Vermont at Hartford 1/31/15

Vermont 65 Hartford 46

Vermont went on the road and bounced back after a tough loss at home to Albany by dominating Hartford in the second half. For much of the first 30 minutes of the game, it looked like the struggles were going to continue. Vermont was playing great defense but was still struggling to make shots on the offensive end. Then all of a sudden the shots started to fall. Kurt Steidl finally found his rhythm and led Vermont with 16 points. It must have felt good for him to see a few shots go down because he has been in quite a slump. Even better for him to do it in front of friends and family. Vermont forced Hartford into tough contested shots for much of the game and Hartford struggled to get their footing after their top player Mark Nwakamma went down with an knee injury early in the game. Vermont is definitely still trying to rediscover their mojo on offense but their defense is locked in. They have allowed 50, 47, and 46 points respectively, in their last three games. That is elite level defense. Besides the great game from Steidl the other two standout players were Cam Ward and Zach McRoberts. Ward carried the offense in the first half and was all over the defensive glass. The smallest player on Vermont's roster finished with 13 rebounds. Pure grit and effort from Ward who provided a calming presence to Vermont and has been a great floor leader all season. McRoberts continues to provide a huge boost off the bench and is becoming a great offensive rebounder. His fingerprints were all over this game as he posted a 11 pt, 6rb, 3ast night. His basketball IQ is tremendous and he is one of those players who sees things before they happen. I will say it again that he will be the difference for Vermont down the stretch. What I hope Vermont can take away from this game is the feeling of relief. When the shots started to fall in the second half you could see the weight being lifted off the Cats shoulders. At the end of the Catamount TV highlights, Dre Wills humorously interviews Ward about his newfound rebounding prowess. It is a nice lighthearted moment and there needs to be more of that for Vermont to be successful. If the Cats can take this feeling with them and take care of business against Maine, I hope they can go into the Stony Brook game loose and play like they did against them at home. They were pumped up and seemed to relish the underdog role in that game. A good win on the road today and the first step in the Cats refocusing and taking the season one game at a time.

Albany at Vermont 1/28/15

Albany 47 Vermont 44

Another game, another close loss. This pattern is becoming disheartening and it is taking its toll on the team. After the game Becker's comments were direct and honest. He mentioned the lack of attention to detail and execution of the scouting report in letting Albany step into a shot on their final possession. His statement of "It's hard to understand why" is a tough one to hear. It is one of the few things that Becker has said that concerns me. It is his responsibility to know why and if not get after it during practice to make sure it stops happening. Becker sounds exhausted and frustrated with this young team and he as the leader needs to find a way to channel that energy. The team is a reflection of their coach and right now Vermont is playing like a team that is exhausted and crumbling under the weight of the season. The early success is coming back to bite them because they made themselves a "favorite" even though they weren't ready. This was supposed to be a year where they lost games and that was going to be okay because it was a rebuilding year. This was the year Vermont was going to be a scrappy young team who pushed the top teams to the brink. The tough part is Vermont is that team. However, the early success created an atmosphere where they were no longer the plucky underdogs. Those expectations are clearly weighing on this young team and as a result they are no longer playing with the freedom and energy they had at the beginning of the season. They look tight and are playing like a team who is not living up to expectations. Becker needs to find a way to get this team to remember where they were at the beginning of the season and where they are now. At the beginning of the year he was preaching the process and after the quick start to conference play it feels like that attitude has been lost and Vermont is playing with the "anything short of a title is a disappointment attitude". That is going to be on Becker to fix and I hope he does because it feels like the moral is getting dangerously low and with road games at Hartford and Stony Brook looming, things aren't getting any easier. As for this particular game, it was awful. Quite possibly one of the worst college basketball games I have ever watched. Even all of the drama and excitement at the end couldn't salvage the game. Missed shots, poor execution, and no flow for either team. The best player on the floor shot 8-20 and never took a shot outside of 8 feet. Both defenses were very good but it did not make for a exciting game. Vermont's three point shooting has fallen off a cliff. This is where the "tight" play is manifesting most egregiously. Over the last four games Vermont is 12-58 (21%) from three. For a college team that is abysmal. On the season Hector Harold is shooting 29%, Brandon Hatton is at 31%, Kurt Steidl is sitting at 35%, and Cam Ward leads the team at 38%. The most concerning part is most of the time the shots don't even look like they are going in. Harold looks tentative after he misses his first look, Hatton shot is short and flat every time, Steidl isn't elevating, and Ward is too often drifting when he shoots. Without the three point shot Vermont's offense can't function because teams can just sit back, pack it in, and cut off dribble penetration. Without dribble penetration Vermont's offense slows to a halt because they lack that one or two dribble and pull up for a mid-range jumper type player. Maybe it is fatigue for these young guys in their first season of college basketball but whatever it is, it has to change or the end of the year is going to be very tough.

