Vermont at Harvard 12/21/13

Harvard 74 Vermont 68

Finally. The team that I know and love made an appearance. Vermont was unable to get the win but finally looked like the championship team of the last few years. Harvard is a very good team and will be a force come March. There were several aspects of this game that reinvigorated my belief in this team. Building off the UMass Lowell second half, the Cats defense was much improved. Many of 74 points that were given up were largely due to fouling for the last two minutes of the game. Chambers shot the lights out for Harvard but outside of letting him loose, Vermont looked like their old selves on defense. Brian Voelkel shut down Wesley Saunders, who is Harvard's top scorer. Vermont also out rebounded Harvard and forced them into some crucial turnovers. This is the kind of game that this team is able to put together on any given night. There were still some crucial mistakes, bad free throw misses, a scoring drought, and a partridge in a pear tree (Merry Xmas). However, that has always been the nature of this team and until the beginning of this season they had always overcome those challenges. I was especially impressed by the fact that even though Vermont once again came out flat, they were able to turn up the heat before the second half. In my last post I mentioned Vermont competing at Harvard and using it as a building block to finish the rest of the non conference with a flourish. The Cats completed the first part of that mission and now will hopefully be able to push through and finish strong. This is still a team capable of winning the conference title and they have their best basketball ahead of them. Voelkel was able to pull down his 1,000 career rebound and this accomplishment should not be taken lightly. That makes him only the 3rd UVM player and the 9th player in America East history to reach that milestone. The 1,000 rebound club is much smaller than the 1,000 point club and is a very difficult accomplishment. Hats off to Brian. Individually however, this game was all about Sandro Carissimo. He scored a career high 30 points and hit big shot after big shot. Carissimo does not always assert himself in games but is a very crafty and capable scorer. I love the way he plays and am really going to miss his grit when he graduates. The funny thing is his two highest scoring games are now both at Harvard's gym. Makes me happy we got him because clearly he would have averaged 20 points per game if he had played at Harvard (.......crickets). Anyway, now Vermont has an lengthy holiday layoff before returning to play Lyndon State at home. A game that will be a good time to see some of the inured players get some reps and see Voelkel get the assists he needs to move into second place all time at UVM. Heck, maybe he will finally get that elusive triple double. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and I would like to thank everyone who has been reading my blog thus far because it sure has been fun.

Vermont at UMass Lowell 12/18/13

Vermont 62 UMass Lowell 48

The conference opener for both teams was a hard fought, tough, America East type game. It looks to me like Lowell will be a great addition to the league as they play tough and give max effort for 40 minutes. This has been the calling card of the America East for years so it is nice to see a new program who seems to embrace this ideal. A win is a win and that is basically how this game played out. Vermont looked flat in the first half and discombobulated on offense. It is at the point where each game starts out as trying to survive the first half without begin down by double digits. The Cats came out in the second half and really clamped down on defense, which fueled their offense and led to the victory. This turnaround happened for three reasons. The first reason is that Becker shortened his bench. This was important because it limited the crucial mistakes that were being made in the first half. Reason number two was going with Josh Elbaum for extended stretches. Elbaum has been lost in the shuffle this year as Becker looks for consistency on offense but his defense was a turning point in the game tonight. The final reason was that Brian Voelkel too turned up the defensive intensity. I am still amazed at his ability to guard smaller, quicker guards on the perimeter without fouling. It is a truly unique skill and he will end up the defensive player of the year in the conference. He can guard anywhere on the floor and create turnovers. Clancy Rugg looked solid once again in what was a great match up for him against the smaller Lowell team. I again walked away impressed by Kurt Steidl and would like to see his minutes increase. Partially because we need his shooting but also because I cannot watch Candon Rusin anymore. I find myself cringing when he touches the ball and his game is so one dimensional that he gets lost for long stretches. The Cats just cant afford to have him playing 25 minutes a game anymore unless he makes a miraculous turnaround. Next up is a very difficult match up at Harvard. Vermont won down there last year so I am sure Harvard will be looking to stick it to the Cats. It would be nice to play them tough because the non conference games after Harvard are winnable. This would allow Vermont to go into conference play on a hot streak. Voelkel has a chance to grab the 1,000 rebound of his career in the game against Harvard. He needs six more to become the third player in UVM history to reach that milestone. Just one of the many milestones he has a chance to reach this season.

