Stony Brook 72 Vermont 61
It was great to see Josh Speidel in Patrick Gym. He is such and important piece to the program. His hard work and determination during his recovery are a tremendous inspiration. Today was a great reminder about life beyond basketball. As fans it is sometimes easy to overlook that all of the players are ultimately young adults going to college and finding their place in the world. No matter what happens on the court these young men are growing and becoming a family. That is the atmosphere that Coach Becker has cultivated and today was one of those moments where you see the importance of all the non-basketball related parts of building a great program. Now on to the game.
Vermont played a tough, hard fought game but struggled to make plays when they needed to in the second half. Much of that was due to Stony Brook turning up the pressure on defense. Stony Brook is a very strong team and should win the title in the America East. Anything less than that and it will be a major failure. The Seawolves are the best team in the league with the best player in the league. Jameel Warney is very good and Stony Brook finally has the supporting cast around him to win the league. Ahmad Walker is very versatile and does all of the little things to help a team win. In the first half Vermont did a great job on the boards and didn't let Stony Brook push them around. The Seawolves came out in the second half and locked down on defense. This caused a 6 minute scoring drought for Vermont to start the second half and from there Vermont could never quite hit the big shots they needed. One of the positives is that the defense is back for the Cats. They played very tough and got plenty of stops. Unfortunately on the offensive side of the ball, Vermont struggled to make shots. The Cats are very dependent on Ernie Duncan and Kurt Steidl hitting threes. Today they could not get the crucial shots to go down and finished a combined 3-11 from the arc. A portion of the difficulties in the game today was the mistakes for Vermont were poorly timed. They only finished with 8 turnovers for the entire game which is tremendous but they were turnovers that led to baskets and turnovers when Vermont really needed a score. Overall it was a good effort by Vermont and they need to shake it off and attack the second half of the conference schedule with the same defensive tenacity they have shown over the past few games. Ethan O'Day in particular played very well in the game today. He finished with a double double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. O'Day also played tough defense without fouling and finished with three blocks. One of the events of the game that made it hard for Vermont to fight back was yet another Dre Wills injury. He called to the bench after what looked like a injury to this thigh. After stretching it out and trying to play through he sat for most of the second half, only playing 6 minutes. Wills is probably the most crucial player on Vermont because he changes both sides of the ball so drastically. I hope that it is nothing serious but it is rapidly turning into a lost season for Wills. Now a game against a Maine team that has been playing very well of late. When I watched Vermont play Maine on the road, the Black Bears looked very weak, especially defensively. Then they beat Albany and are now sitting at 4-4 in the league. With the current struggles at home for the Cats there are no cakewalks. They will have to be focused and ready to do battle for each and every game during the run to March.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Vermont at UNH 1/27/16
Vermont 66 UNH 50
Welcome back Vermont basketball.
The Cats finally put it all together for a full 40 minutes and got a huge win on the road. Getting back to playing the tough defense that Coach Becker loves, Vermont dominated the game from start to finish, holding UNH to 23% shooting from the field. The Cats played tough and didn't allow UNH to get any open looks from the perimeter. Tonight was the 100th career win for Becker and I am sure it makes him proud to see the game won in the fashion he is known for. Preseason this was one of the games I had penciled in as a loss. UNH is one of the tougher road games in the America East and the Cats have now won both of the road games that typically trip them up. Now it is time to figure things out on their home floor. Right in the center of the win were the two veteran leaders, Ethan O'Day and Kurt Steidl. O'Day was a BEAST in the game scoring 19 points on 8-12 shooting. He also blocked 3 shots while anchoring the tough defense underneath. Steidl continued his strong play scoring 13 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Vermont received contributions from across the board and when they needed a big play they got it. Each time UNH tried to mount a run, Vermont maintained their composure and executed. In the game tonight the Cats finally looked like the Vermont teams that have had so much success. It is no accident that this strong performance coincided with Vermont finally having their full team. With everyone back into the fold the different lineups are more cohesive and the minutes can be more evenly distributed. The Cats are righting the ship at a crucial time as I detailed in my last post. They have some tough games ahead, none bigger than Saturday's battle with Stony Brook. It is going to be an uphill battle for sure as Stony Brook has looked every bit the heavy favorite they were expected to be. Vermont can go into the game confident and playing their best basketball of the season.
Welcome back Vermont basketball.