Vermont at UMass Lowell 1/25/15

Vermont 61 UMass Lowell 50

Vermont bounced back following their first conference loss of the season, winning on the road against Lowell. It was not a dominating performance but there were some encouraging signs of progress. First and foremost, Vermont’s defense played much better. With active hands in the passing lanes and protection at the rim, the Cats were able to keep Lowell off balance for most of the night. There were still times where the rotations were slow but it looked like players were more aware of their assignments. Trae Bell-Haynes in particular looked very good defensively and overall played a much more solid game. Even though he only had two points, he stuffed the stat sheet. Trae hit the boards well and made several nice passes for easy buckets. Dre Wills has been a force the last two games on the offensive end. He set a new career high with 17 points at New Hampshire, but this performance was marred by extremely poor foul shooting. Wills made his free throws and attacked the rim with authority leading to a new career high of 20 points. With his feel on offense improving with each game, Wills is showing flashes becoming an impact player on the offensive end of the floor. Vermont is going to need his ability to attack the rim because that is when they are most successful. The Cats three point shooting is only good when coming off the drive and kick. The three point line is the number one reason that Vermont struggles on the road. They are just dreadful from behind the arc on the road. Due to this, their offense gets very bogged down and they play at a much slower pace. It is something that looks like it will be hard to change down the stretch and makes it even more important to get one of the top 2 seeds. Zach McRoberts play continues to be strong and in my opinion he is the most important piece of the rotation down the stretch. His rebounding ability is crucial for Vermont. He is the spark plug off the bench on the defensive side of the ball that this team has been looking for all year. If his comfort level can continue to increase down the stretch he will play a very important role come playoff time. Another big home game for Vermont is next on the schedule. This game will be the battle for first place and a crucial game for both teams. If Albany wins they are almost out of reach for the top seed. Their conference schedule was very unbalanced and as a result they have a disproportionate number of home games down the stretch. Since they have already won at Stony Brook, this is their final difficult road game. If Vermont can win, the race tightens and it will still give Vermont a chance at the title. Albany has struggled at Patrick Gym in recent years(regular season), getting blown out several times. I would expect that they know this fact and as a result are going to come out with determination and energy. Vermont has played well at home this season but their play over the last few weeks has not been as crisp. This game will provide an energizing atmosphere and hopefully springboard the Cats into a stretch of more inspired play. That is even more necessary because the road game at Hartford is right around the corner. Vermont has exceeded expectations up until this point and this 4 game stretch beginning with the New Hampshire game will be the defining part of the season. 

