Boy those late night games to finish the season were not ideal for Vermont fans. I did not watch the Seattle game but managed to stay up late and watched the Nevada game. Nevada was a very strong team with tremendous shot-making athletes. The run to the CBI semifinals two years in a row is a great accomplishment and playing different teams under different circumstances is going to help this team next year. Now that the season is officially over it is time to look back and look ahead.
This was the most roller coaster season for the Vermont program in several years. The highs were very high and the lows were very low. Early in the season it was easy to blame the inconsistent play on injuries. As conference play got going, Vermont was able to get healthy but playing with their full team proved harder than anticipated. This caused some negativity to creep in as everyone struggled to explain their difficulties on the court. Once the team was fully healthy and playing as a unit they were tough to beat. Finishing the year winning 9 out of their last 11 games is an impressive accomplishment. There is always a lot of talk about how adversity builds character and this season epitomized that ideal. Through it all the team seemed to learn a lot about who they were and how they were going to come together as a team. During the late season run each player was locked into their role and bought in to the system. With the momentum that the Cats were able to build at the end of the year it is very exciting to think about what this team has the chance to accomplish next season. But first a few individual notes.
I though that Kurt Steidl's game improved tremendously this season. He expanded his ability inside of the three point line and became a very strong defender and rebounder. His leadership on the team also blossomed and will give next years team a solid senior leader. Trae Bell-Haynes is the other player that demonstrated tremendous improvement in his game. He became a threat from the outside and improved his ability to play at different speeds which allowed his passing ability to take a significant step forward. I see him continuing to improve over the course of this offseason and lead Vermont in scoring again next season. Darren Payen improved over the course of the season and cut down on the mistakes that kept him on the bench in the middle part of the schedule. He found a way to be effective in short bursts and the coaching staff did a nice job finding different ways to use him that maximized his strengths. Cam Ward and Ernie Duncan both had up and down seasons. Ward struggled with his shot for much of the season and then caught fire down the stretch. He improved his ability to finish around the rim and increased his free throw percentage. Finding consitency will be key for taking his game to the next level. Duncan struggled with a few injuries and struggled to shoot the ball at home during the middle part of the season. I thought in his first year back from a significant injury he played very well. His shooting ability is amazing to watch and down the stretch of the season it was apparent that he was finally beginning to trust his body again as he started to take the ball to the rim and expand his game inside of the three point line. He has a very high ceiling and if he can have a healthy summer I think he will have an even better sophomore season. My only disappointment watching him this year is that the tremendous passing ability he showed during his limited minutes as a freshman seemed to take a significant step back. He was able to make highlight reel passes here and there but struggled to get assists in bunches. I would like to see that passing ability return next season. Drew Urquhart once again played much better down the stretch, but struggled to consistently make positive plays on the court. He is also the player on the team that is the quickest to get in Becker's doghouse and next year he is going to have more competition for minutes. Nate Rohrer had very inconsistent playing time but his contributions to this years team cannot be understated. Rohrer gave Vermont positive contributions across the board and frankly saved their frontcourt. To get crucial contributions from a late walk on was nothing short of a miracle. He played smart and tough and had a knack for making big plays. The only real significant disappointment for me was how much of a lost season it was for Dre Wills. He struggled with health, got suspended, and as a result never found a rhythm. He rebounded at a high level but every other part of his game took a significant step back. His offensive limitations were magnified this year because his contributions on the defensive end were not as pronounced. He has a significant amount of work to do this offseason to get healthy and get ready to come back next year and have a strong senior season.
Next season is going to be a whole different experience for this group. In this group's first two seasons they have come in to the season as a plucky underdog. Even though Vermont is always playing to win a championship, the "championship or bust" feeling has not been present. Next year will change all of that. Barring transfers, nearly the entire team is back. Add in the two transfers that sat out this season and highly regarded freshman Anthony Lamb, and Vermont will once again be expected to win. I believe they will be the preseason pick to win the league and with Stony Brook and Albany losing significant pieces to graduation, the league landscape is going to look very different for the first time in four years. Being the favorite has its own set of unique challenges and it will be interesting to see how this team responds to playing with higher expectations. Vermont is going to have a very strong team next year and if they can continue to show the mental toughness that they demonstrated at the end of this season, I believe that can have a very strong season.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
CBI First Round: Western Carolina at Vermont 3/16/16
The ORIGINAL Catamounts win!!
