Despite a difficult first season in charge for Lynn Tech boys basketball head coach Corey Bingham, he’s ready to put last season behind him and focus on what’s ahead.
Bingham believes part of the struggles with last year’s 6-15 team is attributed to a lack of conditioning due to the pandemic, as well as the team not being allowed to play the last couple of years. Getting players back to peak conditioning after two years off was a challenge, Bingham explained.
With the world getting back to “normal,” Bingham is looking forward to working with his team and creating a philosophy centered around defense.
In fact, Corey looks to instill the philosophy of the old Lynn Tech teams.
“The old Lynn Tech teams smothered [teams] on defense, trying to force turnovers and create points off of those turnovers,” Bingham said.
Defense is what Bingham wants the focal point to be – plain and simple. With a young team that’s currently without a senior, it presents Corey with the perfect opportunity to begin building that defensive foundation.
Not only is it imperative for Lynn Tech to have a defense-first mentality, but it’s also important for the players to enjoy themselves while doing so.
“I want them to play hard and give 100 percent all the time, but I also want them to have fun. That is the biggest thing, having fun. If you have fun, everything else takes care of itself and becomes easier,” Bingham said.
Despite losing five players to graduation, Bingham said veteran experience isn’t something that’s completely gone.
“We’ve got a good [group] of players. The guys that are coming back from last year already know what I expect. They can sprinkle that knowledge down to the underclassmen which will create a great mixture of players,” Bingham said.
Having a young squad bodes well – not only for the present, but for the future. However, just because things are on the young side, that doesn’t mean expectations are small.
“The first goal is, always, to win the conference. That should always be the number one goal,” Bingham said.
That quest to win the conference starts with a home game against Fellowship Christian Academy on Friday, December 9.
Mark Aboyoun can be reached at [email protected]