Vermont at UNH 1/22/15

UNH 73 Vermont 68

Vermont suffered their first conference loss of the season and in my eyes probably played their worst game of the season. The Cats looked sluggish from the get go and didn't get their footing until a spirited comeback bid that ultimately fell short. Downright abysmal free throw shooting was the first wave of poor play. During a crucial stretch of the first half where Vermont should have put UNH away, Vermont missed six consecutive free throws. That is the same as turning the ball over on three straight possessions. Dre Wills is not a very good free throw shooter and will always have erratic games but Kurt Steidl was the other culprit during that stretch and he just can't give up those freebies. The phase of the game that doomed Vermont from that point on was their defense. All year their defense has been top notch and kept them in games until the bitter end. For the middle 20 minutes of the game Vermont looked lost. Their defensive rotations were slow and several players flat out lost their man. The interesting thing is that Becker mentioned the defense prior to the game, stating that he thinks sometimes players are taking too many chances. This was very evident in this game and it presents an interesting dilemma for Vermont going forward. Taking chances on defense is what allowed Vermont to crawl all the way back into the game and gave them a chance to win. However Dre Wills hedged too far looking for a big steal, allowing his man to hit a corner three that iced the game for UNH. I have seen Wills do this several times over the last few games and it will be interesting to see how he responds. His steal numbers are through the roof and he is still the best defender in the conference, but will he have to give up some of the flash and play boring on the ball defense? That remains to be seen and I hope he can balance the two because I love watching him play defense. The foul trouble is starting to become a huge issue because now Ethan O'Day AND Hector Harold are getting into early foul trouble every game. Those guys have got to figure something out. As far as the fouls go the game was called far to tight in the first half both ways and there was absolutely no flow. There were 28 combined fouls in the first half which is just ludicrous. The games at UNH have a tendency to devolve into free throw shooting matches so that was not necessarily a surprise. For me when looking at the schedule every year I am always wary of the road game at UNH. Every year no matter how bad they are UNH plays every team tough at home. Vermont in particular has had their fair share of struggles winning at UNH. This was a game that I had circled as a loss from day one and therefore I am not judging it to harshly. For one, UNH is a good team. They have played everyone in the league tough so far and more importantly have been in close games for the entire conference schedule. They are the upset team to watch out for in the conference tourney this year for sure. Vermont had played a few cake games and lost their edge. Anyone who read my blog last year knows that I want losses in the conference schedule. I am very wary of going 15-1 or 16-0. This is part superstition and partially backed up by evidence. Vermont has only been the regular season and conference champion one time. The America East regular season champ has actually not made the NCAA tournament since the 2008-2009 season. The playoff format has changed this year which should in theory make it easier for the top overall seed but I will believe it when I see it. The road team has won three straight in the title game. The last time Vermont went to the NCAA tournament they lost to a previously winless Binghamton team on the road. My point is sometimes teams get too comfortable and forget what it is like to be in a close game or forget what it is like to lose. As a coach, it is easier to drive a point home in practice or tell a player he needs to make adjustments coming off a loss then it is coming off a win. I know some would disagree wholeheartedly with my point of view but I offer the most recent example as evidence. With last years team, cracks were starting to form down the stretch, even before the playoff collapse. Slow starts, poor first halves, sloppy defensive rotations. The hard part was that they kept winning. The Binghamton game on the road at the end of the season was just a terrible performance. Binghamton was a terrible offensive team and Vermont fell behind big and couldn't stop anyone. This was the game that was supposed to refocus the group for the stretch run. Vermont made a furious comeback and won the game in overtime. Becker's thoughts about the game, to me, held less weight because they had won and just thought they could always pull the rabbit out of the hat. Then against Albany in the semifinals, the magic was gone. I truly believe that if they had lost that game to Binghamton they would have been a much more hungry and focused team in the playoffs. Sometimes losses are necessary. I will never call it a "good loss" because that term makes no sense. However, some teams, especially young teams need a reminder about the work it takes to win games night in and night out. The other thing that happens when you are a program with sustained success is the pressure to win can creep up when you least expect it. Vermont was picked fourth in the preseason poll and everyone was expecting a rebuilding year. Most people, including me, felt like getting to the semifinals would have been an accomplishment. Vermont has played very well and exceeded expectations thus far, but the danger is then expecting too much. Some of the reactions to the loss are as if Vermont has been favored from day one. This team still has a lot to work and and while they are looking like a team that can compete for a championship, they should still be considered an underdog. That is the piece that is hard to keep in perspective. Vermont has been playing good basketball but they as a team still need to remain focused on growing and maturing so they can learn from this loss. That way this type of game will hopefully be avoided come playoff time. Luckily for Vermont the game at UMass Lowell on Sunday provides a perfect opportunity to showcase their resolve. That will be another tough road game and it is also a trap game with the big home showdown against Albany coming up next Wednesday. This team has been able to respond to challenges throughout the season and I expect them to do so on Sunday. As a final thought, Zach McRoberts is looking really good. Back to back double digit rebounding games and he has been especially tough on the offensive glass. He has very active hands and out works opponents for the ball. Vermont has been looking better on the glass and McRoberts play is a big reason why.