Vermont 79 Western Carolina 74
Lose two starters? No Problem.
Take out Duncan? No worries, there is another one.
In a game that was representative of the entire last calendar year for the Catamounts, Vermont overcame adversity to win. Becker talked about the "next man up" style with which they play and it was on full display tonight. Kurt Steidl played like a man possessed and had one of the most complete games of his career. He finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds while playing tough defense. He hit the big shot of the night when his three pointer pushed the lead out late in the game. Steidl also sealed the game from the line hitting 9-10 free throws. It was like there was nothing he couldn't do. Steidl's leadership blossomed at the end of the season and in a game where Vermont needed someone to step up, he put the team on his back. He was not alone however as Everett Duncan also had a career night. The younger Duncan played 27 minutes and finished with 7 points and 8 rebounds. He played strong defense and boxed out on every possession. I had a feeling before the game that this would be his opportunity and he certainly took advantage. He was flat out tremendous in the second half. He has a very well rounded game and a high basketball IQ. Vermont also got a boost from Dylan Sinnickson in the first half as he got a nice bucket underneath and hit a three. What a tremendous testament to the Vermont program that the last half of the bench can come in ready to play in a postseason game. Trae Bell-Haynes hit an improbable three pointer with the shot clock winding down that sent Patrick into a frenzy. He also shot 11-12 from the free throw line to finish with 16 points. Now Vermont waits for the winner of Idaho/Seattle so someone is in for a long road trip. It is such a great experience for these players to play in this tournament and it is so beneficial to get experiences in games against different opponents who play different styles of basketball. Can't wait for the next one.
Vermont 79 Western Carolina 74
Lose two starters? No Problem.
Take out Duncan? No worries, there is another one.
In a game that was representative of the entire last calendar year for the Catamounts, Vermont overcame adversity to win. Becker talked about the "next man up" style with which they play and it was on full display tonight. Kurt Steidl played like a man possessed and had one of the most complete games of his career. He finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds while playing tough defense. He hit the big shot of the night when his three pointer pushed the lead out late in the game. Steidl also sealed the game from the line hitting 9-10 free throws. It was like there was nothing he couldn't do. Steidl's leadership blossomed at the end of the season and in a game where Vermont needed someone to step up, he put the team on his back. He was not alone however as Everett Duncan also had a career night. The younger Duncan played 27 minutes and finished with 7 points and 8 rebounds. He played strong defense and boxed out on every possession. I had a feeling before the game that this would be his opportunity and he certainly took advantage. He was flat out tremendous in the second half. He has a very well rounded game and a high basketball IQ. Vermont also got a boost from Dylan Sinnickson in the first half as he got a nice bucket underneath and hit a three. What a tremendous testament to the Vermont program that the last half of the bench can come in ready to play in a postseason game. Trae Bell-Haynes hit an improbable three pointer with the shot clock winding down that sent Patrick into a frenzy. He also shot 11-12 from the free throw line to finish with 16 points. Now Vermont waits for the winner of Idaho/Seattle so someone is in for a long road trip. It is such a great experience for these players to play in this tournament and it is so beneficial to get experiences in games against different opponents who play different styles of basketball. Can't wait for the next one.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
America East final: Vermont at Stony Brook 3/12/16
Stony Brook 80 Vermont 74
