Vermont 72 Binghamton 39
Ethan O'Day was inserted into the starting lineup and responded with 21 points to lead Vermont to a convincing victory over Binghamton. O'Day looked strong for the second consecutive game and gives the Cats another dimension on offense. The improvement from last year to this year by O'Day is phenomenal. At times last year, O'Day was indecisive and it took his post moves too long to develop. This year he is making quick, aggressive decisions. Candon Rusin hit 4 of 5 threes and scored 16 points to break out of a mini shooting slump. The fact the Kurt Steidl is playing so well should help motivate Rusin and keep him from getting complacent as the season goes on. The fact that the Cats are able to blow out the teams they are supposed to crush is a refreshing change from years past. This group often struggled with putting teams away and it is nice to see that as seniors they are taking care of business. It does help that the league is the weakest I have ever seen it. I hope the league can attract some young talent because if not some of the top teams are certainly going to be looking for a new conference in the next few years. One other point I would like to make is that Hector Harold is really coming on strong. The box score from last nights game wont show any huge stats and he was actually held scoreless. However, watching the game it is refreshing to see Harold affect the game without scoring for the first time this year. Harold played tough defense and had several nice passes in the post. It looks like he is starting to get comfortable in the system and may have finally shaken off some of the transfer rust. If Harold can continue to do the little things that will allow him to stay on the court, he will have a positive effect on the seasons outcome. Having his offensive ability on the court stretches the opposing teams defense and allows Voelkel to pick them apart with his passing. After last nights game Voelkel is 10 assists from becoming the all time assists leader at UVM and Carissimo is 17 points away from 1,000. Now it is on to Hartford for another quick turnaround Wednesday night.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Vermont at Stony Brook 1/24/14
Stony Brook 67 Vermont 64
I am going to preface this post by saying that I am very superstitious. As a result this post will sound more positive than maybe it should after a loss. I am very wary of any team that is undefeated in conference during the regular season. Especially in conferences where each team plays every other team twice. No matter the talent level, it is very hard to beat a team three times in a season. Stony Brook is a great example of this as they have lost some tough games in the conference tournament to teams they dominated in the regular season. Vermont experienced the same phenomenon last season. In the first Albany game they ran them out of the gym. The second time they played the game was closer but Vermont prevailed. In the third matchup, Albany was able to come away with a victory when it counted most. I do not necessarily like the term "good loss" but there certainly are losses that can further motivate a team to get better. Vermont played a very poor first half and that is what lost them the game. However, the fact that they battled back and had a chance to win has to motivate them to not let a first half like that happen the next time these two teams play. It is very difficult to win at Stony Brook and when the schedule comes out and I try to estimate wins and losses, this is a game I often put in the loss column. To me it is more about how they lose the game and the way the game went in the second half was very encouraging. Ethan O'Day was unstoppable in the second half. Jameel Warney is the best player in the conference and had a phenomenal game. He is very skilled around the hoop and has a knack for making the big play. For the first 18 minutes of the second half however, Vermont shut him down and O'Day outplayed him. The second half of the game is what I think we would have been seeing from O'Day all year had he not suffered the thumb injury. It makes me excited to see O'Day and Warney battle each other for the rest of their careers as they are in the same class. Vermont's bench bench playing so well is going to create some tough decisions for Coach Becker down the stretch. Steidl is the best three point shooter in the conference and his play has lifted the Cats offense for two straight games. Steidl absolutely without a doubt has to play more, especially in the first half. The lineup that has been most effective over the last two games is Carissimo, Voelkel, O'Day, Steidl, and Harold. The offense flows better with more offensive weapons on the court and the length of this lineup made them a tough defensive unit as well. Harold is finally looking less spacey on the court and was very aggressive in the game last night. Rugg and Rusin are good players and I am not saying Rugg should be forgotten about but Harold and Stiedl need more first half minutes. I will go so far as to say that Steidl and O'Day should be in the starting lineup. Rusin is very streaky and if he does not hit his first shot in a game he completely loses confidence. Maybe coming off the bench would motivate him to stay focused during the entire game. On the other side, I love Luke Apfeld and what he has done for the program but you can tell that he is running on fumes at this point. He probably should settle in to a bench role as he has been playing bench minutes most games anyway. Rugg will get back on track but teams have really adjusted their defense on him and are forcing him to face up and they are daring him to shoot a short jumper. I am sure the coaching staff will start to draw up some plays to get Rugg moving toward the basket and that will help him get back in rhythm. Stony Brook played tough and came up with big plays down the stretch to stave off the Cats rally. This game clearly demonstrated that when the dust settles at the end of the season, a hotly contested matchup between Stony Brook and Vermont will likely decide the championship. Hold on tight it is going to be a great finish.