The Cats finally put it all together for a full 40 minutes and got a huge win on the road. Getting back to playing the tough defense that Coach Becker loves, Vermont dominated the game from start to finish, holding UNH to 23% shooting from the field. The Cats played tough and didn't allow UNH to get any open looks from the perimeter. Tonight was the 100th career win for Becker and I am sure it makes him proud to see the game won in the fashion he is known for. Preseason this was one of the games I had penciled in as a loss. UNH is one of the tougher road games in the America East and the Cats have now won both of the road games that typically trip them up. Now it is time to figure things out on their home floor. Right in the center of the win were the two veteran leaders, Ethan O'Day and Kurt Steidl. O'Day was a BEAST in the game scoring 19 points on 8-12 shooting. He also blocked 3 shots while anchoring the tough defense underneath. Steidl continued his strong play scoring 13 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Vermont received contributions from across the board and when they needed a big play they got it. Each time UNH tried to mount a run, Vermont maintained their composure and executed. In the game tonight the Cats finally looked like the Vermont teams that have had so much success. It is no accident that this strong performance coincided with Vermont finally having their full team. With everyone back into the fold the different lineups are more cohesive and the minutes can be more evenly distributed. The Cats are righting the ship at a crucial time as I detailed in my last post. They have some tough games ahead, none bigger than Saturday's battle with Stony Brook. It is going to be an uphill battle for sure as Stony Brook has looked every bit the heavy favorite they were expected to be. Vermont can go into the game confident and playing their best basketball of the season.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
UMBC at Vermont 1/24/16
Vermont 79 UMBC 72
Just when it looked like Vermont was going to let another home game slip away.....the Cats dug deep and came through in the clutch. Vermont finally showed some moxie, getting tough when the game was on the line and making big plays. It has been a long time coming to see Vermont recover from some crucial mistakes and not fold. Vermont took its largest lead of the second half at 63-55 on an Ethan O'Day dunk. Then, much like it has all season, the ball bounced the way of the other team. While trying to break the press the referee stood directly in front of Cam Ward which prevented Ward from catching a pass. The ball bounced off the referee, right to a UMBC player for a layup. Bad luck. Then, clearly shook by the mistake, Ernie Duncan again turned the ball over for a fast break layup. These mistakes, like they have all year, put Vermont back on their heels and swung the momentum very quickly. UMBC continued to attack and capitalized on Vermont's lack of focus. Jairus Lyles hit 3-4 free throws and UMBC took a 66-63 lead with 4:40 to go. The Cats looked dejected and it felt as though the game was going to slip away. Enter Kurt Steidl. I said in my last post that Steidl could step up and take control of this team. He did just that in the game today by immediately tying the game with his fifth three pointer of the game. That one shot lifted the spirits of not only the team but the fans. With Patrick Gym rocking, Vermont got the stops it needed on defense and two crucial offensive rebounds at the other end of the floor. The first offensive rebound by O'Day resulted in an Ernie Duncan basket and the second offensive rebound was snatched by Nate Rohrer and put back for two. Throw in a Dre Wills layup and Vermont quickly built a 72-67 lead. UMBC was not about to go away with Jairus Lyles scoring at will, but Cam Ward converted a three point play to seal the game for Vermont. The comeback was very encouraging because so many different players stepped up and made big plays. It was a true team effort as every player on the floor at the end of the game contributed for Vermont. One note about Jairus Lyles: he is really really good and if UMBC could ever win enough games he has player of the year written all over him. What a talent. Back to Vermont. Kurt Steidl led Vermont in scoring for a second consecutive game with 17 points on 5-9 shooting from beyond the arc. He is really stepping up and I have to imagine he is going to be integral in leading this team and making them play up to their fullest potential. Getting Dre Wills back is a tremendous lift. He does everything well and brings a tremendous amount of toughness and grit. Wills put in another great all around effort with 11 points 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Ernie Duncan finally played the type of game he showed flashes of last year. Duncan's beautiful passing had all but disappeared this year and it finally returned against UMBC. Duncan finished with 7 assists and had several exciting feeds for easy buckets. He also scored 15 points which included a few nice mid-range buckets, which is great to see. The UMBC press was what brought them back into the game. The press was very effective and it was the point in the game where it was very clear how much they miss Trae Bell-Haynes. He is so good in the open court it prevents teams from pressing for long stretches of the game. I hope that the idea was to get him some rest to prepare for the upcoming schedule as he is crucial to Vermont's success. Vermont is going to need him as they enter a very tough stretch. The Next 5 games are: at UNH, Stony Brook, Maine, at Albany, and at UMass Lowell. That is a very tough stretch where Vermont could easily lose 4 out of 5. They have to play their best basketball of the season in order to come out of this stretch intact. The Cats need to focus on UNH and not start looking ahead to the big match-up with Stony Brook. Playing on the road at UNH is very difficult and the Wildcats are playing very well right now. Vermont has played better over the last two games and needs to continue improving each game in order to get some tough wins.