Vermont battled through injuries and foul trouble but ultimately could not overcome Jameel Warney's career day. I will start off by congratulating Warney on his tournament berth. He has worked hard to be where he is and came up big in the biggest game of his career. He was not going to let Stony Brook lose. Great player. Great Performance. Vermont played very well and almost pulled off the upset. There were just too many in game roadblocks to overcome. The game was very poorly officiated all the way around which resulted in poor game flow and foul trouble for Vermont. They were still hanging on and executing until Ethan O'Day went down with what looked like a significant knee injury. With an already thin frontcourt, that was a killer. From that point, Vermont had even less interior defense available to try and slow down Warney. Ultimately when the dust settles this was a great season for the Catamounts. They came together as a team and gave themselves a chance to make the NCAA tournament. The future is bright and some of the pieces to be excited about were on display in today's game. Trae Bell-Haynes continues to round out his game and is a tremendous scorer, leading Vermont with 17 points in today's game. If it wasn't for several flops by defenders he would have had an even stronger game. The increase in his ability to shoot the three at the end of the season should make defenders quiver. He is going to score many more points in a Vermont uniform. Ernie Duncan also looked great down the stretch. He finished with 11 points (3-5 from three) and 7 rebounds in this game. He started to expand his game at the end of the year as well and I am excited to see what he can do with a fully healthy offseason. His .448% shooting from beyond the arc this season is the second highest single season percentage all time at Vermont. Throw in Cam Ward's strong finish and the backcourt is set for the next several years. The Cats came together at the end of the year and turned themselves into a strong rebounding team. Maintaining that momentum on the boards will be important on next years team. My heart goes out to Ethan O'Day. He played his heart out this season and to finish his last game hobbled and then on the bench was tough. I hope he is okay but the injury did not look good. Both the players and the coaching staff grew tremendously this year and it will make them better and more prepared for next season. As long as Vermont can avoid having a difficult offseason (like last year) they should be the favorite to win it all next year. I will post a season recap after waiting to see if Vermont accepts a bid to the CBI or the CIT.
Vermont battled through injuries and foul trouble but ultimately could not overcome Jameel Warney's career day. I will start off by congratulating Warney on his tournament berth. He has worked hard to be where he is and came up big in the biggest game of his career. He was not going to let Stony Brook lose. Great player. Great Performance. Vermont played very well and almost pulled off the upset. There were just too many in game roadblocks to overcome. The game was very poorly officiated all the way around which resulted in poor game flow and foul trouble for Vermont. They were still hanging on and executing until Ethan O'Day went down with what looked like a significant knee injury. With an already thin frontcourt, that was a killer. From that point, Vermont had even less interior defense available to try and slow down Warney. Ultimately when the dust settles this was a great season for the Catamounts. They came together as a team and gave themselves a chance to make the NCAA tournament. The future is bright and some of the pieces to be excited about were on display in today's game. Trae Bell-Haynes continues to round out his game and is a tremendous scorer, leading Vermont with 17 points in today's game. If it wasn't for several flops by defenders he would have had an even stronger game. The increase in his ability to shoot the three at the end of the season should make defenders quiver. He is going to score many more points in a Vermont uniform. Ernie Duncan also looked great down the stretch. He finished with 11 points (3-5 from three) and 7 rebounds in this game. He started to expand his game at the end of the year as well and I am excited to see what he can do with a fully healthy offseason. His .448% shooting from beyond the arc this season is the second highest single season percentage all time at Vermont. Throw in Cam Ward's strong finish and the backcourt is set for the next several years. The Cats came together at the end of the year and turned themselves into a strong rebounding team. Maintaining that momentum on the boards will be important on next years team. My heart goes out to Ethan O'Day. He played his heart out this season and to finish his last game hobbled and then on the bench was tough. I hope he is okay but the injury did not look good. Both the players and the coaching staff grew tremendously this year and it will make them better and more prepared for next season. As long as Vermont can avoid having a difficult offseason (like last year) they should be the favorite to win it all next year. I will post a season recap after waiting to see if Vermont accepts a bid to the CBI or the CIT.
