow start, quickly finding themselves down 8-1 after Miles called a timeout just under two minutes into the first quarter.
The momentum continued to be with the Varsity Blues, as they outscored Humber 52-31 by halftime.
Miles was not pleased with the defensive performance of his squad, something the Hawks emphasize in their system.
“You don't play defence, you can't win a lot of games,” Miles said.
“We hang our hats on defence, and that's not what we did.”
The Varsity Blues managed to score at least 20 points in three of the four quarters, showing the Hawks’ need to address a key part of their play style before the start of the season.
The Hawks came into the upcoming season with a younger roster compared to previous campaigns, with significant departures that include 2026 CCAA Player of the Year Malik Grant and forward Benni Kazadi, who transferred to the TMU Bold over the offseason.
With the turnover in mind, Miles took his squad overseas over the summer, playing exhibition games in Italy.
Miles said the trip was a way for the younger players to bond, and for the veterans to bring the young players along before the start of the season.
“It's about being a team and, you know, feeling at home and feeling part of something bigger than yourselves,” said Miles. “I thought we did that when we were in Italy and now we just got to do that throughout the season.”
The departures leave veterans Victoire Ndongo, Kwabena Antwi and Dwayne Burke to lead the way and set the tone for the demand that comes as the defending OCAA champions.
Miles emphasized the pressure that comes with putting on the Hawks uniform and the players playing for the Humber community, saying that accountability is the motto for the team this season.
“You hold each other accountable in anything that we do, whether that's going to class, whether that's showing up to practice, ready to compete and then showing up to games and ready to compete,” Miles said.
“It's definitely bigger than ourselves. We play for the community, we play for our families, we play for each other, and then also you play for yourself," he said.
The Hawks have two more exhibition games against university squads in the Hawks Nest, with the Laurier Golden Hawks visiting on Sept. 24 and the Waterloo Warriors on Sept. 30. The regular season begins Oct. 23 at Conestoga against the Condors.
