LYNN — Last season, the English boys basketball team was just about unstoppable and it showed when the Bulldogs brought home a Division 1 state title for the first time in 80 years.
Now the reigning champions are gearing up for another run this season and head coach Antonio Anderson believes the talent is there to make that possible for the Bulldogs.
“I think we have the pieces to get us to a state championship,” Anderson, entering his third season at the helm of the Bulldogs, said. “It’s just all about our mindset. It comes down to guys playing unselfish, sharing the ball and not worrying about stats. If we can do that we’ll be fine. That was the difference last year and if we have that same mentality this year we should be good.”
A handful of key returners will set the tone on the court for the Bulldogs including Mason Jean-Baptiste, Jarnel Guzman, Jack Rodriguez and Aaron Vizcaino. Louis Rivera Jr. also returns this season after a back injury sidelined him last year.
One of the biggest pieces the Bulldogs lost from last year’s team was forward Alonzo Linton. English will look to St. Mary’s transfer Ademide Badmus to help fill some of that void.
“We have a lot of guys who can play,” Anderson said. “It’s a great group of kids, we’re just trying to put it all together and make it work.
“Those guys know what’s expected,” Anderson said. “They know what it took to get where we got last year. Now the key is getting them in that mindset again. We lost some guys that helped us last year and now we have to figure some things out and put it all together.”
The Bulldogs know they’ll have a bullseye on their backs all season and they aren’t planning on looking past any opponent they face on their way to their final goal.
“Teams are going to give us their best shot,” Anderson said. “At the end of the day we have to come to play, no matter who you play or what their record is. We’re going to play Lynn English-style basketball. We’re going to be in your face, we’re going to pressure you, we’re going to run, that’s just how we’re going to do it.”
Some of the biggest tests for English this season will come from out-of-conference games, including on a trip to play a string of games in South Dakota later this month.
“It’s a big opportunity to help these kids see something else,” Anderson said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to play against some physical kids. It’ll be good just the experience alone for these kids to play in the Corn Palace, one of the top 10 arenas in the country for high school basketball. It’ll be a fun trip.
“We have Acton-Boxborough this year, Mansfield again, TechBoston, Cambridge. We go to Connecticut to play East Catholic (Manchester). We’re going to play some of the best teams to try to get us ready for February.”
The journey starts next Thursday (7) when the Bulldogs host Saugus at Paul Cavanagh Field House.
“We don’t want to look past anyone,” Anderson said. “Just because of their school name or their record last year. My job is to get this team locked in and focused every game. From day one if we can do that, we will give ourselves a chance to get back where we were last year.”
