This season, the Toyota Alvark have played under a new head coach, Takuma Ito, and they¡¯ve had remarkable success.

The 33-year-old, who had been an assistant under sideline supervisor Donald Beck the last five seasons, has led the Alvark to an NBL-best 46-8 record through Tuesday¡¯s game. The powerhouse team has clinched the No. 1 seed for the upcoming playoffs, which begin on May 13.

Ito insisted that his team wouldn¡¯t play to achieve the best record during the regular season, but that the championship is the only goal.