The Tochigi Brex captured the inaugural B. League title last year, and needless to say they are the only team that has the chance to repeat as champions.
But their ace point guard, Yuta Tabuse, insisted Monday that the team will put that triumph firmly in the past and look upon the upcoming postseason as a whole new challenge.
"Last year is last year," Tabuse said at a Tokyo news conference, attended by one player from each of the eight teams involved in the playoffs. "We are going to try to begin with an even stronger mind-set than last year."