Weekend game recaps 1/20/15

Vermont 71 UMBC 54
Vermont 64 Binghamton 44

Vermont was able to sweep a pair of weekend games and push their record to 5-0 in conference. The games were predictable blowouts as UMBC and Binghamton are a combined 4-34 on the season. In the first game against UMBC, Vermont struggled with turning the ball over but put UMBC away with a dominant second half. Brendan Kilpatrick looked especially good scoring 13 points. He continued his strong play with a 9 point effort against Binghamton. Health has always been the monkey wrench in Kilpatrick's game because when on the court he has often been productive. If he can stay healthy he can be a key part of the rotation. With him Vermont's bench becomes very strong and this strength was on full display against Binghamton. Ethan O"Day and Hector Harold were both in foul trouble and Becker went with a small lineup that was playing Zach McRoberts at center and Kilpatrick at power forward. That lineup looked very strong and helped spark Vermont. It is the versatility of Kilpatrick, who plays bigger than he is with a combination of tremendous athleticism and physicality, that can really help this team. The bench crew of Cam Ward, Kilpatrick, and McRoberts is dynamic off the bench. McRoberts had very strong game against Binghamton. Playing his trademark tough defense and getting to lose balls, McRoberts ended with 8 points and 11 rebounds. He is a player with tremendous room to grow and as his offense comes around he will continue to be a larger and larger part of the rotation. Vermont is a team still learning the ropes but with this early season success they have put themselves in a great position. The upcoming three game stretch will be a good barometer to see how far they have come. Both UNH and UMass Lowell and tough road games, followed by Albany at home. All of those games are going to be tough and physical. Albany is the only other undefeated team in conference and have the look of a team ready to be playing their best basketball down the stretch (sound familiar?). After this week of games, Vermont's place in the conference standings will become very clear.

Dartmouth at Vermont 1/14/15

Vermont 55 Dartmouth 52

Sometimes you have to win ugly. That is the impression that I was left with following the game on Wednesday. The game had very little flow and neither team imposed their will. Vermont had the look of a team still basking in the glow of their big weekend victory. Many of the players looked like they were sleepwalking through the game. The one huge positive was to execute enough down the stretch to win a close game. So far this season Vermont has struggled to win close games. The Cats were able to ratchet up the defense and made enough plays on offense to win. The individual performances left something to be desired. Dre Wills was the best player on the floor and was his usual stat-stuffing self. His rebounding ability is a thing of beauty and several times in this game he was able to get key offense rebounds in big spots. Wills also made several key defensive plays (forgetting about the massive blunder of losing Alex Mitola in the corner) that swung the momentum Vermont's way. He is the best defender in the league and is starting to make a case for conference first team consideration. Other than that there were very few positive moments. The biggest shot of the night was Zach McRoberts throwing up a desperation three while trying to draw a foul and hitting nothing but net. That stretched the lead from one to four and took the wind out of Dartmouth's sails. Ethan O'Day and Kurt Steidl both had nightmare games. O'Day was in foul trouble all night and each time he reentered the game he tried to force the ball inside and struggled to finish. Kurt Steidl looked tired and did not have any pep in his jump shot. He didn't score as a result and also did not grab a single rebound. He, like O'Day, ended his night with four fouls. The Drew Urquhart Ryan Pierson switch also took a step back as Drew U got completely lost on defense several times, forcing Becker to bench him. Sigh, so close. The team will need to regroup and prove they can win on the road when they travel to UMBC on Saturday. UMBC has only 8 players dressing for games but has been playing with a lot of heart and energy. It would be a mistake to take them lightly and considering Vermont's struggles on the road, it could be a tough game.

Stony Brook at Vermont 1/10/15

Vermont 71 Stony Brook 57

It feels good to be home.

Vermont came out strong and put themselves in the drivers seat for the regular season title. To knock off a Stony Brook team that was on a 5 game winning streak that included a win over previously undefeated and #13 in the country Washington is a major statement. To dominate the game from start to finish and look like the more experienced and seasoned team is nothing short of exceptional. Vermont avoided having on of their trademark slow starts and made play after play to keep Stony Brook at arms length throughout the game. Warney got his points and looked like the most dominant player in the league. However no one else on Stony Brook made any sort of impact on the game. Vermont's perimeter defense cut off driving lanes and prevented Stony Brook from taking shots from three. Dre Wills was a disruptive force on the defensive side of the ball and continues to shut down the opposing team's best perimeter scorer. On offense Wills was absolutely fearless and finished strong around the rim. The whole team seems to feed off his energy on the court and he is fast becoming the glue that holds this team together. Drew Urquhart is finally ahead of Ryan Pierson on the depth chart. I have been waiting for this moment all season. It seemed like it was going to happen a few times before but this time it looks like it might stick. Drew U has the talent but the year away from game action has been tough to overcome. He struggled to get out of the doghouse and make positive plays on the court. In this game he played tough defense on Warney and showcased his offensive skills. The three was beautiful, but the pump fake three, drive, get his own rebound, and putback was even better. He could add a different dimension to this team if he can consistently make the right decision on the court. Ethan O'Day played his best game of the year by far. It was his best game of the year because he had NINE REBOUNDS. NINE! He battled tough and finally got on the boards. His entire offensive array was on display and he made his free throws. He had been looking better and better over the last few games and it showed today as he looked more confident with the ball. Everyone who played in the game had a positive affect on the outcome. Brandon Hatton had a great steal and  hit a beautiful runner. Cam Ward hit a deeeeeeeeep three. Kurt Steidl hit some big shots and made his free throws. Zach McRoberts had a couple nice rebounds. Hector Harold hit some beautiful shots and came up with every big rebound down the stretch. Last but certainly not least, Trae Bell-Haynes led the team with 8 assists while finishing at the rim in traffic. This was a true team effort and a true team win. The poise with which the young players on Vermont play is tremendous. From the fan perspective every game is seems like Vermont remains more composed and plays smarter than the competition. That is unheard of for such a young team. This team is way ahead of schedule and if they can remain healthy they will certainly be in the conversation for the title.

