No coach expects to lose 27 of 29 games, including a 14-game losing streak, in his debut season.

However, that was the reality for the 2008-09 Sacramento State men’s basketball team and first-year head coach Brian Katz.

For Katz and the 2009-10 Hornets, the goal is simple.

“We want to win more games,” Katz said.

Katz, entering his second season as the Hornets’ head coach, said the team is improved from last season.

“We’re a little better in every area,” Katz said. “We have a little bit more experience, little bit more talent, leadership, shoot the ball better – we’re just a little bit better at everything.”

Randy Rahe, Weber State University head coach, said Sac State could be one of the more improved teams in the Big Sky Conference – a conference in which the Wildcats won last season.

“There’s no question the talent level has gone up,” Rahe said. “I think Brian does a great job of coaching them. They’re disciplined, organized, they play hard, they execute well – he seems to keep that team together.”

Weber State has been picked by many to repeat as conference champion.

Wayne Tinkle, Montana University’s head coach, said the Hornets can improve in a number of ways, but defense and offensive efficiency is the key.

“Like all of us, we’re trying to get better defensively and more productive on the offensive end,” Tinkle said.

The Grizzlies finished tied for second place in the Big Sky last season.

Both the Wildcats and Grizzlies were picked one-two in the Big Sky coaches and media polls for the conference. The Hornets were picked ninth in both polls.

Katz said winning at home is paramount not just to Sac State’s success, but any college basketball team’s success.

“No one is ever going to start off winning on the road at first and losing at home,” Katz said. “It doesn’t happen.”

Katz said teams are statistically better at home than they are on the road – a common theme for many team sports.

Senior center Justin Eller, senior point guard Mike Marcial and senior guard Antonio Flaggs are the team captains, each of whom experienced the struggle of the 2008-09 season.

Eller said he hopes to set a good example for the rest of the team.

“What I’m trying to do is just be a good teammate; help lead the team so that we have a little bit more structure this year,” Eller said. “(I) hope that we play hard every single play, make sure that we get loose balls, take charges, do all the little things that can help us win games.”

Eller averaged 10 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season.

Marcial, who led the Hornets with 77 assists last season, said he expects to help the new players.

“We have seven new guys, I believe, so we’re trying to get those guys to buy into what we’re doing here,” Marcial said. “We’re running a new system, offensively, so we’re all trying to learn that as well.”

This year’s recruiting class was considered to be strong not only by Katz, but other Big Sky coaches.

Rahe said David Norris, a guard/forward transfer from Riverside Community College, and Sultan Toles-Bey, a point guard from Fresno City College, are two “excellent recruits.”

Katz said the totality of the recruiting class will not be seen immediately. He also emphasized the importance of having three-, four- and five-year players; players who are experienced will help the team better compete.

“The key to our recruiting class is, not only does it give us immediate help, but I feel that down the road ? with three freshmen and two junior college kids who are going to redshirt, now that will give you five three- to four-year guys.”

The men’s team has performed better in the classroom than it has on the court in Katz’ tenure.

Katz’ high academic standards at Sac State are rooted in his own experiences.

“When I was in junior college – 19 years – we had 115 kids come through the program and 109 graduated,” Katz said. “We took our same system here that we’ve had in junior college: Required study hall, progress reports once a week, a lot of academic intervention and a lot of meetings (with players).”

Katz said he wants his team to improve throughout the season in every aspect of the game.

“(Teams) get better or they get worse,” Katz said. “There’s no middle ground.”

A challenge Katz said his team would face is rebounding, but he said there are ways to combat that problem.

“There’s some scrappiness and hustle involved in it,” Katz said. “I’m not saying jumping isn’t important, but it isn’t the only thing – or size.”

The Hornets play a seven-game stretch that Katz described as “a pretty brutal stretch.”

The stretch includes games at Oregon State, at Idaho, vs. Riverside, at UC Davis, vs. Weber State, at USC and at Pacific.

Dustin Nosler can be reached at [email protected]