I am going to preface this post by saying that I am very superstitious. As a result this post will sound more positive than maybe it should after a loss. I am very wary of any team that is undefeated in conference during the regular season. Especially in conferences where each team plays every other team twice. No matter the talent level, it is very hard to beat a team three times in a season. Stony Brook is a great example of this as they have lost some tough games in the conference tournament to teams they dominated in the regular season. Vermont experienced the same phenomenon last season. In the first Albany game they ran them out of the gym. The second time they played the game was closer but Vermont prevailed. In the third matchup, Albany was able to come away with a victory when it counted most. I do not necessarily like the term "good loss" but there certainly are losses that can further motivate a team to get better. Vermont played a very poor first half and that is what lost them the game. However, the fact that they battled back and had a chance to win has to motivate them to not let a first half like that happen the next time these two teams play. It is very difficult to win at Stony Brook and when the schedule comes out and I try to estimate wins and losses, this is a game I often put in the loss column. To me it is more about how they lose the game and the way the game went in the second half was very encouraging. Ethan O'Day was unstoppable in the second half. Jameel Warney is the best player in the conference and had a phenomenal game. He is very skilled around the hoop and has a knack for making the big play. For the first 18 minutes of the second half however, Vermont shut him down and O'Day outplayed him. The second half of the game is what I think we would have been seeing from O'Day all year had he not suffered the thumb injury. It makes me excited to see O'Day and Warney battle each other for the rest of their careers as they are in the same class. Vermont's bench bench playing so well is going to create some tough decisions for Coach Becker down the stretch. Steidl is the best three point shooter in the conference and his play has lifted the Cats offense for two straight games. Steidl absolutely without a doubt has to play more, especially in the first half. The lineup that has been most effective over the last two games is Carissimo, Voelkel, O'Day, Steidl, and Harold. The offense flows better with more offensive weapons on the court and the length of this lineup made them a tough defensive unit as well. Harold is finally looking less spacey on the court and was very aggressive in the game last night. Rugg and Rusin are good players and I am not saying Rugg should be forgotten about but Harold and Stiedl need more first half minutes. I will go so far as to say that Steidl and O'Day should be in the starting lineup. Rusin is very streaky and if he does not hit his first shot in a game he completely loses confidence. Maybe coming off the bench would motivate him to stay focused during the entire game. On the other side, I love Luke Apfeld and what he has done for the program but you can tell that he is running on fumes at this point. He probably should settle in to a bench role as he has been playing bench minutes most games anyway. Rugg will get back on track but teams have really adjusted their defense on him and are forcing him to face up and they are daring him to shoot a short jumper. I am sure the coaching staff will start to draw up some plays to get Rugg moving toward the basket and that will help him get back in rhythm. Stony Brook played tough and came up with big plays down the stretch to stave off the Cats rally. This game clearly demonstrated that when the dust settles at the end of the season, a hotly contested matchup between Stony Brook and Vermont will likely decide the championship. Hold on tight it is going to be a great finish.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Brian Voelkel proves he isn't human
Vermont 57 New Hampshire 40
A record breaking night and a hard fought win.
Brian Voelkel passed Kevin Roberson to become the all time leading rebounder in UVM history. A tremendous accomplishment for a special player. I am going to admit it right here and right now: Brian Voelkel is my favorite UVM player of all time. I just love the way he plays and how he affects the game in so many different ways. John Becker said last night that Voelkel was "a once in a lifetime player" and I completely agree. I dare say that there may never be a player like him again. I wonder if there really has even been one before. Voelkel also dished out his 600th assist in the game and that gives him 1,000 rebounds and 600 assists in his career. I would like to know how many other college basketball players are in that group. I have to think it is a pretty exclusive club. In true Brian Voelkel fashion he broke the record as part of a monster game where he finished with 7 points, 7 assists, and 15 rebounds. I just hope that everyone can appreciate what a special player he has been, not just at Vermont but in all of college basketball.