Quinnipiac at Vermont 12/15/13

Quinnipiac 80 Vermont 67

A long layoff, a lot of practice, and the same result. Vermont once again came out flat and dug themselves a hole in the first half. There was no magic comeback or major momentum shift this time. The Cats just were outplayed by a very good Quinnipiac squad. It is kind of refreshing to see a program who has a system, recruits for their system, and is then able to execute their system. Quinnipiac flat out rebounds the ball with the best in the country and has for nearly two seasons. The chances of winning go up greatly when a team can night in and night out beat their opponent on the boards.  Vermont was the 41st consecutive opponent that Quinnipiac has out rebounded so this was no fluke. I wish them the best of luck in their first season in the MAAC. Now back to Vermont. There is seemingly no explanation for the inconsistency that the Cats show in their effort. Vermont will not be a championship team if that does not change. There is still time to improve but it is at the point in the season now where it needs to happen fast. I don't have much more of a reaction to the game except for the fact that O'Day did look good in his return, which will certainly give that Cats a boost. I am going to reserve judgement on  Ryan Pierson and Dre Wills respective returns as they both looked rusty in limited minutes. On the individual side Brian Voelkel did take sole possession of third in both the all time UVM rebounding and assists categories. I know at times his lack of offense if frustrating, but his passing and rebounding is just a thing of beauty. He has certainly cemented himself in the conversation of all time great UVM players. Now it is time for the Cats to make a statement by dominating UMass Lowell on Wednesday to assert themselves as the team to beat in the America East despite their non conference struggles.

Check out the rankings page at www.14thstateofmind.com every Sunday for an updated Results Oriented Rankings Index (RORI). It is a cool and different take on ranking college teams created by my friend and colleague Devin Bachelder.

From walk on to star

Anyone who watched the 2010-2011 Vermont team remembers that Sandro Carissimo and Brian Voelkel had great freshman seasons. They stepped in and made an immediate impact while demonstrating the poise of veteran players. From the first time I saw Voelkel and Carissimo play I knew they were something special. That same season there was a walk on from Burlington named Clancy Rugg. I remember all of the great high school teams he was on at Burlington and, as a Vermonter myself, was excited to see if he could be a contributor at UVM. At first sight, my hopes of a Vermonter contributing to the team seemed liked a long shot. Rugg was rail thin and seemed confused and unprepared for the speed and athleticism in the college game. The season wore on and Rugg only saw minutes when the game was far out of reach. There is one distinct memory that will always stick in my head about that season (although a moment I am sure Rugg would like to forget). In a blowout at Patrick gym, Rugg entered the game to a loud cheer from the crowd. All of a sudden he found himself all alone on a fast break. I remember thinking about some sweet garbage time entertainment and how much I love to see a good dunk (mind you this is directly following four years of Marqus Blakely which made me accustomed to that sort of thing). Rugg rose up and....got stuffed by the rim. Ouch. That was embarrassing. It was at that moment that I said to myself "This guy will never play at UVM." Rugg went on to score six total points in 2 minutes a game. The summer went by and I was left waiting for more basketball. As the season began Rugg was again riding the bench and seeing inconsistent playing time. Conference play began and out of nowhere Rugg began to play significant minutes. There were flashes of a solid rotation player and a "glue guy" who would do the little things to help a team win. Rugg was playing hard and showing athleticism that seemed to sneak up on opponents. All through conference play Rugg was a solid contributor and then had his first career double double in the bracket buster game against Niagara. It was starting to look like Rugg was going to become a very good player. Vermont won the title and Rugg showed more signs of things to come against North Carolina in the NCAA tournament, hitting a three and finishing around the rim. In the off season the coaching staff did the right thing and awarded Rugg with a scholarship. Rugg's hard work had paid off and he was coming back as a significant part of the team. In the second game of his junior season against UConn, Rugg announced his arrival as a legitimate college player in a big way. Rugg had one of the best dunks of his career and proved himself as a college level athlete on national TV(Highlight here). Throughout the rest of the non conference schedule he continued to show flashes of brilliance. When conference play began, Rugg put it all together and became a force. This was highlight by a 19 point 15 rebound effort in a win against a very talented Stony Brook team. Even though that season ended in heartbreak, Rugg finished the year as the Cats leading scorer and earned All-Conference Second Team honors. With his talent a secret no more, Rugg headed into this season with high expectations. Much like with every other moment in his career, he exceeded expectations. Rugg has been flat out dominant this season. In most of Vermont's games this year he has not only been the best player on Vermont, but the best player on the floor. Rugg is averaging a career high in both points and rebounds (16 and 7) even though on most nights he is playing against a much larger opponent. Rugg has molded himself into a hard nosed player who does the dirty work night in and night out. On any given night there are also flashes of athleticism that make your jaw drop. He has already accomplished so much and his journey from skinny walk on to star is not one that you see very often. It shows that dedication and hard work can make you into the player you want to be. Rugg is what college basketball is all about and is a story that everyone can get behind. I cannot wait to see how high Rugg will rise during the rest of his senior season. If his story thus far is any indication we are all in for a special finish.

