Conard looking for improvement from Lady Mikes
Carmichaels’ girls basketball team was an unlikely WPIAL playoff qualifier a year ago when it went 3-19 overall and 3-7 in Section 3-2A.
The Lady Mikes came up big when they needed to get to the postseason, with key late-season wins over visiting Bentworth, 45-28, and at Jefferson-Morgan, 34-33, thanks to a clutch basket by Ke’Lani Chun in the closing seconds of the latter.
Even so, second-year coach Blake Conard realizes the program still has a long way to go to get where he wants it and he began this season with no seniors and just one junior in 5-foot-4 guard Shalyn Pyle. The rest of the roster includes seven sophomores and five freshmen. What it doesn’t include is junior Avery Voithofer who will miss the season due to an injury.
Chun, a 5-2 sophomore guard, and Pyle are included in Conard’s tentative starting lineup along with three more sophomores in 5-4 guard Kaitlyn Kramer, 5-10 forward Joselyn Carter and 5-11 forward Paytain Jordan.
“We also run a four-guard set with (5-5 freshman) Bentley Lukacs being in and Jordan out,” said Conard, who commended his players’ flexibility. “Some of our taller guards are sometimes having to play on the block a little bit, and it is since seeing the girls adjust and change their game to what is being asked of them.”
Conard is seeking leadership from Pyle.
“I’m looking for Shalyn Pyle to step up this year, as we have no seniors and she is the only junior on the team,” Conard said. “We lost our top scorers and rebounders last year, and I’m looking forward to seeing who will step up into those roles.”
Conard is in his third year with the team as he was an assistant coach two years ago. He would like to see his players take care of the ball better in his second season running the show.
“Last year, one of our biggest things we needed to improve on was ball handling under pressure,” Conard said. “We have made it a big focus this summer and through the young season so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing how their hard work will translate in a game.”
Conard would also like to see his team get out on the fast break a little more this year.
“We had very few offensive transition points last year, and pushing the tempo was also something we have been working on,” he said. “I’m excited to see who will be adaptive and do what is being asked of them, even if it is something that they are not necessarily used to.”
The Lady Mikes are again in Section 3-2A along with defending section champ Chartiers-Houston, fellow playoff teams Beth-Center, California and Bentworth, and Jefferson-Morgan.
Carmichaels begins section play on Dec. 18 at California.