Seventy-two straight regular-season and playoff wins. Two national championships. Jaw-dropping stats by any stretch of the imagination.
"The streak means very little at this point," said Carleton Ravens men's basketball coach Dave Smart, who was named the OUA East coach of the year for the fourth time in five years yesterday.
No wonder. His lads have tasted nothing but success in the last three years. The question is: Will it ever end? Not in the near future, if the Ravens have anything to say about it.
"Before the playoffs, the streak probably helps us because we don't see teams playing below their best," said Smart. "When we come into the playoffs we're going to see their best just like we did before."
The Ravens have not only beaten, they've demolished the previous CIS men's record of 46, held by Victoria. The Ravens broke the record last March 13.
The Ravens have a shot at the overall record of 88 held by the University of Winnipeg's women's team.
Tomorrow night, the Ravens begin their quest for a third straight national title against the Toronto Varsity Blues, a team they beat 68-56 and 72-59 in their two meetings this season.
"Both games were close, they were really two-point games with six minutes left," said Smart. "(Tomorrow) is one of those games where it's a normal one vs. five match-up ... we come out and play well, I don't think they're beating us, but if we don't, then they're talented enough and they're going to be playing loose enough that they probably will."
In his last year with the Ravens, captain Michael Smart, the team's assist leader with 101 this season and the 2004 national championship MVP, would love to go out on top.
"(A third title) would be awesome," said Smart, who was named a first-team OUA East all-star yesterday. "But again, you've got to get by (Toronto) tomorrow, so that's what I'm looking to right now, and it's one game at a time, one game's your season now."
Should the Ravens three-peat as winners of the W.P. McGee trophy (the award for winning the national championship), they would be only the third team to do it, joining the Brandon Bobcats (1987-89) and Victoria Vikes (seven straight from 1980-86).
"I don't really concern myself that much about the history and stuff like that," said Osvaldo Jeanty. "For me it's just another game that you want to win, you want to win your three, four, five, six games that are coming in the playoffs."
Jeanty, the 2003 national championship MVP and his team's current points-per-game leader with 16.68, was also named an OUA East first-team all-star yesterday.
The Ravens have not been defeated since an 88-81 road loss to the Laurentian Voyageurs on Nov. 23, 2002. But they're not about to flaunt their success.
"We've had a hard time of putting 40 minutes of good basketball together (this season)," said Michael Smart. "That's what you've got to do to get playoff wins."
The Ravens know they're talented enough to go all the way again ... it's just a matter of going out and doing it.
"If we keep on doing the things we do, play defence, rebound and come out with some energy, we should be fine," said Jeanty.
Added Michael Smart: "We've got to play our game, it's about us now, whether we can make the shots and whether we can get the stops we need to win."
Three other Ravens were honoured by the OUA yesterday.
Aaron Doornekamp and Stuart Turnbull were named to the OUA East all-rookie team and Matt Ross is the OUA East nominee for the Ken Shields award, given to the CIS athlete who puts school and community service above all else.
Ross is one of five nominees across Canada.