Weekend Recap: San Francisco Tourney

San Francisco 72 Vermont 61
Vermont 73 Sonoma State 61

A weekend split and now a much needed two week break. Hopefully by the time Vermont steps on the court against Quinnipiac on December 15, they will be a much healthier team. There are two key things I believe that need to get worked out over the time off.

Kurt Steidl needs more playing time. I was happy to see that the coaching staff gave him the start against Sonoma State. He did not disappoint scoring 19 points on 6-11 shooting to lead the team. This could be the beginning of something special. The kid is a flat out assassin from behind the arc. He is currently shooting 52% (13-25) from three. The Cats need that kind of shooting in the worst way. Candon Rusin has been struggling mightily all year and something needs to change. I was glad to see him shoot well in the Sonoma state game but looking more closely at his career numbers those games likely to be the exception rather than the rule. Since coming to Vermont Rusin is shooting 31% from behind the arc. Unfortunately, it is time to accept that Rusin is who he is: an inconsistent shooter. He is not suddenly going to become a dependable perimeter scoring option. Maybe the key will be for him to come off the bench but at any rate, Steidl is a better player. He has been showing poise beyond his years and his defense is slowly improving. He has star written all over him.

Vermont better be shooting free throws for two weeks straight. The Cats have been downright atrocious from the line and the timing of the misses has also been extremely poor. For some, there is hope. For others...well lets just hope they keep practicing. Luke Apfeld and Sandro Carissimo are career 80% free throw shooters. Apfeld is currently shooting 69% and Carissimo is at 70%. I would have to believe that these number will rise before the season ends. Their drop in free throw percentage is certainly quite unexpected and a significant contributor to the poor team percentage. They both helped offset the poor free throw shooting in the past. Hector Harold, Candon Rusin, and Brial Voelkel are all poor free throw shooters and unfortunately that might not change. Voelkel did shoot much better during conference play last year so there is that to hold on to. Here is where I put in another plug for Steidl. He is an automatic free throw shooter at 92% (12-13) on the year.

Those are the two main points that need addressing besides getting healthy, which is by far the most important piece. I know some might look at the Cats defense as weak so far but if you look around college basketball the rule changes are working and scoring is up. One needs to look no further than Vermont and Stony Brook's numbers. Last year both teams gave up about 58 points per game. This year so far Vermont is giving up 75 points per game and Stony Brook is giving up 79. Teams are still figuring out how to play defense under the new rules and I would expect Vermont's defense to improve.

Lastly, I just want to recognize Brian Voelkel for tying T.J. Sorrentine on the all time assists list. That is a big name to be associated with and there are going to be many major accomplishments for Voelkel this season. Congratulations.