Back to the game. Vermont came out flat and could not buy a hoop in the first half. In the second half however, Vermont put together one of the most dominating halves of basketball I have ever seen. On the defensive side of the ball the Cats only allowed 10 points. That is not a misprint. New Hampshire shot 4-22 from the field en route to 10 second half points. Vermont has yet to allow a team to score 50 points in conference and looks really solid on the defensive end. Ethan O'Day continues to be a big part of the lockdown defense as he had 5 second half blocks. On the offensive side of the ball Vermont did not turn the ball over. That is an unbelievable statistic and demonstrates how locked in the Cats were as a team. Also, Kurt Steidl happened. The freshman came off the bench to light it up by scoring 13 of his 16 points during the game changing 19-0 run. Looking confident and poised, Steidl knocked down jumper after jumper and breathed life into a sullen Patrick Gym crowd. On a night where Rusin couldn't find it and Rugg was struggling to score, Becker made the tough decision to bench them in favor of Steidl and Hector Harold. Kudos to Becker for being able to make that call and more kudos to Harold and Steidl for seizing that opportunity. Steidl looks like a star in the making and can score in a variety of ways. He is already the best shooter on Vermont and will play a big part in their success down the stretch. This win sets up a great match up on Friday between the two undefeated teams at the top of the America East. Stony Brook and Vermont are both 5-0 in conference and it makes the game on Friday night a very important game so early in the conference schedule. It will be a great test for both teams and should be a exciting game to watch on ESPNU at 9pm.
A record breaking night and a hard fought win.
Brian Voelkel passed Kevin Roberson to become the all time leading rebounder in UVM history. A tremendous accomplishment for a special player. I am going to admit it right here and right now: Brian Voelkel is my favorite UVM player of all time. I just love the way he plays and how he affects the game in so many different ways. John Becker said last night that Voelkel was "a once in a lifetime player" and I completely agree. I dare say that there may never be a player like him again. I wonder if there really has even been one before. Voelkel also dished out his 600th assist in the game and that gives him 1,000 rebounds and 600 assists in his career. I would like to know how many other college basketball players are in that group. I have to think it is a pretty exclusive club. In true Brian Voelkel fashion he broke the record as part of a monster game where he finished with 7 points, 7 assists, and 15 rebounds. I just hope that everyone can appreciate what a special player he has been, not just at Vermont but in all of college basketball.
Back to the game. Vermont came out flat and could not buy a hoop in the first half. In the second half however, Vermont put together one of the most dominating halves of basketball I have ever seen. On the defensive side of the ball the Cats only allowed 10 points. That is not a misprint. New Hampshire shot 4-22 from the field en route to 10 second half points. Vermont has yet to allow a team to score 50 points in conference and looks really solid on the defensive end. Ethan O'Day continues to be a big part of the lockdown defense as he had 5 second half blocks. On the offensive side of the ball Vermont did not turn the ball over. That is an unbelievable statistic and demonstrates how locked in the Cats were as a team. Also, Kurt Steidl happened. The freshman came off the bench to light it up by scoring 13 of his 16 points during the game changing 19-0 run. Looking confident and poised, Steidl knocked down jumper after jumper and breathed life into a sullen Patrick Gym crowd. On a night where Rusin couldn't find it and Rugg was struggling to score, Becker made the tough decision to bench them in favor of Steidl and Hector Harold. Kudos to Becker for being able to make that call and more kudos to Harold and Steidl for seizing that opportunity. Steidl looks like a star in the making and can score in a variety of ways. He is already the best shooter on Vermont and will play a big part in their success down the stretch. This win sets up a great match up on Friday between the two undefeated teams at the top of the America East. Stony Brook and Vermont are both 5-0 in conference and it makes the game on Friday night a very important game so early in the conference schedule. It will be a great test for both teams and should be a exciting game to watch on ESPNU at 9pm.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Vermont at UMBC 1/18/14
Vermont 73 UMBC 47
Defense again is the theme as Vermont has yet to allow a team to score 50 points during conference play. The Cats swarmed UMBC all afternoon and for the second straight game jumped out to a quick 20 point lead and never looked back. Candon Rusin continued his resurgence, leading the way with 22 points on 6-9 shooting, 4-5 from beyond the arc. He is certainly on a hot streak and looks better across the board. Rusin looks more confident at the free throw line and is making better decisions on the court. He the type of player where you can tell what kind of game he is going to have from the first few times he touches the ball. There is a certain swagger to his game when he is on and it has certainly been there over the last few games. It seems silly to write again about Ryan Pierson's play in garbage time but it is a point that needs making. He is finally looking like a competent basketball player and the Cats will really need him to be able to give 5-10 good minutes down the stretch. Call them the "Pat Bergman minutes". Ethan O'Day only played 9 minutes in the game and I hope Becker was just giving him a rest in a game that was never in doubt (please no injury). Vermont is flat out rolling right now and I dare say this is the best I have ever seen this group look. They have gone on streaks before but this one is different. Even in the championship year, this group often played down to the competition (which resulted in a horrific loss to a previously winless Binghamton team). Blowouts were rare and even if they did pull away it was always in the second half. Right now Vermont is winning these games in the first half and not looking back. The key will be to maintain this high level of play throughout the rest of the season. Now it is time for the obligatory Brian Voelkel is amazing section of the write up. I would imagine that rebound and assists double doubles are rare, but it seems like Voelkel is close to getting one every game. Today Voelkel had 10 rebounds and 9 assists, just amazing production out of a great player. Throw in 4 steals and you have the instructional video on how to affect the game without scoring. With the 10 rebounds, Voelkel is now 5 shy of breaking Kevin Roberson's record and becoming the all time leading rebounder at UVM. I will be attending the game Monday where he will be a virtual lock to break the record against New Hampshire. That will be an amazing moment and a great accomplishment.