Just when it looked like Vermont was going to let another home game slip away.....the Cats dug deep and came through in the clutch. Vermont finally showed some moxie, getting tough when the game was on the line and making big plays. It has been a long time coming to see Vermont recover from some crucial mistakes and not fold. Vermont took its largest lead of the second half at 63-55 on an Ethan O'Day dunk. Then, much like it has all season, the ball bounced the way of the other team. While trying to break the press the referee stood directly in front of Cam Ward which prevented Ward from catching a pass. The ball bounced off the referee, right to a UMBC player for a layup. Bad luck. Then, clearly shook by the mistake, Ernie Duncan again turned the ball over for a fast break layup. These mistakes, like they have all year, put Vermont back on their heels and swung the momentum very quickly. UMBC continued to attack and capitalized on Vermont's lack of focus. Jairus Lyles hit 3-4 free throws and UMBC took a 66-63 lead with 4:40 to go. The Cats looked dejected and it felt as though the game was going to slip away. Enter Kurt Steidl. I said in my last post that Steidl could step up and take control of this team. He did just that in the game today by immediately tying the game with his fifth three pointer of the game. That one shot lifted the spirits of not only the team but the fans. With Patrick Gym rocking, Vermont got the stops it needed on defense and two crucial offensive rebounds at the other end of the floor. The first offensive rebound by O'Day resulted in an Ernie Duncan basket and the second offensive rebound was snatched by Nate Rohrer and put back for two. Throw in a Dre Wills layup and Vermont quickly built a 72-67 lead. UMBC was not about to go away with Jairus Lyles scoring at will, but Cam Ward converted a three point play to seal the game for Vermont. The comeback was very encouraging because so many different players stepped up and made big plays. It was a true team effort as every player on the floor at the end of the game contributed for Vermont. One note about Jairus Lyles: he is really really good and if UMBC could ever win enough games he has player of the year written all over him. What a talent. Back to Vermont. Kurt Steidl led Vermont in scoring for a second consecutive game with 17 points on 5-9 shooting from beyond the arc. He is really stepping up and I have to imagine he is going to be integral in leading this team and making them play up to their fullest potential. Getting Dre Wills back is a tremendous lift. He does everything well and brings a tremendous amount of toughness and grit. Wills put in another great all around effort with 11 points 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Ernie Duncan finally played the type of game he showed flashes of last year. Duncan's beautiful passing had all but disappeared this year and it finally returned against UMBC. Duncan finished with 7 assists and had several exciting feeds for easy buckets. He also scored 15 points which included a few nice mid-range buckets, which is great to see. The UMBC press was what brought them back into the game. The press was very effective and it was the point in the game where it was very clear how much they miss Trae Bell-Haynes. He is so good in the open court it prevents teams from pressing for long stretches of the game. I hope that the idea was to get him some rest to prepare for the upcoming schedule as he is crucial to Vermont's success. Vermont is going to need him as they enter a very tough stretch. The Next 5 games are: at UNH, Stony Brook, Maine, at Albany, and at UMass Lowell. That is a very tough stretch where Vermont could easily lose 4 out of 5. They have to play their best basketball of the season in order to come out of this stretch intact. The Cats need to focus on UNH and not start looking ahead to the big match-up with Stony Brook. Playing on the road at UNH is very difficult and the Wildcats are playing very well right now. Vermont has played better over the last two games and needs to continue improving each game in order to get some tough wins.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Vermont at Binghamton 1/21/16
Vermont 61 Binghamton 52
I don't care how poor of a team Binghamton has, winning down in Vestal for the Cats is a big game. Year after year the Bearcats trip up Vermont on the road. The memory of the winless Bearcats beating the Cats a few years back still gives me nightmares. This game was important for Vermont and they responded with a good performance. Playing a poor offensive team like Binghamton is a nice way to work some kinks out on defense. The defense looked better and the team for most of the game looked more cohesive. There were still frustrating stretches of too many turnovers and poor rotations on defense, but the overall effort was better. Offensively Vermont was able to get more open shots on the perimeter and used their defense to force turnovers and get shots in transition. When a team is struggling one of the leaders needs to step up and Kurt Steidl responded with a great game. Steidl shot 3-5 from three and scored 16 points to lead Vermont. He also added 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Steidl is the type of player that can take control and be the steady leader on this team. Dre Wills returning is a huge boost for Vermont. He looked very good against UMass Lowell and came up big for the Cats against Binghamton. He is one of those players who steps up when the team needs him. When Binghamton was making a run at the end of the game Wills came up with two key steals that turned the entire momentum back to Vermont. He finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 steals in his typical stat stuffing fashion. Vermont got nice contributions across the board and would have put the game away far earlier if they were not so dreadful at the line. At one point they were 1-10 from the line and finished a terrible 7-17. Just awful. Now it is time to go back home which is suddenly the source of all the Cats problems. The next game is important to show that Vermont can begin to play with some consistency.