Monday, March 7, 2016
America East Semifinal: UNH at Vermont 3/7/16
Vermont 63 UNH 56
Vermont clawed their way back into the conference finals by holding off UNH in the semifinals on Monday night. This season has been Becker and Company's most trying and the most rewarding. To go through the list of obstacles this team has overcome to be where they are is exhausting. Vermont faced just about every kind of adversity over the past year and dug deep to overcome it all. Just one month ago the Cats were coming off a 100-93 loss to fall to 6-5 in conference play. Becker called out his players publicly and things were pretty grim in Catamount country. Fast forward to 7 wins in a row plus a trip to the finals and the Cats have had themselves another great season. This has to be the best and most satisfying (and most difficult) year of Becker's coaching career. This team has come together and is embracing the adversity and using it to make themselves better basketball players. To win an ugly physical game the way Vermont did tonight is a testament as to how far they have come. They would not have won a game like this at the beginning of the conference schedule. At the center of this resurgence has been Ethan O'Day. He has put together a tremendous senior season and put the team on his back against UNH. I have never seen him play with as much energy as he did in the first half. He was a one man defensive machine and looked liked a player who was not going to let his team lose. O'Day finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Over his last 5 games he has averaged 14.2 points on 62% shooting from the field and 95% (19-20!!!) from the free throw line. Throw in 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game and you have a senior taking over and leading his team on a winning streak. Kurt Steidl also had another strong game with 13 points and 6 rebounds including some key rebounds down the stretch. Ernie Duncan continued his absolutely torrid shooting from three finishing with 11 points on 3-4 shooting from deep. That puts him at 10/13 over the last three games. Duncan's season percentage sits at 44% which is currently tied for the second highest single season percentage in the history of Vermont basketball. Dre Wills actually led the team in rebounding with 8 boards and had a positive impact on the game despite being held scoreless. Drew Urquhart also put together a strong game off the bench scoring 6 points and blocking 3 shots. Just a tremendous end of the season run by this group and now they are ready to go to the championship game and play loose. Vermont got over the semifinals hump and the "its tough to beat a team three times" curse. Now they can go down and try to pull the upset on the road. All the pressure is on Stony Brook and it should be a tremendous game in a great atmosphere.
Vermont clawed their way back into the conference finals by holding off UNH in the semifinals on Monday night. This season has been Becker and Company's most trying and the most rewarding. To go through the list of obstacles this team has overcome to be where they are is exhausting. Vermont faced just about every kind of adversity over the past year and dug deep to overcome it all. Just one month ago the Cats were coming off a 100-93 loss to fall to 6-5 in conference play. Becker called out his players publicly and things were pretty grim in Catamount country. Fast forward to 7 wins in a row plus a trip to the finals and the Cats have had themselves another great season. This has to be the best and most satisfying (and most difficult) year of Becker's coaching career. This team has come together and is embracing the adversity and using it to make themselves better basketball players. To win an ugly physical game the way Vermont did tonight is a testament as to how far they have come. They would not have won a game like this at the beginning of the conference schedule. At the center of this resurgence has been Ethan O'Day. He has put together a tremendous senior season and put the team on his back against UNH. I have never seen him play with as much energy as he did in the first half. He was a one man defensive machine and looked liked a player who was not going to let his team lose. O'Day finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Over his last 5 games he has averaged 14.2 points on 62% shooting from the field and 95% (19-20!!!) from the free throw line. Throw in 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game and you have a senior taking over and leading his team on a winning streak. Kurt Steidl also had another strong game with 13 points and 6 rebounds including some key rebounds down the stretch. Ernie Duncan continued his absolutely torrid shooting from three finishing with 11 points on 3-4 shooting from deep. That puts him at 10/13 over the last three games. Duncan's season percentage sits at 44% which is currently tied for the second highest single season percentage in the history of Vermont basketball. Dre Wills actually led the team in rebounding with 8 boards and had a positive impact on the game despite being held scoreless. Drew Urquhart also put together a strong game off the bench scoring 6 points and blocking 3 shots. Just a tremendous end of the season run by this group and now they are ready to go to the championship game and play loose. Vermont got over the semifinals hump and the "its tough to beat a team three times" curse. Now they can go down and try to pull the upset on the road. All the pressure is on Stony Brook and it should be a tremendous game in a great atmosphere.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