Defense again is the theme as Vermont has yet to allow a team to score 50 points during conference play. The Cats swarmed UMBC all afternoon and for the second straight game jumped out to a quick 20 point lead and never looked back. Candon Rusin continued his resurgence, leading the way with 22 points on 6-9 shooting, 4-5 from beyond the arc. He is certainly on a hot streak and looks better across the board. Rusin looks more confident at the free throw line and is making better decisions on the court. He the type of player where you can tell what kind of game he is going to have from the first few times he touches the ball. There is a certain swagger to his game when he is on and it has certainly been there over the last few games. It seems silly to write again about Ryan Pierson's play in garbage time but it is a point that needs making. He is finally looking like a competent basketball player and the Cats will really need him to be able to give 5-10 good minutes down the stretch. Call them the "Pat Bergman minutes". Ethan O'Day only played 9 minutes in the game and I hope Becker was just giving him a rest in a game that was never in doubt (please no injury). Vermont is flat out rolling right now and I dare say this is the best I have ever seen this group look. They have gone on streaks before but this one is different. Even in the championship year, this group often played down to the competition (which resulted in a horrific loss to a previously winless Binghamton team). Blowouts were rare and even if they did pull away it was always in the second half. Right now Vermont is winning these games in the first half and not looking back. The key will be to maintain this high level of play throughout the rest of the season. Now it is time for the obligatory Brian Voelkel is amazing section of the write up. I would imagine that rebound and assists double doubles are rare, but it seems like Voelkel is close to getting one every game. Today Voelkel had 10 rebounds and 9 assists, just amazing production out of a great player. Throw in 4 steals and you have the instructional video on how to affect the game without scoring. With the 10 rebounds, Voelkel is now 5 shy of breaking Kevin Roberson's record and becoming the all time leading rebounder at UVM. I will be attending the game Monday where he will be a virtual lock to break the record against New Hampshire. That will be an amazing moment and a great accomplishment.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Vermont at Maine 1/16/14
Vermont 83 Maine 46
Vermont continued to play at a high level as they demolished Maine on the road. This one was never really in doubt as the Cats quickly raced to a 20 point lead a never looked back. Maine is a very poor team but Vermont has struggled with inexplicable conference losses over the last several years and Maine was one of the teams that has beat them when they should not have. Also if Vermont is supposed to be the cream of the crop they should bury the bad teams much like they did in this game. I am going to continue to make the point that Ethan O'Day is crucial to this teams success. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that some of the non conference struggles can be directly tied to his absence. In the Maine game he once again showed a beautiful array of post moves and has been much more decisive this year when looking to score. The other piece of his return that is getting overlooked is that it allows Luke Apfeld to play less minutes. Apfeld has clearly lost a step this year and that was exacerbated by having to play 30 minutes a game. Now that Apfeld can play 15-20 minutes per game he looks more energized and has been able to increase his effectiveness as well. Every player saw action in the game and everyone except Nassir Williams scored. Ryan Pierson had 9 points which if nothing else should serve as a confidence booster. Even if it was in garbage time, Pierson just needs to get some reps after almost 2 years away from game action. The moment from the game that has everyone talking is a monster dunk by Clancy Rugg. Highlights here. Rugg's in game dunking ability continues to amaze me and it sure is fun to watch. Vermont has very clearly reestablished themselves as a contender and hopefully they will continue to build on this streak at UMBC on Saturday. Brian Voelkel will most likely become UVM's all time leading rebounded in the next two games. Voelkel is at 1,040 rebounds for his career, trailing Marqus Blakely by 4 and Kevin Roberson by 14. It would be nice to see him break the record at home on Monday night against New Hampshire.