I don't care how poor of a team Binghamton has, winning down in Vestal for the Cats is a big game. Year after year the Bearcats trip up Vermont on the road. The memory of the winless Bearcats beating the Cats a few years back still gives me nightmares. This game was important for Vermont and they responded with a good performance. Playing a poor offensive team like Binghamton is a nice way to work some kinks out on defense. The defense looked better and the team for most of the game looked more cohesive. There were still frustrating stretches of too many turnovers and poor rotations on defense, but the overall effort was better. Offensively Vermont was able to get more open shots on the perimeter and used their defense to force turnovers and get shots in transition. When a team is struggling one of the leaders needs to step up and Kurt Steidl responded with a great game. Steidl shot 3-5 from three and scored 16 points to lead Vermont. He also added 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Steidl is the type of player that can take control and be the steady leader on this team. Dre Wills returning is a huge boost for Vermont. He looked very good against UMass Lowell and came up big for the Cats against Binghamton. He is one of those players who steps up when the team needs him. When Binghamton was making a run at the end of the game Wills came up with two key steals that turned the entire momentum back to Vermont. He finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 steals in his typical stat stuffing fashion. Vermont got nice contributions across the board and would have put the game away far earlier if they were not so dreadful at the line. At one point they were 1-10 from the line and finished a terrible 7-17. Just awful. Now it is time to go back home which is suddenly the source of all the Cats problems. The next game is important to show that Vermont can begin to play with some consistency.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Rice star Ben Shungu commits to Vermont
Vermont added another piece to the program with Ben Shungu's verbal commitment. Shungu plays at Rice Memorial High School in Burlington, VT and is in the midst of a very impressive senior season. It is always good to get the top talent from Vermont to go to UVM and Shungu is giving himself a great opportunity. He is going to walk on, redshirt next year and be ready to play in the fall of 2017. His hope is to earn a scholarship and it is a win win for both Shungu and Vermont. Shungu gets a chance to play Division I basketball close to friends and family. Vermont takes a chance on a player and does not have to commit a scholarship while waiting to see if he will develop. I have seen Shungu play a few times in person and seen numerous highlights on the local news. The thing about him that has always jumped out for me is his strength. He is a big guard with a very strong frame and uses his size and physicality to his advantage. He gets to the rim and finishes through contact very well. During his transition to college basketball he will need to become a more consistent shooter and improve his quickness. The speed of the college game will be a large transition as the night in night out competition in Vermont high school basketball is lacking. When Rice went to a New York tournament over Christmas break, Shungu played very well against a significantly higher level of competition. He seems to have a knack for coming up big in big games and has played winning basketball for his entire career. Having the chance to sit back and learn for a year is going to be a big help to his chances at making an impact in college. Vermont players at UVM have enjoyed a fairly consistent amount of success over the last 13 years. Matt Sheftic, Taylor Coppenrath, Kyle Ceplicki, Chad Powlovich, Matt Glass, Pat Bergman, Candon Rusin, and Clancy Rugg all had varying degrees of success at Vermont. Hopefully Shungu can improve and find a way to positively contribute to the Vermont program.
Monday, January 18, 2016
UMass Lowell at Vermont 1/18/16
UMass Lowell 93 Vermont 82
Well....that is the game that has finally shaken my faith and has me questioning where this team is headed. Vermont was outplayed from the opening tip, in every facet of the game, and looked like a team who is completely lost. The players from UMass Lowell looked confident and sure of their game plan. Every time the Cats made a run, Lowell responded by knocking down a big shot. They played a great game so before I delve into the reasons why Vermont is lost right now I will congratulate Lowell on a perfectly executed game plan. This game exposed so many of the flaws that this team has been hiding and overcoming to start the season. First and foremost, the lack of toughness on this team is becoming alarming. Last year with a very similar group, they never seemed to be out of a game and were always one run away from taking control. This year once the ball starts rolling downhill, they look powerless to stop it. This goes for every player on the team. The Cats are just folding under pressure every step of the way. This is especially evident on the defensive side of the ball. The defense is a complete mess, especially in the first half. Here are the conference first half points given up 40, 34, 42, 45. Here are the second half points given up 32, 35, 26, 48. The Lowell game was the first time that a team continued to score at a high pace throughout the entire game. The rotations are just awful and Becker cannot seem to find any combination that is able to make the right decisions. There is not a very clear solution to the struggles on defense because if the players don't have the rotations and schemes down by now, it is unlikely they are going to suddenly figure them out. On offense, Vermont is really struggling to consistently make shots. There are stretches in each game where the Cats miss several layups and cannot finish around the rim. That makes them rely heavily on their perimeter shooting which at this point is exclusively the three point line. They are getting absolutely nothing in the mid-range. That is allowing teams to pressure the ball without fear, because if they get beat they only have to cover the paint. Someone has to start taking and making some mid-range jumpers. The three point shooting has begun to drop off and that is squarely on the shoulders of Ernie Duncan and Kurt Steidl. Duncan is 0-11 from three in the last two home games and Steidl is 8-30 from three over his last seven games. Tonight they were a combined 0-9 from three and none of them were really even close. Both players look slow and seem to be playing through an injury as they do not look like the same players that started the season. Vermont is a complete mess as a team and some of the flaws are looking like they will be tough to overcome. This team has been overcoming obstacles at a steady pace over the last two seasons but they may have finally reached a breaking point. With the always difficult Binghamton road game coming up on Thursday they don't even have time to lick their wounds. I thoroughly dislike the Binghamton away game each year as Vermont always plays incredibly poorly. I would like to say that they cannot play any worse than they did tonight but right now I just don't know.
