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.