Vermont continued to play at a high level as they demolished Maine on the road. This one was never really in doubt as the Cats quickly raced to a 20 point lead a never looked back. Maine is a very poor team but Vermont has struggled with inexplicable conference losses over the last several years and Maine was one of the teams that has beat them when they should not have. Also if Vermont is supposed to be the cream of the crop they should bury the bad teams much like they did in this game. I am going to continue to make the point that Ethan O'Day is crucial to this teams success. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that some of the non conference struggles can be directly tied to his absence. In the Maine game he once again showed a beautiful array of post moves and has been much more decisive this year when looking to score. The other piece of his return that is getting overlooked is that it allows Luke Apfeld to play less minutes. Apfeld has clearly lost a step this year and that was exacerbated by having to play 30 minutes a game. Now that Apfeld can play 15-20 minutes per game he looks more energized and has been able to increase his effectiveness as well. Every player saw action in the game and everyone except Nassir Williams scored. Ryan Pierson had 9 points which if nothing else should serve as a confidence booster. Even if it was in garbage time, Pierson just needs to get some reps after almost 2 years away from game action. The moment from the game that has everyone talking is a monster dunk by Clancy Rugg. Highlights here. Rugg's in game dunking ability continues to amaze me and it sure is fun to watch. Vermont has very clearly reestablished themselves as a contender and hopefully they will continue to build on this streak at UMBC on Saturday. Brian Voelkel will most likely become UVM's all time leading rebounded in the next two games. Voelkel is at 1,040 rebounds for his career, trailing Marqus Blakely by 4 and Kevin Roberson by 14. It would be nice to see him break the record at home on Monday night against New Hampshire.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Albany at Vermont 1/11/14
Vermont 68 Albany 38
Total domination is the only word that comes to mind when recalling the game last night. Vermont put the rest of the league on notice and put the struggles of the non conference behind them by beating Albany in every facet of the game. The key to this game was executing a defensive game plan and completely taking Albany out of their rhythm on offense. It is no coincidence that as Ethan O'Day gets healthier, the Cats interior defense has improved as well. O'Day is Vermont's best post defender and changes shots at the rim. He is beginning to look like he is back in a groove and is only going to continue to get better. Josh Elbaum came into the game and completely disrupted Albany's ability to set up a play on offense. He finished with four steals on the night and closed off driving lanes on every possession. After really struggling to start the year Elbaum has found a nice groove and is making the most of his minutes. Everyone knows that Brian Voelkel is the best defender in the conference, but it is his versatility that makes him special. One night he will be shutting down the opposing team's 6-6 slashing small forward, or like last night, he will be shutting down the point guard. Peter Hooley is a very good player for Albany and averages around 15 points per game. he was 1-8 from the floor last night and scored 6 points. The one shot he hit was while Elbaum was guarding him. Voelkel completely shut down Hooley and as a result the Albany offense was ineffective. Having a defender with that versatility on the roster allows Becker to shut down the opposing teams best player in nearly every game, without even having to draw up a game plan. On offense the Cats executed well and on most possessions were able to get whatever shot they wanted. Candon Rusin has had a revaluation and finally looks like he understands his role on this team. He is a jump shooter and is looking to take jump shots. That is all the Cats want from him. To me it seems like he finally realized that this is his last opportunity and is playing harder and with more urgency. O'Day has some big time finishes down low and his return has changed the kinds of plays that Vermont can run. He is a legitimate back to the basket player and as a result the Cats have been able to add a more traditional post up game to their offense. There is no better way for Vermont to begin conference play and it demonstrates that for the regular season title this is a two team race. Stony Brook and Vermont have separated themselves from the pack and it should be a close race between those two teams. The only cautionary tale here is that last season, Vermont beat Albany by 25 at home and by the end of the season, Albany was conference champs. There is still a lot of basketball to be played, but for right now Vermont has to feel good about the way they are playing.
