WINDSOR, Ont.- The Windsor Lancers men's basketball team kicks off their season this weekend on the road, where they will take on the  defending CIS champion Carleton Ravens and Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday and Saturday night.

Coming off a year where the men finished first in the OUA West division before falling out of contention at the OUA Wilson Cup Final Four, the Lancers are prepped for a deep playoff run after returning a strong core of athletes for 2013-14.

Lancers Head Coach Chris Oliver, who is entering his ninth year as bench-boss of the Lancers and garners a formidable 126-52 record during his tenure, was happy with his team's progress throughout the preseason.

"Our process has been positive, this has been a very enjoyable team to work with," he said. "They have approached every day with an intent to learn and their effort has been tremendous. What we have shown through the process is that the possibilities ahead for this team are exciting."

The men posted a 2-2 record at their annual OUA NCAA Tip-Off Classic in August and notched three-straight victories on their Canada West road trip in mid-October over Winnipeg, Manitoba and Brandon.

Windsor, who is ranked No. 6 in the CIS coming into the first week of the regular season, notched a 16-5 conference mark in 2012-13 to sit atop the OUA West. After defeating Brock handily in their conference quarter-final match, the Lancers' post-season run was halted at the Wilson Cup Final Four in Toronto, where the men dropped their semi-final match against Ottawa and bronze medal game against Lakehead, leaving them out of the final draw for the CIS Final 8 national championships.

However, the men have kept their main nucleus intact heading into this season, headlined by three stand-out fifth-years that include Lien Phillip, Josh Collins and Enrico Diloreto.

"They are at the top of everyone's scouting report and have a responsibility to perform and lead every day," said Oliver. "I am very grateful for their development as people. I credit not only our program but the University of Windsor and our community. All those people who have impacted their development should be proud at the type of people that have become through their five years as student-athletes."

Phillip was named a CIS all-Canadian and the OUA West player of the year in 2012-13. The fifth-year forward out of St. Mark's, Grenada averaged 14.9 points per game and a conference-high 10.6 rebounds per game which ranked him second in the CIS. Phillip notched 14 double-doubles on the year, and led the Lancers with 28.7 minutes played per game.

Collins tallied 12.0 points per game in 2012-13, collecting 27.3 minutes player per contest. The Toronto native was seventh in the CIS with 49 steals and 13th in the nation with 86 assists (4.1 per game). He was named a second-team OUA West all-star for the second  straight season last year. Diloreto was also recognized with a second-team conference all-star selection last season, and was second in team scoring with 13.9 points per game. The London, Ontario native averaged 4.2 rebounds per game and 25.6 minutes per contest while tallying 10 or more points in 13 conference matches.

The men are also returning big man Evan Matthews, who averaged 6.8 points, 4.6 rebounds,18.9 minutes played per game, and the skillful Rotimi Osuntola Jr. who chipped in close to nine points per game for Windsor last year.

Joining the returning group is a recruiting class that is a blend of experience and youth with OCAA transfers Alex Campbell and Khalid Abdel-Gabar joined by high-school standout Mike Rocca who is a former LSSAA player of the year. Rounding out the rookies are Toronto's Keron Braithwaite, Pennsylvania product Roland Shannonhouse and hometown native Stefan Tosic.

"Because of our style of play, where we play fast on offense and defense, all of our newcomers will have a chance to contribute," said Oliver. "Our depth will be key to our success and I look forward to many of them finding their identity within our culture."

In addition, Oliver landed highly sought after transfer Mitch Farrell, who played NCAA Division I for New Jersey Institute of Technology for one season. Farrell, a talented scoring guard will sit out the 2013-14 season as per CIS/NCAA transfer rules.

For the second year in a row, the Lancers will draw the defending national champion and CIS No. 1 ranked Ravens to open the season. Windsor sent shockwaves throughout the CIS last November when they topped the Ravens with a thrilling 71-67 result at the St. Denis Centre. It was Carleton's only loss of the season as they ran the table from that point on to claim their ninth CIS banner in program history.

Windsor will take on the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday evening. The Gee-Gees, who are ranked No. 3 in the nation's pre-season poll, handed Windsor a loss in the OUA semifinals last season after getting beaten by the Lancers in regular season play.

Both games will take place at approximately 8:00 p.m. and will be available live online at SSN Canada.