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.