Well....that is the game that has finally shaken my faith and has me questioning where this team is headed. Vermont was outplayed from the opening tip, in every facet of the game, and looked like a team who is completely lost. The players from UMass Lowell looked confident and sure of their game plan. Every time the Cats made a run, Lowell responded by knocking down a big shot. They played a great game so before I delve into the reasons why Vermont is lost right now I will congratulate Lowell on a perfectly executed game plan. This game exposed so many of the flaws that this team has been hiding and overcoming to start the season. First and foremost, the lack of toughness on this team is becoming alarming. Last year with a very similar group, they never seemed to be out of a game and were always one run away from taking control. This year once the ball starts rolling downhill, they look powerless to stop it. This goes for every player on the team. The Cats are just folding under pressure every step of the way. This is especially evident on the defensive side of the ball. The defense is a complete mess, especially in the first half. Here are the conference first half points given up 40, 34, 42, 45. Here are the second half points given up 32, 35, 26, 48. The Lowell game was the first time that a team continued to score at a high pace throughout the entire game. The rotations are just awful and Becker cannot seem to find any combination that is able to make the right decisions. There is not a very clear solution to the struggles on defense because if the players don't have the rotations and schemes down by now, it is unlikely they are going to suddenly figure them out. On offense, Vermont is really struggling to consistently make shots. There are stretches in each game where the Cats miss several layups and cannot finish around the rim. That makes them rely heavily on their perimeter shooting which at this point is exclusively the three point line. They are getting absolutely nothing in the mid-range. That is allowing teams to pressure the ball without fear, because if they get beat they only have to cover the paint. Someone has to start taking and making some mid-range jumpers. The three point shooting has begun to drop off and that is squarely on the shoulders of Ernie Duncan and Kurt Steidl. Duncan is 0-11 from three in the last two home games and Steidl is 8-30 from three over his last seven games. Tonight they were a combined 0-9 from three and none of them were really even close. Both players look slow and seem to be playing through an injury as they do not look like the same players that started the season. Vermont is a complete mess as a team and some of the flaws are looking like they will be tough to overcome. This team has been overcoming obstacles at a steady pace over the last two seasons but they may have finally reached a breaking point. With the always difficult Binghamton road game coming up on Thursday they don't even have time to lick their wounds. I thoroughly dislike the Binghamton away game each year as Vermont always plays incredibly poorly. I would like to say that they cannot play any worse than they did tonight but right now I just don't know.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Vermont at Hartford 1/16/16
Vermont 83 Hartford 68
Vermont rebounded from a tough first half to win on the road at Hartford. To begin the game the Cats pounded the ball inside and looked like they would dominate. Then Trae Bell-Haynes went down with what looked like a pretty serious injury and Vermont lost their focus. On offense they stopped getting the ball inside and settled for too many jumpers. On defense they let Hartford dictate the pace of play and let them run their sets with little resistance. Hartford caught fire from three and erased a 17 point deficit to go into halftime with a 42-39 lead. The Cats went to the locker room, regained their focus, and played tough defense in the second half. Vermont held Hartford to 1-12 shooting from three in the second half after allowing 9-14 from three in the first half. The star of the game was Ethan O'Day. The senior leader dominated from the opening tip on his way to a career high 24 points. O'Day added 10 rebounds and 6 blocks for his 3rd career double double. Cam Ward also stepped up in a big way. With Bell-Haynes going down, Ward was forced to play huge minutes and responded by scoring 17 points and dishing out 7 assists. The depth that Vermont has at point guard certainly saved the day. Several players stepped up after being thrust into bigger roles. Nate Rohrer got his first start of the year and responded by playing tough defense and grabbing several key offensive rebounds. He also threw in 4 assists for good measure. The numbers don't tell the whole story as Rohrer does all the little things that help a team win. Everett Duncan came off the bench and went 3-3 from three, scoring a career high 11 points. Ernie Duncan rebounded from the worst game of his young career, scoring 15 points and looking much more comfortable out on the court. The Cats cannot seem to catch break as just when they are about to get Dre Wills back and finally play with a full team.....Bell-Haynes gets hurt. I hope he recovers soon but I would have to think he will miss some time. Losing Bell-Haynes is a huge blow as he has been on a tear and one of the most consistent players on Vermont all year. The Cats have a quick turnaround as they host UMass Lowell on Monday night. That game will be the first for Wills in quite and while and due to the Bell-Haynes injury, he may have to play big minutes right away.
