As the fall leaves blow away and coats become a necessity, all sports fans know what comes next: college basketball season.

For the Washington and Lee men’s team, the season started on Nov. 8. The team played in the Ursinus College Bear Bash Tip-off Tournament in Pennsylvania where they split their two games with one win and one loss.

On Wednesday, the team had its first game at Holekamp Gym since February against Mary Baldwin University.  The Generals lost 76-83, but point guard Jackson Ransom, ’28, said the team still has not figured out its starting lineup yet. Eight different players have started in at least one game this season.

Last year, the team finished with an 18-10 overall record and was 10-6 in conference play. Last year’s team beat No. 2 nationally-ranked Randolph-Macon in the semi-finals, but lost to No. 1 Hampden-Sydney in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship game.

This year’s squad will look very different. The Generals boast a young team with 11 first-years and sophomores out of 16 total players. Some first-years are already contributing. Connor Amorosi, ’28, is averaging 19 points per game, which is the most on the team. Two other first-years, Ransom and Joe Rhyne, started in last Wednesday’s game.

Ransom said the team’s goal this season is to “defy everyone’s expectations” and win a national championship. Ransom said the strength of the team is its tenacity.

The Generals were only one game away from making the DIII NCAA tournament last year and could easily make a one game improvement this year, Ransom said.

Next up, the team plays at Roanoke College on Nov. 20, and the next home game is Dec. 2 against Maryville College.

Ransom said that Washington and Lee students should put the Jan. 11 game against Randolph-Macon and the Feb. 1 game against Shenandoah University on their calendars. Randolph-Macon is currently the No. 3 team in the country, according to the coaches poll.