The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball team are set to begin the 2026-27 OUA regular season this weekend with back-to-back games in Toronto.

Last season, U of T finished fourth in the OUA Central division with an 11-11 record. Qualifying for the postseason, the Blues then went on a Cinderella-run knocking off nationally ranked opponents in Queen's and Western to reach the OUA Final Four. The run would come to an end though in the semifinal round against the eventual U SPORTS national champion Carleton Ravens. Key contributors from the strong postseason performance for the Blues return in fourth-year forward Simeon Jeffers and fifth-year centre Nigel Hylton. Both also gained more experience this past summer with CEBL clubs, the Scarborough Shooting Stars and Niagara River Lions, respectively. Combined with another impressive recruiting class for head coach Madhav Trivedi, U of T continue to look to make waves.
 
FROM THE COACH'S DESK:
"We are really excited for our group. It is nice to have most of the team returning while we welcome some newcomers. The team is working hard and ready for regular season play. We hope to be consistent throughout the regular season and make the playoffs. We know every game in our league is a battle so we have to be focused." 

• Madhav Trivedi, University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's basketball head coach

 
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Key Returnees: Simeon Jeffers (F), Nigel Hylton (F/C), Nathan Bureau (G), Mikey Ballout (G), Lucas Prekovic (F)
Key Additions: Andrew Dangelas (G), Reichen Thorpe (F)
 
LAST SEASON'S LEADERS:
PTS/G: Simeon Jeffers | 22 GP, 15.8 PTS/G
REB/G: Nigel Hylton | 22 GP, 6.8 REB/G
AST/G: Rohan Scott-Smith | 21 GP, 3.9 AST/G
STL/G: Mikey Ballout | 21 GP, 1.2 STL/G
 
FROM THE COURT:
"We have a lot of returning guys, and I think the chemistry and continuity we've built as a group is going to be a big strength for us this year. We have a lot of guys who can contribute to winning on any given night and I think that makes us extremely hard to game plan for."

• Nate Bureau, 3rd year, Guard

 
MARQUEE GAMES:
Nov. 4 vs. TMU
The first leg of the annual Metro Hoops Classic rivalry series between the Blues and Bold, U of T will hold the advantage of home court in this early season showdown. Always a packed house at Goldring Centre when the two teams meet, this one will be no different with both squads bringing high energy and physicality to the high-performance arena. The Blues last victory over the 2025 OUA champion Bold came in 2024, so U of T will have plenty of motivation to jump back into the win column. The game also is the first of six straight home games for the Blues, serving as the start to a critical early season stretch.

Jan. 15 at Queen's
Entering the postseason as a massive underdog last year, the Blues upset the Gaels in the opening round of the playoffs delivering in an overtime thriller. This mid-January meeting in Kingston will mark the first showdown between the two teams since that bracket-altering result. As Queen's look to avenge the loss, Toronto will be focusing on road success as this match also begins a run of five road contests in six games for the Blues early in 2027.

Feb. 13 vs York
Hosting the Lions at Goldring Centre, the Blues will conclude the regular season with another rivalry contest. Toronto have been on a winning streak versus York of late, carrying a three-game winning streak into the 2026-27 season. Home court and the history of success will be leaned on as the Blues will no doubt be circling this game as a key result for postseason positioning. 

GET YOUR TICKETS
Game tickets can be purchased at varsityblues.ca/tickets. Entry is FREE for U of T students with a valid T-Card.

All Varsity Blues basketball games will also be streamed live and on-demand via oua.tv.