CV basketball off to best start in over a decade, how new coach has changed the culture
Cambria Co., PA (WJAC) — Conemaugh Valley’s boys’ basketball is off to their best start in over a decade.
New head coach Tre'von Williams has seen many experiences through basketball, like representing Team USA in Barcelona and playing for Penn State DuBois, but now, Williams is taking time to give back to the game.
In the last decade, Conemaugh Valley boys’ basketball has had only one winning season, going 14-12 in 2022.
Now, in his first year as head coach, Tre'von Williams has led the team to a 9-1 record so far, but he credits his players for putting in the work it takes.
"Being persistent. Being consistent. Working hard on and off the court through the summer and the offseason and dedicating work ethic."
While playing at Penn State DuBois, Williams represented Team USA twice, in international play.
He says that the Blue Jays now play a style that is more compatible with current basketball.
"I wanted to just push the pace and let the kids have fun and let them be basketball players."
Williams adds that he couldn’t have seen his journey going this way.
His senior season in college was cancelled because of the pandemic and that same year, his father passed away.
"It was a very tough time, I didn't actually get to live out my whole college career because of COVID and then with the passing of my father, I just didn't want to play basketball anymore."
But Williams was drawn back to the sport he loves, and it started with him helping coach at the local YMCA.
Before he knew it, he says he found himself coaching there for two years.
"I tried to give it up but I couldn’t. I couldn't at all. Basketball was my way out so I was just teaching everybody else that this could be your way out and then I fell in love with coaching basketball, not playing anymore, coaching."
With winter break finished, Williams is ready to put the Blue Jays’ early success behind them and focus on an even better second half.
"It’s time to start off the second half of the season so we're starting off zero and zero, not nine and one, zero and zero now."
Williams said even though he is the head coach, during the game, he likes to take a hands-off approach and let his players make their own decisions.
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