Vermont at Maine 1/7/15

Vermont 68 Maine 54

Vermont opened conference play in earnest with a convincing win on the road. After another slow start the Cats got back to doing what make them a dangerous team. As I said previously the coaching staff really needs to figure out a way to get this team to come out firing on all cylinders because falling behind early is going to catch up with them against better teams. Vermont played tough perimeter defense and found driving lanes at will. This gave them a major advantage in points in the paint. Getting high percentage shots at the rim was the formula that made Vermont successful earlier in the year. This team is built to drive and finish or drive and dish. Dre Wills is looking better and better. He is looking like a player ready to make the leap and is able to affect the game in so many different ways. His offensive game is flourishing. He is finishing strong at the rim and even hit a three pointer. The outside shooting is still a work in progress but it is leaps and bounds from where he was last year. He has the makings of an all league player and could easily lead this year's Vermont team in rebounds and assists while drawing the toughest defensive assignment. He has really begun to fill that do-it-all role that  Brian Voelkel played for the last 4 years. Ethan O'Day is finishing with more authority and conviction with each passing game. He is trying to dunk everything and looking to finish strong in traffic. This is the O'Day that has been there in flashes before. If can continue to elevate his game Vermont will continue to grow as a team. With so many shooters and creators on the floor, the offense is versatile and tough to stop. As Vermont reduces the silly turnovers the efficiency will continue to increase. With a HUGE game against Stony Brook on Saturday, Vermont will look to refocus and come out hungry for a win,. If they are able to steal a win at home, they will be in the conversation to win the regular season title. With a loss second place becomes a more likely scenario. This will be the biggest game of the regular season and it will be interesting to see how this young team performs.

Non-Conference wrap up/Conference play look ahead

Vermont finished their non-conference slate with a 64-57 loss to UC Santa Barbara. The game again came down to struggling to execute down the stretch. Shooting 1-10 from three in the second half sealed their fate. With the loss Vermont falls to 1-6 on the road. It is not uncommon for a young team to struggle on the road and when looking at the numbers there is one glaring difference for this team when they are on the road. In the friendly confines of Patrick Gym, Vermont is currently shooting 42% from three. When they take the show on the road it drops to an abysmal 29%. That is a huge drop off and is the big reason why on the road they have been unable to get over the top in a close game. That will have to change for Vermont to win close games on the road. This team has shown the ability to compete at a high level and has looks like a team that can exceed their initial expectations. Health will be the key. When at full strength this team is dangerous. However, playing at full strength this year has been s major challenge. Trae Bell-Haynes is the latest to go down with an injury against UCSB. If it is a serious injury Vermont will be paper thin at the point guard position which ironically was the position they had the most depth at to start the year. The health of this Vermont will most certainly be the deciding factor for their performance during conference play. I expect Vermont to compete for second place in the America East. There have been some key injuries and departures on other teams in the conference and with the early win against Hartford in their back pocket, Vermont is poised to battle for the two seed and a chance at two home playoff games. The road game against Maine to open play is a great opportunity to right the ship. Maine can be tough at home and are playing more inspired basketball under their new coach. Vermont needs to go in and win by a wide margin to make a statement that they have learned from the losses and are ready to compete.