Tigers coach says ‘No hustle, no play’

With the start of the regular season less than two months away, coach Nicholas Singh of the Lutheran School of Flushing & Bayside is laying down the law to his Tigers basketball squad.
“No hustle, no play,” said the coach, whose team is coming off their second straight division championship. “Play rough or don’t play.”
It’s a simple message, but one that Singh believes must be preached at every practice until it becomes instinct and a natural reaction for his team. According to Singh, this Tigers team doesn’t have the scoring touch of teams past – that means they must play with a defensive edge or else risk a losing season.
“Every team is different, so every year we have to play with a different style,” he said. “We aren’t the most talented team so we have to play rough and aggressive – we’re not going to hurt anyone, but we need to make the opponent work for every basket.”
Last season, the Tigers finished with an 8-2 record and a trip to the championship game, where they lost to Our Savior Lutheran, missing their chance to repeat. Getting to the finals was a surprise for Singh, considering the majority of his team was newcomers – and undersized newcomers at that.
This season figures to be an even bigger challenge for Singh. With even more first year players, the Tigers have a long way to go before their starting lineup is even solidified.
“I don’t have a starting five yet,” he said. “There are a lot of young kids on this team that have to grow up together. My goal for this season is just to make the playoffs.”
Bright spots on this year’s roster include big man Alex Micic, the team’s captain, and explosive Sydney Wilkerson, who the coached called “the most talented kid on the team.” But just because Singh singles out a player with praise, that doesn’t mean that same player isn’t susceptible to criticism.
“If you mess up, the whole team suffers. Afterwards, the team can address the problem and learn how to deal with it,” he said. “That is how you grow as a team. And they can use those skills outside of the game as well.”
The team must also remember that school work comes first. Singh said that if he finds that they are failing their classes, he will drop them from the team no matter how badly it hurts their chance of winning.
But make no mistake – Singh wants to win and has no problems being aggressive about it.
“I already have visions for a third championship banner in my head,” he said. “This is a competitive league and I want to win.”