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Williams, Mikes look for return to postseason

By Adam Brewer for The 3 min read
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Holly Tonini

Carmichaels’ boys basketball coach Don Williams explains a play during practice as assistant coach Tim Jones looks on in the background.

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Carmichaels' Coty Allen looks to pass during a practice game. The Mikes host Bentworth tonight and will honor the 1995-96 Mikes team that reached WPIAL semifinals and the state quarterfinals at halftime.

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Carmichael's Blake Conard goes for the layup during practice.

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Carmichaels returning letterman: Coty Allen, Nick Mundell, Cody Brown, Blake Conard, Liam Shea and Reed Long.

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Carmichaels boys basketball team practices at the high school before the start of the season.

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Carmichaels’ Liam Shea takes a shot during a practice at the high school.

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Carmichaels boys basketball coach Don Williams

Missing the postseason for the Carmichaels boys basketball team has been a rarity over the last four-plus decades under veteran coach Don Williams.

The Mikes were in a rebuilding year in 2014-15 with no seniors on the squad and managed just five wins over a very inconsistent season.

This year Carmichaels will look to get back to its winning ways and a playoff berth with an experienced roster and a talented group of seniors.

“We had no seniors last year and we lacked experience in a lot of areas,” Williams said. “Fast forward to this preseason and we are a completely different team. There’s a comfort level with these kids and they know what to expect at the varsity level. As a team, we are just more experienced, more physical and more confident.”

The Mikes went 5-17 overall and managed a 1-11 mark in Section 4-AA. Carmichaels has only missed the playoffs twice since 2000-01 season.

“We want to be more competitive this season and we have a lot of high expectations,” Williams expressed. “We were a little soft last year, but I think now we are becoming more physical in our play and are showing more toughness on the court. We have to focus on the little things and we know you have to play all four quarters to be successful in this game.”

Williams, who currently holds 475 coaching wins, believes it should be another competitive year in Section 4-AA.

“This section is going to be tough and you can’t afford to take a night off,” he said. “You got to look at Charleroi and Brownsville as the early favorites. After them, there’s a lot of parity in this section and we believe we have a good shot of making it to the playoffs. We have to be prepared to play every night and get hot at the right time.”

As for players to look out for, Williams said that not one individual is going to be able to carry this team, but that the Mikes need contributions from all 17 players on its varsity roster.

“This might be the politically correct answer, but we can’t rely on one guy to help this team out,” he said. “It’s going to take the whole team and we need help from everybody. We want to be a deep team and we are looking to be 10 deep this year. We need to get a good rotation down path and be able to count on our starters and our bench throughout the season.”

Carmichaels hosts rival Jefferson-Morgan on Dec. 4.

“Whether its section or non-section, J-M is always a big game for us,” Williams said. “It’s always a fun night and there’s always extra intensity and energy in the gym. It’s always competitive and the schools are only separated by five miles. Both teams are probably going to be rusty since it’s the season opener and we have to be ready on defense.”

(See more photos with story on our website)

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