America East Quarterfinal: Maine at Vermont 3/2/16
Vermont 99 Maine 82
Vermont shot a scorching 66% from the field and defeated Maine in the America East quarterfinals. This was going to be the last home game of the year but by virtue of Hartford's upset of Albany, Vermont will host UNH on Monday night. It is great to get another home game and should be a rocking atmosphere. As with most games during the Cats winning streak, Vermont's offense was firing on all cylinders. Cam Ward shot the absolute lights out in the first half including a Steph Curry-esque three at the halftime buzzer from just about half court. Ward finished with 24 points on 6-9 shooting from three. He is playing with a ton of confidence right now. He actually threw up in the garbage can the first time he came out of the game in the first half so his performance is even more impressive considering he may not have been 100%. Over the last four games he is shooting an astounding 15-21 (71%) from three. Fun to watch. The MVP of the game ultimately was Ethan O'Day. He put up one of the best stat lines of his career. O'Day finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks, and 3 steals. That is the performance of a senior who wants to leave it all on the floor and doesn't want his career to come to an end. Obviously when a team scores 99 points there are going to be many impressive stat lines. Kurt Steidl put together a tough 14 point 9 rebound performance and Ernie Duncan also looked good scoring 11 points and handing out 5 assists. Vermont can beat teams in so many different ways on the offensive end that it is difficult for an opposing team to string together stops. The formula during this win streak has been get off to a strong start and keep the other team at bay for the rest of the game. The biggest difference has been the improvement on the boards. It is going to be crucial to maintain that momentum against UNH on Monday. Whoever wins the rebounding battle will win the game and Vermont will have to get ready for a very physical game. In the game today the defense took a little bit of a step back. Some of that is due to playing with a big lead and losing focus. They will need to be much tighter on Monday night. The other adjustment that Vermont is going to have to make is they suddenly with be playing with some expectation and pressure again. It was going to be one thing to go on the road and try to pull an upset in the semifinal. Playing a home game where you are expected to win is a whole different ball of wax. The win at Stony Brook in the finale looms large now as they would be traveling on the road if they had not won that game. The win tonight also gives Vermont 8 straight 20 win seasons. Congratulations to all involved in the Vermont program on a wonderful accomplishment. Time for some bonus basketball at Patrick on Monday.
Vermont shot a scorching 66% from the field and defeated Maine in the America East quarterfinals. This was going to be the last home game of the year but by virtue of Hartford's upset of Albany, Vermont will host UNH on Monday night. It is great to get another home game and should be a rocking atmosphere. As with most games during the Cats winning streak, Vermont's offense was firing on all cylinders. Cam Ward shot the absolute lights out in the first half including a Steph Curry-esque three at the halftime buzzer from just about half court. Ward finished with 24 points on 6-9 shooting from three. He is playing with a ton of confidence right now. He actually threw up in the garbage can the first time he came out of the game in the first half so his performance is even more impressive considering he may not have been 100%. Over the last four games he is shooting an astounding 15-21 (71%) from three. Fun to watch. The MVP of the game ultimately was Ethan O'Day. He put up one of the best stat lines of his career. O'Day finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks, and 3 steals. That is the performance of a senior who wants to leave it all on the floor and doesn't want his career to come to an end. Obviously when a team scores 99 points there are going to be many impressive stat lines. Kurt Steidl put together a tough 14 point 9 rebound performance and Ernie Duncan also looked good scoring 11 points and handing out 5 assists. Vermont can beat teams in so many different ways on the offensive end that it is difficult for an opposing team to string together stops. The formula during this win streak has been get off to a strong start and keep the other team at bay for the rest of the game. The biggest difference has been the improvement on the boards. It is going to be crucial to maintain that momentum against UNH on Monday. Whoever wins the rebounding battle will win the game and Vermont will have to get ready for a very physical game. In the game today the defense took a little bit of a step back. Some of that is due to playing with a big lead and losing focus. They will need to be much tighter on Monday night. The other adjustment that Vermont is going to have to make is they suddenly with be playing with some expectation and pressure again. It was going to be one thing to go on the road and try to pull an upset in the semifinal. Playing a home game where you are expected to win is a whole different ball of wax. The win at Stony Brook in the finale looms large now as they would be traveling on the road if they had not won that game. The win tonight also gives Vermont 8 straight 20 win seasons. Congratulations to all involved in the Vermont program on a wonderful accomplishment. Time for some bonus basketball at Patrick on Monday.
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