There’s a buzz surrounding the Seymour High School boys basketball program.
Interest within the student body has increased with more and more athletes wanting to get in on the action.
Last year, a total of 28 kids tried out for the junior varsity and varsity teams.
This fall, 48 boys flooded the Lloyd E. Scott Gymnasium hoping to secure a roster spot.
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Second-year coach Tyler Phillips said there are a few reasons why kids are trying out.
“The numbers are way up. I think there was a spark toward the end of last year when we beat Jeffersonville in the sectional and then playing Floyd (Central) tough,” he said.
“We’re doing things the right way,” he said. “They’re working hard and being respectful in the classrooms. I think that’s contagious, and people want to be a part of it. The interest is coming back. When you do things the right way, a lot of good things happen to you, and we talk to the boys about that — doing things the right way pays off.”
This season, the Owls have 10 boys on the varsity roster — including seven seniors — 12 on the JV team and 11 on the freshman squad.
The seniors include Eddie Louden, Ty McCory, Max Otte, Alazae Louden, Alan Perry, Zach Moore and Tiller Cummings.
McCory said there’s an energy surrounding the team.
“Seymour basketball is coming back,” he said. “We had a great season last year, and we kind of surprised a lot of people last year. I think that’s exciting. I know the student body is excited, and a lot of other people are, too.”
One of the biggest differences for Phillips this season is the time he had with the boys in the offseason.
Phillips was hired as head coach at Seymour in July 2016 and had little time to get to know the players and instill his plan for the winter.
“Being here for a summer was really nice,” Phillips said. “The difference this year is that (the players) know how we’re supposed to do things. They know what I expect and how the culture is supposed to run. They’re holding each other accountable. They have some stability knowing they won’t change programs again and I’m still here. I think the stability for the boys has been the biggest thing.”
Last winter, the Owls finished 9-15 overall with notable wins against Jeffersonville, Bedford North Lawrence and Columbus East.
The Owls scored 49.4 points on average while giving up 56.4 per game.
“It’s going to be a different pace than last year on offense,” Phillips said. “We were more of a half-court team last year. We’re going to try to get more easy baskets in transitions this year. We’re going to try to get the easiest shot we can, whether it’s on the first pass or the 10th pass. Offensively, other than that, you’re need going to see a whole lot different.
“We’re going to strictly be a man-to-man (defensive) team. We’re going to try and lock our heels in. These guys have taken defense personal, so that’s going to be our marquee. They’re taking pride, and their goal is to lock people up.”
Seymour finished seventh in the Hoosier Hills Conference in the 2016-17 season, going 3-5 in conference play.
“We want to go out and play fearless in the conference games,” Phillips said. “New Albany is absolutely the favorite, and they should be. There’s a lot of athleticism in our conference. I want to see us come out, do what we do well, stay disciplined and compete.”
Playing together for eight years, or longer for some, Perry feels the team has a lot of chemistry.
“I’ve played with this group of guys since the fourth grade,” Perry said. “It has been nice to have them growing up. We have a lot of team chemistry. To keep the expectations high is something we would expect. We know we can reach them, and to fulfill them would be awesome.”
For Phillips, he’s most excited about the attitudes of his players.
“They’re excited to be a part of it,” Phillips said. “They have been going hard in practice every day. Their culture and chemistry together is fun to be a part of. Watching these boys enjoy being here is a lot of fun.”
The Owls (1-0) will host Brownstown Central on Friday.