Hard work is the central focus of the Pilgrim boys’ basketball team going into its new season, and it will need every bit of it to retain the Division III crown.

The Pats bested Johnston in the title game last December for its first-ever division championship, and they retain plenty of pieces from that team to make a run at a repeat.

“First week of practice we just talked about hard work,” Pilgrim head coach Mike Batalon said. “I don’t think any team has accomplished great things without that. So that’s what we’ve been focused on is working harder. I’m very pleased with our efforts so far.”

Pilgrim will have some essential height inside with the return of 6-foot-2 sophomore Tyrone Weeks and the addition of 6-foot-5 junior Zach Johnson to the frontcourt, “who’s improved a great deal,” according to Batalon. Weeks was a dynamic rebounder and shot blocker last season and has the ability to score in key situations for the Pats as well.

“I think Tyrone’s going to score more for us,” Batalon said of Weeks’ improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons. “He’s definitely a defensive presence. He’s not the focal point of our offense, [but] he’s definitely going to be featured a lot in our offense. He has a lot of potential. He’s worked hard over the summer. He’s improved and I think he’s going to be a very good offensive and defensive player for us.”

In the backcourt, Pilgrim will rely on a combination of senior Ethan Schneider and sophomore Matthew Woods. Batalon said that Woods will take on the role that former guard Chris Duchesneau played last season in guarding the best player on the opposing team.

“He’s gonna take on an expanded role,” Batalon said of Woods. “He should step up for us this year.”

Pilgrim starts off its season with a difficult set of matchups, hosting two Division II teams in non-league games before its D-III opener against Davies on Dec. 18. The Pats will first take on Rogers, which finished 10-7 in D-II in 2015, tonight at 7 p.m. for its annual Injury Fund game. After that, Lincoln will visit Warwick next Tuesday night after posting a 5-12 record last season.

Batalon said games against these types of opponents in higher divisions can make his team better before the season really gets going.

“The only way to get better is to play against better competition,” Batalon said. “We’re just excited for the opportunity to play against some good opponents and I think that will definitely help us when our league play starts.”

The Pats will begin D-III play with a couple of easier road matches against Davies and St. Patrick, which combined to go 2-32 last season. The Pats go home for a tough tilt with Moses Brown, which posted one of the best records in D-III last season at 15-2, before a title game rematch at Johnston on Dec. 23.

“We really haven’t looked that far ahead,” Batalon said of the Johnston game. “We’re just kind of focused on trying to get everything in, offense and defense.”

The Quakers and the Panthers will be the biggest threats to Pilgrim in D-III, but Batalon also warned that the intra-city games against Warwick Vets and Toll Gate can also be difficult.

“There’s always a lot of emotion at play when we play Toll Gate and Vets,” Batalon said. “So we’ll never overlook the city rivals.”