Vermont rebounded from a tough first half to win on the road at Hartford. To begin the game the Cats pounded the ball inside and looked like they would dominate. Then Trae Bell-Haynes went down with what looked like a pretty serious injury and Vermont lost their focus. On offense they stopped getting the ball inside and settled for too many jumpers. On defense they let Hartford dictate the pace of play and let them run their sets with little resistance. Hartford caught fire from three and erased a 17 point deficit to go into halftime with a 42-39 lead. The Cats went to the locker room, regained their focus, and played tough defense in the second half. Vermont held Hartford to 1-12 shooting from three in the second half after allowing 9-14 from three in the first half. The star of the game was Ethan O'Day. The senior leader dominated from the opening tip on his way to a career high 24 points. O'Day added 10 rebounds and 6 blocks for his 3rd career double double. Cam Ward also stepped up in a big way. With Bell-Haynes going down, Ward was forced to play huge minutes and responded by scoring 17 points and dishing out 7 assists. The depth that Vermont has at point guard certainly saved the day. Several players stepped up after being thrust into bigger roles. Nate Rohrer got his first start of the year and responded by playing tough defense and grabbing several key offensive rebounds. He also threw in 4 assists for good measure. The numbers don't tell the whole story as Rohrer does all the little things that help a team win. Everett Duncan came off the bench and went 3-3 from three, scoring a career high 11 points. Ernie Duncan rebounded from the worst game of his young career, scoring 15 points and looking much more comfortable out on the court. The Cats cannot seem to catch break as just when they are about to get Dre Wills back and finally play with a full team.....Bell-Haynes gets hurt. I hope he recovers soon but I would have to think he will miss some time. Losing Bell-Haynes is a huge blow as he has been on a tear and one of the most consistent players on Vermont all year. The Cats have a quick turnaround as they host UMass Lowell on Monday night. That game will be the first for Wills in quite and while and due to the Bell-Haynes injury, he may have to play big minutes right away.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Albany at Vermont 1/9/2016
Albany 69 Vermont 57
Vermont got off to a slow start and never recovered, losing to Albany in their conference home opener. This game really boiled down to Vermont's inability to make shots. Ethan O'Day and Ernie Duncan shot a combined 2-15 which included 0-7 from three by Duncan. It is pretty difficult to win a game when two of your top scorers throw up bricks. Duncan looked completely out of sorts as he also had 4 turnovers and never really looked comfortable on the court. He is a freshman and is bound to have games like that, but it happened at a really bad time. I have to wonder if he is dealing with a nagging injury from the Harvard game. He certainly did not look like himself. The bottom line is if Vermont makes shots they are in the game. Albany won the battle on the boards as expected but Vermont was supposed to make up for that deficit with better perimeter shooting. Albany's three point shooting is abysmal as they shot 1-11 from three, continuing a trend for them this season. Albany plays very smart and disciplined which makes it hard for teams to go on a run against them. Without being able to string baskets together, Vermont couldn't make up for the early deficit. My one significant complaint from the game is the referee's. The rules changes in college basketball were supposed to be enforced the whole season and teams would have to adjust. I can say with certainty that the points of emphasis were lost on this officiating crew. Albany plays a very physical style of defense and under the old rules that was allowable. In the game today many of the rule changes that are supposed to be allowing for freedom of movement were not called. This is a frustrating as a fan because it seems as though once again the officials are bowing to the coaches wishes and calling the game dictated by how the coaches want. There has to be clarity because right now their are significant inconsistencies game to game. That inconsistency is not fair to the players and game to game they need to know what type of basketball is going to be played. Rant over. In this game today you could again see how much Vermont misses Dre Wills. He brings the toughness, physicality, and tenacity that every team needs in games against top teams. One more game without Wills. Nate Rohrer re-injured his knee and if he goes down it is going to be a significant loss. He has really solidified the frontcourt and does all the dirty work for Vermont. The one positive from the game was in the second half, Kurt Steidl attacked the basket very well. He showed some toughness and grit after struggling in the first half and had a nice game. Thankfully this game is early in the season and Vermont has time to sort things out and get better. There was nothing in the game today that can't be fixed for Vermont and Albany is not so far above Vermont that they can't be beat. Albany won this game and Vermont has to learn from their mistakes and be ready to get after Albany on the road.
