LYNN — The Lynn Classical boys basketball team finished with a 6-14 record a season ago, missing the Division 1 state tournament by a considerable margin.

But with a plethora of returning players and an extra year for the team to develop, head coach Marvin Avery expects a major turnaround this season.

“I think, right now, we’re a step above where we were last year,” Avery said. “I’m pretty confident with the speed, size, and athleticism that we have, and I think you’re going to see a lot of good things come from Lynn Classical boys basketball this year.”

The returning skill that Avery speaks of starts with his two senior captains, Almani Gerardo and Daron Guillen. And with their talent and leadership, Avery looks to build his team around the duo.

“[Gerardo and Guillen] are two very good athletes that have been in my program for four years. They know what we’re all about, and we’ve got some speed and size to build a good foundation around them,” he said.

That supporting cast includes brothers Deshawn and Cameron Rucker, as well as Davante Taget. Avery referred to them as integral pieces.

The rotation will also include Avery’s son, Marvin Avery Jr., who’s looking to make a splash his sophomore season, with coach Avery calling him “one of the best sophomores in the area.”

“We’re going to be athletic, and a step above last year because we have that much more experience,” Avery said.

Classical had 95 players try out for the program this year, including transfer students that Avery expects to make a difference right away. With a large incoming class and athletic potential on the court, goals have been set.

“Our first goal is to get 10 wins, make the state tournament, and be competitive in our conference, and I think we have the talent to do that right now,” he said. “And we’ll be ready to go and achieve our goals.”

When asked what the biggest factor will be in his team’s turnaround, Avery pointed to building team chemistry. A close second: his style of hard-nosed basketball, which he looks forward to implementing with his revamped roster.

“We’re going to press, we’re going to run the full game, be up-tempo, and be ready to go,” Avery said.

As any coach knows – with a long and grueling season – it takes patience to get the best out of players. That’s exactly how coach Avery sees things moving forward.

“I have some depth this year, so I’m going to go to the bench…but we’re just going to take that ‘one game at a time’ approach and be ready to go,” he said.