Total domination is the only word that comes to mind when recalling the game last night. Vermont put the rest of the league on notice and put the struggles of the non conference behind them by beating Albany in every facet of the game. The key to this game was executing a defensive game plan and completely taking Albany out of their rhythm on offense. It is no coincidence that as Ethan O'Day gets healthier, the Cats interior defense has improved as well. O'Day is Vermont's best post defender and changes shots at the rim. He is beginning to look like he is back in a groove and is only going to continue to get better. Josh Elbaum came into the game and completely disrupted Albany's ability to set up a play on offense. He finished with four steals on the night and closed off driving lanes on every possession. After really struggling to start the year Elbaum has found a nice groove and is making the most of his minutes. Everyone knows that Brian Voelkel is the best defender in the conference, but it is his versatility that makes him special. One night he will be shutting down the opposing team's 6-6 slashing small forward, or like last night, he will be shutting down the point guard. Peter Hooley is a very good player for Albany and averages around 15 points per game. he was 1-8 from the floor last night and scored 6 points. The one shot he hit was while Elbaum was guarding him. Voelkel completely shut down Hooley and as a result the Albany offense was ineffective. Having a defender with that versatility on the roster allows Becker to shut down the opposing teams best player in nearly every game, without even having to draw up a game plan. On offense the Cats executed well and on most possessions were able to get whatever shot they wanted. Candon Rusin has had a revaluation and finally looks like he understands his role on this team. He is a jump shooter and is looking to take jump shots. That is all the Cats want from him. To me it seems like he finally realized that this is his last opportunity and is playing harder and with more urgency. O'Day has some big time finishes down low and his return has changed the kinds of plays that Vermont can run. He is a legitimate back to the basket player and as a result the Cats have been able to add a more traditional post up game to their offense. There is no better way for Vermont to begin conference play and it demonstrates that for the regular season title this is a two team race. Stony Brook and Vermont have separated themselves from the pack and it should be a close race between those two teams. The only cautionary tale here is that last season, Vermont beat Albany by 25 at home and by the end of the season, Albany was conference champs. There is still a lot of basketball to be played, but for right now Vermont has to feel good about the way they are playing.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Vermont at Yale 1/8/14
Vermont 67 Yale 59
Thanks for joining the rest of the team this season Candon Rusin!!
Rusin scored 16 points, including 3-4 form the three point line to lead the Cats to victory. I have voiced my displeasure with Rusin's play several times this season so let me be the first to say I am glad to see him have a good game. If there is any way he can produce down the stretch of this season, Vermont will become a much tougher opponent. Rusin adds another dimension to Vermont when he is playing well. This victory followed the blueprint of the Dartmouth game and continued the Cats return to a defensive, grind it out team. It may not always be pretty but this is how this team wins. Much of that can be contributed to Brian Voelkel's tough style of play and he again played at a high level in this game. With a near triple double of 9 points 7 rebounds and 10 assists, Voelkel set the tone for this game much like he did against Dartmouth. Voelkel took sole possession of second place on the all time assists list and now trails only Mike Trimboli. Barring an injury Voelkel is on pace to finish as the career leader in both assists and rebounds. Voelkel already became the first division one player since Danny Ferry in 1989 to have 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a career. He will most certainly be in rare company when the final statistics are tallied at the end of his great career. Now the focus shifts to a must win game against Albany at home on Saturday night. This is a must win for several reasons. The first of which is if any team has aspirations of a championship they need to go undefeated at home in conference. The other reason has more to do with the emotional state of this team. They need to erase the bad memories of last seasons championship defeat and also push through the current off the court distractions. In case you missed it, Vermont is facing possible NCAA punishment for a scheduling violation. There are many rumors but no official information yet so I will wait to write about it in detail until the situation plays out. Needless to say it could have an impact on this season and beyond so it is a situation to keep your eyes on.
Thanks for joining the rest of the team this season Candon Rusin!!