Vermont got off to a slow start and never recovered, losing to Albany in their conference home opener. This game really boiled down to Vermont's inability to make shots. Ethan O'Day and Ernie Duncan shot a combined 2-15 which included 0-7 from three by Duncan. It is pretty difficult to win a game when two of your top scorers throw up bricks. Duncan looked completely out of sorts as he also had 4 turnovers and never really looked comfortable on the court. He is a freshman and is bound to have games like that, but it happened at a really bad time. I have to wonder if he is dealing with a nagging injury from the Harvard game. He certainly did not look like himself. The bottom line is if Vermont makes shots they are in the game. Albany won the battle on the boards as expected but Vermont was supposed to make up for that deficit with better perimeter shooting. Albany's three point shooting is abysmal as they shot 1-11 from three, continuing a trend for them this season. Albany plays very smart and disciplined which makes it hard for teams to go on a run against them. Without being able to string baskets together, Vermont couldn't make up for the early deficit. My one significant complaint from the game is the referee's. The rules changes in college basketball were supposed to be enforced the whole season and teams would have to adjust. I can say with certainty that the points of emphasis were lost on this officiating crew. Albany plays a very physical style of defense and under the old rules that was allowable. In the game today many of the rule changes that are supposed to be allowing for freedom of movement were not called. This is a frustrating as a fan because it seems as though once again the officials are bowing to the coaches wishes and calling the game dictated by how the coaches want. There has to be clarity because right now their are significant inconsistencies game to game. That inconsistency is not fair to the players and game to game they need to know what type of basketball is going to be played. Rant over. In this game today you could again see how much Vermont misses Dre Wills. He brings the toughness, physicality, and tenacity that every team needs in games against top teams. One more game without Wills. Nate Rohrer re-injured his knee and if he goes down it is going to be a significant loss. He has really solidified the frontcourt and does all the dirty work for Vermont. The one positive from the game was in the second half, Kurt Steidl attacked the basket very well. He showed some toughness and grit after struggling in the first half and had a nice game. Thankfully this game is early in the season and Vermont has time to sort things out and get better. There was nothing in the game today that can't be fixed for Vermont and Albany is not so far above Vermont that they can't be beat. Albany won this game and Vermont has to learn from their mistakes and be ready to get after Albany on the road.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Vermont at Maine 1/6/16
Vermont 90 Maine 72
Vermont used a strong second half to put Maine away in their conference opener. In the first half the Cats played lackluster defense which gave Maine too many easy looks. In the second half Vermont clamped down on defense and forced Maine into turnovers and bad shots. Vermont scored at will for the entire game as Maine played little to no defense. Bob Walsh is installing a fast paced style with a lot of trapping on defense and it will be interesting to see when he gets a full team of "his" players what they can do. With the current Maine team they end up giving the opposing team too many wide open shots because once the pressure is broken there is no back line to defend the rim. I was surprised at how poor Maine looked, especially on defense. Vermont took advantage and never took their foot off the gas. A big shout out to Ethan O'Day for scoring his 1000th point in the game. That is a testament to his impact on the program from the moment he stepped on the floor. O'Day finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in what was a very strong all around game. Trae Bell-Haynes has been great all year and many superlatives have been thrown his way. Tonight he was literally unstoppable and it felt like he could have scored 40. Bell-Haynes finished with 27 points as he was able to blow by any defender that Maine could throw at him. I thought the key to the improved defense was Nate Rohrer. He played most of the second half because once again Darren Payen was getting taken advantage of on the defensive end. Rohrer missed a few bunnies at the rim but did all the little things well throughout the second half. Most everyone who played for Vermont contributed positively and now it is on to a big game with Albany on Saturday in the conference home opener. The Albany games are always big in what is a very intense rivalry and this one will be no different. In order to Vermont to compete for the title they have to win at home. It also serves as a great early season measuring stick for the Cats. Both teams are playing their best basketball of the season and it will no doubt be a tough, physical affair.
