Vermont 85 Niagara 67
Trae Bell-Haynes is making the transition from "one speed" to "balanced player" at the speed of light. Becker talked preseason about Bell-Haynes working on his jumper and learning to play at different speeds. In the first game Bell-Haynes looked downright awful and was unable to showcase any of his newfound skills. In each game since, he has looked unstoppable. The new jump shot looks great and he is unafraid to let it fly. As a result teams are closing out on him just a little bit faster. That is all the space Bell-Haynes needs to get to the rim. He has been getting to the rim at will and finishing strong. He is a great foul shooter to boot so even when he doesn't finish, good things happen. Bell-Haynes is becoming a star and he is a very hard working kid so there is really no telling how far he can go. The Vermont coaching staff again found a diamond in the rough when they got Bell-Haynes to sign late without ever even visiting Vermont. The tandem he forms Ernie Duncan is a formidable duo to guard on the perimeter. This was demonstrated in the second half when the two combined for 34 of Vermont's 49 points. Bell-Haynes got to the rim at will and Duncan knocked down 4-5 threes. The balanced offense Vermont has this season is tremendous. They have the great Duncan/Bell-Haynes perimeter duo and Darren Payen and Ethan O'Day are a tough duo to stop underneath, In the first half, the Payen/O'Day duo scored at will. That is two games in a row where those two looked effortless finishing underneath. Becker is right about the potential of this offense and it is going to be fun to watch. The only flaw is the turnovers. Right now most of them are on passes around the perimeter. They are mental mistakes and Vermont has to find a way to maintain a better focus on the court. Aggressive turnovers are one thing, but there have been to many silly turnovers to start this season. Hopefully the kinks will continue to be worked out as the season wears on. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cats really miss Dre Wills. It was encouraging to hear on the broadcast that he is close to a return. Vermont needs him to stop dribble penetration. Duncan is a great player but he has a hard time cutting off driving lanes. Wills return will set up a very interesting battle for minutes as both Bell-Haynes and Duncan look great. It will be interesting to see what kind of rotation Becker uses with those three guards. One combination will give Vermont a better offense and the other will be better on defense. It will be a tough choice for the coaching staff. Also, Don't look now but Kurt Steidl is becoming a tremendous rebounder. Another 9 boards in this one brings his season average to 9 per game. An impressive number for a player who averaged 2.8 rebounds over the previous two seasons. A final thought is about Cam Ward. Ward looks lost so far and can't seem to get anything going. His role has certainly changed, and that may be what is affecting him, but he looks completely over matched. Missing shots, turning the ball over, and getting pushed around in each game this season. He is a very good player and it is tough to see him struggle so much. I hope he finds a way to get his confidence back. Tomorrow night at eight o'clock Vermont gets the winner of Buffalo/NC A&T in what should be a good match up no matter who the Cats play. It will again be "televised" on ESPN3.
No comments:
Post a Comment