Rusin scored 16 points, including 3-4 form the three point line to lead the Cats to victory. I have voiced my displeasure with Rusin's play several times this season so let me be the first to say I am glad to see him have a good game. If there is any way he can produce down the stretch of this season, Vermont will become a much tougher opponent. Rusin adds another dimension to Vermont when he is playing well. This victory followed the blueprint of the Dartmouth game and continued the Cats return to a defensive, grind it out team. It may not always be pretty but this is how this team wins. Much of that can be contributed to Brian Voelkel's tough style of play and he again played at a high level in this game. With a near triple double of 9 points 7 rebounds and 10 assists, Voelkel set the tone for this game much like he did against Dartmouth. Voelkel took sole possession of second place on the all time assists list and now trails only Mike Trimboli. Barring an injury Voelkel is on pace to finish as the career leader in both assists and rebounds. Voelkel already became the first division one player since Danny Ferry in 1989 to have 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a career. He will most certainly be in rare company when the final statistics are tallied at the end of his great career. Now the focus shifts to a must win game against Albany at home on Saturday night. This is a must win for several reasons. The first of which is if any team has aspirations of a championship they need to go undefeated at home in conference. The other reason has more to do with the emotional state of this team. They need to erase the bad memories of last seasons championship defeat and also push through the current off the court distractions. In case you missed it, Vermont is facing possible NCAA punishment for a scheduling violation. There are many rumors but no official information yet so I will wait to write about it in detail until the situation plays out. Needless to say it could have an impact on this season and beyond so it is a situation to keep your eyes on.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Vermont at Dartmouth 1/4/14
Vermont 62 Dartmouth 53
Welcome back Cats! The calender turned and Vermont finally looked like the team everyone thought they would be before the season started. This is exactly the type of game Vermont has been winning over the last 3 years. Play tough defense, rebound the ball, and find ways to score. Getting a tough road win against a decent Dartmouth team is the type of progress the Cats needed to make. Dartmouth was averaging 75 points per game coming into this match up and Vermont completely shut down their offense. Vermont's identity has always been about playing tough defense and wearing down opponents. For whatever reason the Cats had gotten away from that to start this season. Even against Harvard, Vermont played tough defense and the score was only inflated due to fouling at the end of the game. It is a good sign that Vermont has found their identity. A few of the key defensive plays in the first half were made by Dre Wills. Building off a great game against Lyndon and getting meaningful first half minutes for the first time in what seems like forever, Wills made an impact on the defensive end. Wills blocked a three point attempt and also chased down a fast break layup, preventing an easy two. Even though he only played five minutes, those two plays came at a crucial point in the game and seemed to energize the team. As I mentioned in my previous post, if Wills could build trust with Coach Becker and get a few more minutes, he could make a significant impact. He is the best shot blocker I have seen since Marqus Blakely. Right from the opening basket, Clancy Rugg was aggressive and as a result he had a career night. Rugg scored from every angle and drew countless fouls on the Dartmouth big men. Scoring a career high 24 points, Rugg continued to demonstrate that he is a premier player in the America East. Brian Voelkel absolutely dominated this game. The 15 boards were huge and many of them were crucial, but the real value was that he scored 14 points including a perfect 8-8 from the line. He was aggressive on offense and also made the crucial defensive play when Dartmouth was mounting a comeback effort. Voelkel doesn't have to score to be effective but he does have to attack the rim in order to open up the Cats offense. Seeing him make his free throws was a bonus and incidentally it was about this time last year that his free throw shooting made a vast improvement. Throughout the beginning of this season the free throw stripe has been a colossal struggle for the Cats. In this game Vermont was 34-41 from the line. Continuing to convert at the line will be key to Vermont's success for the rest of the season. If Vermont can get another win at Yale they will be going into the conference schedule playing their best basketball of the season.
Welcome back Cats! The calender turned and Vermont finally looked like the team everyone thought they would be before the season started. This is exactly the type of game Vermont has been winning over the last 3 years. Play tough defense, rebound the ball, and find ways to score. Getting a tough road win against a decent Dartmouth team is the type of progress the Cats needed to make. Dartmouth was averaging 75 points per game coming into this match up and Vermont completely shut down their offense. Vermont's identity has always been about playing tough defense and wearing down opponents. For whatever reason the Cats had gotten away from that to start this season. Even against Harvard, Vermont played tough defense and the score was only inflated due to fouling at the end of the game. It is a good sign that Vermont has found their identity. A few of the key defensive plays in the first half were made by Dre Wills. Building off a great game against Lyndon and getting meaningful first half minutes for the first time in what seems like forever, Wills made an impact on the defensive end. Wills blocked a three point attempt and also chased down a fast break layup, preventing an easy two. Even though he only played five minutes, those two plays came at a crucial point in the game and seemed to energize the team. As