Vermont used a strong second half to put Maine away in their conference opener. In the first half the Cats played lackluster defense which gave Maine too many easy looks. In the second half Vermont clamped down on defense and forced Maine into turnovers and bad shots. Vermont scored at will for the entire game as Maine played little to no defense. Bob Walsh is installing a fast paced style with a lot of trapping on defense and it will be interesting to see when he gets a full team of "his" players what they can do. With the current Maine team they end up giving the opposing team too many wide open shots because once the pressure is broken there is no back line to defend the rim. I was surprised at how poor Maine looked, especially on defense. Vermont took advantage and never took their foot off the gas. A big shout out to Ethan O'Day for scoring his 1000th point in the game. That is a testament to his impact on the program from the moment he stepped on the floor. O'Day finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in what was a very strong all around game. Trae Bell-Haynes has been great all year and many superlatives have been thrown his way. Tonight he was literally unstoppable and it felt like he could have scored 40. Bell-Haynes finished with 27 points as he was able to blow by any defender that Maine could throw at him. I thought the key to the improved defense was Nate Rohrer. He played most of the second half because once again Darren Payen was getting taken advantage of on the defensive end. Rohrer missed a few bunnies at the rim but did all the little things well throughout the second half. Most everyone who played for Vermont contributed positively and now it is on to a big game with Albany on Saturday in the conference home opener. The Albany games are always big in what is a very intense rivalry and this one will be no different. In order to Vermont to compete for the title they have to win at home. It also serves as a great early season measuring stick for the Cats. Both teams are playing their best basketball of the season and it will no doubt be a tough, physical affair.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Vermont at Harvard 1/3/16
Vermont 65 Harvard 62
Vermont opens 2016 with their most complete effort of the season. Harvard and Vermont are two of the most consistent programs in New England. Winning on the road at Harvard is exceptionally difficult. Anytime the Cats can beat a team and program of this caliber is a great game. Couple that with the fact that the on court performance was very sharp for the second consecutive game and Vermont is a team heading in the right direction. Consider that Vermont committed a season low 9 turnovers and put together their best defensive effort of the season on the road where they had been struggling mightily this season. The Cats fought off every Harvard rally and battled until the end to secure the victory. Vermont's defense looked tight and the rotations were as sharp as they have been this season. At the center of it all, Ethan O'Day is finally asserting himself on both ends of the floor. O'Day looked good on the offensive end and showed off his full repertoire of offensive skills. He has been and will be the key to the Cats success. Helping solidify the frontcourt, Drew Urquhart continued his strong play finishing with 6 points and 10 rebounds. Drew U's emergence has allowed Becker to hide Darren Payen's defensive deficiencies. Being able to insert Payen in small spurts maximizes his offensive abilities and keeps the opposing team from taking advantage of the match up. Drew U finally looks confident and understands where he needs to be on the floor. Many of the big shots today were made by Ernie Duncan, who has slowly been expanding his game inside of the three point line. He is starting to get more comfortable going to the rim as he trusts his body more and more coming off the back injury. Trae Bell-Haynes hit another crucial three pointer and is making teams pay for leaving him open. He is getting harder and harder to stop as he gains confidence in his jumper. After all of the negativity surrounding this team in the early going, Vermont finished a strong 8-7 in the non-conference and is showing signs of improvement in each game. When a team is incorporating new pieces and relying on young players, it takes time for everyone to find their footing. Vermont has the look of a team that will be a tough match up in a much improved conference. There are going to be less cupcakes in the America East schedule this year and every team is going to have to come out focused each night in order to win games. Now the season really begins and it is going to be exciting to see which team can survive and come out on top.
Vermont opens 2016 with their most complete effort of the season. Harvard and Vermont are two of the most consistent programs in New England. Winning on the road at Harvard is exceptionally difficult. Anytime the Cats can beat a team and program of this caliber is a great game. Couple that with the fact that the on court performance was very sharp for the second consecutive game and Vermont is a team heading in the right direction. Consider that Vermont committed a season low 9 turnovers and put together their best defensive effort of the season on the road where they had been struggling mightily this season. The Cats fought off every Harvard rally and battled until the end to secure the victory. Vermont's defense looked tight and the rotations were as sharp as they have been this season. At the center of it all, Ethan O'Day is finally asserting himself on both ends of the floor. O'Day looked good on the offensive end and showed off his full repertoire of offensive skills. He has been and will be the key to the Cats success. Helping solidify the frontcourt, Drew Urquhart continued his strong play finishing with 6 points and 10 rebounds. Drew U's emergence has allowed Becker to hide Darren Payen's defensive deficiencies. Being able to insert Payen in small spurts maximizes his offensive abilities and keeps the opposing team from taking advantage of the match up. Drew U finally looks confident and understands where he needs to be on the floor. Many of the big shots today were made by Ernie Duncan, who has slowly been expanding his game inside of the three point line. He is starting to get more comfortable going to the rim as he trusts his body more and more coming off the back injury. Trae Bell-Haynes hit another crucial three pointer and is making teams pay for leaving him open. He is getting harder and harder to stop as he gains confidence in his jumper. After all of the negativity surrounding this team in the early going, Vermont finished a strong 8-7 in the non-conference and is showing signs of improvement in each game. When a team is incorporating new pieces and relying on young players, it takes time for everyone to find their footing. Vermont has the look of a team that will be a tough match up in a much improved conference. There are going to be less cupcakes in the America East schedule this year and every team is going to have to come out focused each night in order to win games. Now the season really begins and it is going to be exciting to see which team can survive and come out on top.
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