It’s a new era for Tech boys hoop

The Lynn Tech boys? basketball team will attempt to bounce back from one of its toughest seasons in years, and the Tigers will be doing it under a new head coach.
Dave Leary was hired to replace Marvin Avery, who abruptly resigned before the end of last season. Leary, who was hired in April, inherited a team that went 2-18. He has several returning players, including Michael Anaya, a 5-feet-10 junior guard who is a threat from three-point territory. Justin Lewis, a 6-feet-4 junior forward is also returning.
?He’s super athletic,” Leary said of Lewis. “He was a very talented wide receiver on the football team. He’s very agile for a bigger player and will give us great defense and a great rebounding presence.”
Junior Jahvon Van is a 6-feet-1 power forward who can also play outside.
?He has good range on his jump shot and he’s good on the boards,” Leary said. “He’s another football kid.”
Leary will also be counting on junior guard Shaiheem Mazil and junior point guard Arlan Reynoso.
?Reynoso’s very quick with good ball-handling skills,” Leary said. “He does a nice job getting the ball into the paint, feeding his teammates.”
Anaya, Lewis, Mazil and Reynoso all played last year. Freshman Steffan Gravely, who was a running back on the football team this fall, is new to the team and Leary expects him to play a big role.
?He has really good skills,” Leary said. “He has a nice jump shot and he’s really strong going to the basket.”
Sophomore point guard Aquemini Gaston, junior forward Dalvin Howard, who played junior varsity and varsity last year, and junior power forward Michael Tate, who has strong post play and three-point ability, will all be in the mix.
?We’re going to be very defensive-minded,” Leary said. “We’re going to do a lot of full-court pressure, whether it’s man-to-man or full-court zone. We also have a lot of flexibility on offense.”
Leary said the morale has been pretty good so far. He said he has tried to stress that last year’s team was a young team and things should improve.
?They were very young last year,” he said. “It’s a good thing that they got some varsity experience. Now they have to build on that experience.”
Leary started his coaching career at his alma mater, Dom Savio High School. He coached the freshman for a year and then the junior varsity for four years. He spent 10 years as a junior varsity/assistant varsity coach at Malden High School.
Leary works at Leahy Landscaping and has lived in Lynn for eight years. He said he’s always admired the passion people have for basketball in the city and how, once one team is out of the tournament, that team’s fans will often throw their support to other Lynn teams that are still alive.
?When they compete against each other they’re highly competitive, but still the community pulls together,” Leary said.Tech will play Revere Friday night in the Elmo Benedetto Jamboree at 5:45 p.m. at Lynn Classical and then open its season Monday against Mystic Valley Charter School.