I mentioned in my previous post, if Wills could build trust with Coach Becker and get a few more minutes, he could make a significant impact. He is the best shot blocker I have seen since Marqus Blakely. Right from the opening basket, Clancy Rugg was aggressive and as a result he had a career night. Rugg scored from every angle and drew countless fouls on the Dartmouth big men. Scoring a career high 24 points, Rugg continued to demonstrate that he is a premier player in the America East. Brian Voelkel absolutely dominated this game. The 15 boards were huge and many of them were crucial, but the real value was that he scored 14 points including a perfect 8-8 from the line. He was aggressive on offense and also made the crucial defensive play when Dartmouth was mounting a comeback effort. Voelkel doesn't have to score to be effective but he does have to attack the rim in order to open up the Cats offense. Seeing him make his free throws was a bonus and incidentally it was about this time last year that his free throw shooting made a vast improvement. Throughout the beginning of this season the free throw stripe has been a colossal struggle for the Cats. In this game Vermont was 34-41 from the line. Continuing to convert at the line will be key to Vermont's success for the rest of the season. If Vermont can get another win at Yale they will be going into the conference schedule playing their best basketball of the season.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Lyndon State at Vermont 12/30/13
Vermont 88 Lyndon State 48
In their final game of 2013 Vermont dominated a far inferior opponent. In what was really a "take care of business" game, there is not a whole lot to take away. It is very difficult to judge performance when there is such a large gap in ability. There were however, a few things that struck me while watching the game. Hector Harold had a strong game and one might look at it as taking advantage of a lesser opponent. To a degree that is correct but more than anything watching that game I was left thinking, "if only Harold could remain on the floor." The talent is there for Harold and there is no doubt he could contribute to this team. What keeps him off the floor is his lack of concentration and crucial, inexplicable mistakes. In this game when he made a stupid pass or lost his man on defense, Becker left him in the game because the outcome was already decided. In a more competitive game, Harold would have been taken out and the more reliable players would get the minutes. This is going to be a major dilemma for Coach Becker if the Cats continue to struggle as he might have to bite the bullet and play Harold when the offense is stalling. Much the same is true for Dre Wills. Getting extended minutes in the second half, Wills showed that he can be a force on defense. Wills filled up the stat sheet with multiple steals, rebounds, and blocks. His offense is still a work in progress but he could really contribute defensively if he could ever work his way out of Becker's doghouse. Wills, like Harold, makes boneheaded mistakes that put him on the bench. Even in the Lyndon game Wills picked up some silly fouls and seemed lost at times on the court. Becker clearly has very little confidence in either Wills or Harold and as a result he is forced to play Elbaum and Rusin. It will be interesting to see how the playing time changes throughout the conference schedule.
I thought I would close this post today by saying that I am sure the Cats are happy to see 2013 go. Vermont finished 2013 with a poor 19-16 record. This is easily the worst calender year record the Cats have had in many years. Included in that record is a disappointing home loss in the championship game to Albany. Mired in a poor non-conference performance to close out the year as well, this is one fan who is hoping for a fresh start in 2014. Happy New Year!
In their final game of 2013 Vermont dominated a far inferior opponent. In what was really a "take care of business" game, there is not a whole lot to take away. It is very difficult to judge performance when there is such a large gap in ability. There were however, a few things that struck me while watching the game. Hector Harold had a strong game and one might look at it as taking advantage of a lesser opponent. To a degree that is correct but more than anything watching that game I was left thinking, "if only Harold could remain on the floor." The talent is there for Harold and there is no doubt he could contribute to this team. What keeps him off the floor is his lack of concentration and crucial, inexplicable mistakes. In this game when he made a stupid pass or lost his man on defense, Becker left him in the game because the outcome was already decided. In a more competitive game, Harold would have been taken out and the more reliable players would get the minutes. This is going to be a major dilemma for Coach Becker if the Cats continue to struggle as he might have to bite the bullet and play Harold when the offense is stalling. Much the same is true for Dre Wills. Getting extended minutes in the second half, Wills showed that he can be a force on defense. Wills filled up the stat sheet with multiple steals, rebounds, and blocks. His offense is still a work in progress but he could really contribute defensively if he could ever work his way out of Becker's doghouse. Wills, like Harold, makes boneheaded mistakes that put him on the bench. Even in the Lyndon game Wills picked up some silly fouls and seemed lost at times on the court. Becker clearly has very little confidence in either Wills or Harold and as a result he is forced to play Elbaum and Rusin. It will be interesting to see how the playing time changes throughout the conference schedule.
I thought I would close this post today by saying that I am sure the Cats are happy to see 2013 go. Vermont finished 2013 with a poor 19-16 record. This is easily the worst calender year record the Cats have had in many years. Included in that record is a disappointing home loss in the championship game to Albany. Mired in a poor non-conference performance to close out the year as well, this is one fan who is hoping for a fresh start in 2014. Happy New Year!
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