Plum using summer basketball to build foundation

By: Michael Love
Saturday, July 20, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

The Plum boys basketball team had five or six open-gym workouts in May with new coach Dave Pucka before jumping right into the Pittsburgh Basketball Club summer league at Central Catholic and Gateway high schools.

“We only had one offensive set in and, I think, two out-of-bounds plays. That was it,” Pucka said.

“The teams in the summer league were very good, and it was a really competitive league. It also was exactly what we needed to see. The game speed from that is going to make the biggest difference. It could’ve been frustrating seeing that competition and not having the system totally in place, for the kids and for me, but you see our kids, they can compete, and they saw they can compete.”

Pucka said the work in the summer league and since then in open-gym workouts has given him a clearer idea of what his players are willing to do to turn around their fortunes for the 2024-25 season.

The final summer league game was June 23 against Allderdice, and rising senior Will Beckner, one of the top returning players from a Mustangs team that went 8-14 overall and 1-9 in section play under former coach Justin Walther, was motivated coming out of that game.

“We definitely got smacked in a couple of games, but those things are going to happen,” Beckner said. “We got a good win against Allderdice, and it was the best I’ve seen us play in a long time. We didn’t have all our starters there. We had freshmen and sophomores stepping up. We were able to build off of every game, win or lose.

“It’s something we’ve had to deal with a lot, adapting to new systems. As a whole, we’re coming along a lot better than we had in the past. We’re working hard, and we’re that much better every day, especially with the experience we have. I am really excited about where we’re going to go with this.”

With what Pucka said is a dedicated group of upperclassmen leading the way as the team works to build that foundation, maximizing time in the gym the remainder of the summer and into the fall is of great importance.

“We have to be able to not only install the rest of the system with the kids who are here regularly but also continue to build that culture that we always talk about,” he said. “On top of installation and fundamentals, were also building character and those character expectations.

“The offseason is tough for every head coach. There is that understanding that there are vacations and kids who work. There’s other sports they are playing or are preparing to play. Our numbers have been great, and we continue to move forward with who is here for every open gym. I don’t think we’ve had under 15 or 16 players since May. We’ve been able to run three-plus teams with the things we’re trying to install. The guys are now building that legacy of where we want to be.”

Pucka said there’s something to be said for a fresh set of eyes as he and assistants Scott Andrews and Jimmy Christie continue to evaluate.

“A lot of the guys view this as a fresh start, and they know how important it is to raise their levels in these workouts,” Pucka said. “That competition is important as we continue to build. There are so many in here who are pushing each other.”

Plum girls making strides

Mustangs girls basketball coach Rich Mull liked what he saw from his players during the recent Fox Chapel summer league.

“I thought it was good competition,” Mull said. “It was well attended, and we were able to work on some things that will hopefully pay off when the winter rolls around. The nice thing about the summer and the fall is you can experiment with different combinations and lineups you hope will work best together. We have that as we are replacing several starters. But we have girls back who have experience and played a good amount of minutes last year.”

While starters Megan Marston (Case Western Reserve), Pascale Olczak (Allegheny) and Rayla Smith (Washington & Jefferson women’s lacrosse) graduated from a team that went 13-10 overall, recorded a 9-3 mark to finish second to Indiana in Section 1-5A and punched its ticket to the WPIAL playoffs, Mull said the summer of progress has been fronted by the return of rising senior Serena Carnahan, rising junior Riley Stephans, and rising sophomore Tamia West and others.

“There’s going to be spots and opportunities available, and this is the time where you start to see who is going to step up and make their case,” Mull said. “I don’t know if it is going to be one or two kids or more of a committee with several kids getting minutes here and there. We’re keeping our options open and see how it looks.”

Like Pucka, Mull said he understands that there are things throughout the summer, like vacations, jobs and other sports, that compete for his players’ time.

“I think the girls do a really good job managing their time and making sure they can get to as many open gyms as they can,” Mull said. “Serena, for example, is a good soccer player, and I think she will play soccer in college. She manages her time very well. She also is an excellent student. That is one of the things, when you look at the kids who have graduated or are still in the program, they are able to excel with balancing athletics and academics. And that is great to see.”

Mull said mixing junior high and high school players in workouts has been very beneficial.

“That helps a lot,” he said. “The older girls have been very welcoming of the younger kids, showing them what to do and mentoring them. They remember what it was like coming up in seventh and eighth grade and were looking up to those older than them.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Plum