It relied heavily on its all-star forward last season. But this year, the men's basketball team is utilizing a more team-oriented effort to fuel its best start in 30 years.

Five different players-including the star forward, Steve DeLuca '08-either led the team in scoring or tied for the team lead in scoring during four victories this week: an 87-57 triumph over Framingham State College Saturday, a 62-47 victory over the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth Thursday, a 76-66 road victory over Babson College Tuesday and a 99-89 upset over No. 12 Tufts University Nov. 26.

Brandeis is undefeated in seven games this season, the program's best start since the 1976-77 season. A game Monday night against visiting Elms College ended too late for this edition.

After shouldering the scoring load for the Judges last year with 18.4 points per game as the team finished 14-11, DeLuca is leading the team again this year, but at just 12.1 points per game. Behind a more balanced offense, the Judges are already halfway to reaching their win total from all of last year just a few weeks into the season.

DeLuca scored 21 points against Tufts and 16 against UMass-Dartmouth, but got strong help from his teammates all week, as starters Joe Coppens '08 and Kwame Graves-Fulgham '08 and reserves Terrell Hollins '10 and Kevin Olson '09 all had games where they led the team in scoring.

"Having guys that can come off the bench has been the key to our success," DeLuca said.

"In the past couple years, we haven't had the type of players that can come off the bench and help out when our starters needed rest."

Coppens said that the team's depth has also improved the Judges' full court defense. The team is forcing a whopping 21 turnovers per game this season.

"All our success with the press can be attributed to our depth," Coppens said.

"You have to have depth to press like we do."

In Saturday's win over Framingham State, the Judges started the game on a 21-5 run and never looked back.

Olson, starting in place of Florian Rexhepi '08, who suffered a groin injury in the previous game, led the team with 18 points, as the Judges built an insurmountable 29-point lead by halftime.

"We did a really good job of getting a hand in their faces on defense and moving the ball and getting open shots on offense," coach Brian Meehan said.

The Judges went on a 13-0 run early in the first half, with Olson sinking two three-pointers and Coppens nailing another for a 21-5 lead.

Brandeis scored its biggest win of the young season Nov. 26 against the fierce New England rival Tufts University, rallying from a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat the Jumbos, who made the Sweet 16 of last year's NCAA tournament, 99-89. Coppens, DeLuca and Hollins each scored a team-high 21 points. The Judges shot nearly 58 percent from the field and forced 24 turnovers.

"[It] proves that we can play with anyone in Division III," Coppens said of the win over Tufts.

After Olson hit a layup to cut Tufts' lead to 36-34 with 4:18 left in the first half, the Jumbos went on an 11-2 run. Sophomore forward Jon Pierce converted on a three-point play and hit two jumpers to increase the Jumbos' lead to 45-36 at halftime.

"We squandered opportunities with the ball and didn't defend well in the first half," Meehan said.

"We needed to force the tempo, dig in defensively and be more physical."

The Judges responded with a 19-7 run over 8 1/2 minutes early in the second half. After clawing back to within 54-47, Brandeis scored nine straight points to take a 55-54 lead. Coppens hit a three-pointer off an offensive rebound and then hit another to cut the lead to just one point.

After the Jumbos missed two layups, Hollins took a pass from Coppens and converted a layup to give Brandeis the lead.

The teams went back and forth until Coppens hit a three to give the Judges the lead for good at 72-69 with 6:01 left. Hollins then scored nine straight points and Coppens hit yet another three-pointer to give Brandeis an 82-73 lead with 3:28 left.

Hollins' 21-point performance was his second 20-point game of the season, and he leads the team with over six rebounds per game.

"He's a man-child down low," Coppens said.

"Nobody wants to get in his way."

The Judges' victory over Babson last Tuesday was the 200th of Meehan's career.

Although the Judges are 7-0, Meehan said the team still has room for improvement.

"We're not happy with where we are defensively or with our rebounding," Meehan said.

"In league play, that's where it's all going to come down to."

In two more games before opening conference play, the Judges play host to Clark University Tuesday at 7 p.m. before traveling to face No. 3 Amherst College, an NCAA Final Four team last year, 3 p.m. Saturday.