Vermont 67 Yale 65
Ernie Duncan to the rescue.
Duncan hit a floater from the right side with one second left and lifted Vermont to a big win over Yale. The game was a tale of two halves for both teams. In the first half offenses were fluid and shots were falling. In the second half it turned into a grinder. For the Cats the wear and tear from a whirlwind schedule to start the season looked like it finally caught up to them. They found a way and executed down the stretch to pull out the victory. The game winner by Duncan was a thing of beauty as he beat his man off the dribble and floated the ball up off glass and in. In the postgame comments, Becker said that he was going to draw up a play for Trae Bell-Haynes but Bell-Haynes suggested they run the play for Duncan. What a selfless moment and kudos to Becker and the players to have confidence and respect for Bell-Haynes and for the respect given to Duncan. Those are the marks of a winning team. While watching the Tournament earlier in the week you could see the chemistry and trust blossoming on this team. Even though Vermont made some mistakes and blew a big lead, this was a great game. The ability to dig deep and make the plays needed to win is very evident for this group. The defense came up with two big stops down the stretch and it continues to look better and better. This is a Yale team that beat Washington 98-90 to open the season. Yale is a great win for Vermont because they are a good team and they are entering a stretch of difficult games. With South Carolina and Butler sandwiched around home dates with Northeastern and Eastern Michigan, the Cats are going to be playing some very good teams. The game today was a team win where everyone contributed and wanted the win. What won Vermont this game was they won all the hustle plays throughout the game. Despite being tired, the Cats were after every loose ball and challenging every Yale shot. I said earlier in the week that Anthony Lamb was due for a breakout and it came at the right time. Lamb led Vermont with 18 points and chipped in 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. His energy was terrific and he gets after it on every play. Kurt Steidl was the other player in double figures with 11 points. Drew Urquhart continued his strong play contributing 8 points and 4 rebounds. He has limited the silly mistakes and is using his big body to challenge shots at the rim and clear space on the boards. Duncan actually led Vermont with 6 boards to go along with his big time game winner. Vermont is showing that it can win in different ways and the most surprising change is how effectively they are playing zone this year. Becker has admitted he is a man to man guy but in the last two games the Cats zone has been a very effective tool. If that can continue to be a card that Becker can play it will make them an even better defensive team. Now the team can get some much needed rest before going down to South Carolina on Thursday.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Gulf Coast Showcase: Houston vs Vermont
Houston 72 Vermont 71
Heartbreak.
Houston converted a layup at the buzzer to defeat Vermont in the championship of the Gulf Coast Showcase. This one is tough. Vermont fought hard to get back into the game and took control in the final minute, only to have miscues come back to haunt them. Vermont went up 71-67 and then allowed a corner three on an out of bounds play to cut the lead to 71-70. Then Kurt Steidl came down with a huge rebound and forced a jump ball. On the ensuing inbound he was fouled with about 7 seconds left. Steidl missed the front end of the one and one. Houston then drove it right down the middle and dished it off for the winning layup. Agonizing defeat. I feel for Steidl. He worked his butt off and hit big shots in the second half, only to have the missed free throw come back to haunt him. Vermont played so hard in the second half and couldn't miss from three shooting 9-17 from deep. Ernie Duncan remained hot scoring 17 points to lead the Cats. Payton Henson had 11 points and 7 rebounds, continuing his consistent run to start the season. He did get into silly foul trouble in the first half and it was very telling when he was on the bench. He is already Vermont's most important player. The only portion of the game where Houston dominated Vermont was with Henson on the bench at the end of the first half. Vermont gave up offensive rebounds and their offense was completely stagnant. His versatility on offense and ability to rebound are very much the engine of this team. Drew Urquhart quietly had a very effective tournament and is steadily earning more and more minutes. He looks more decisive on the court and is staying away from the glaring miscues that have kept him on the bench over his first two years. Anthony Lamb only played eight minutes in the second half. I think that is due to Becker switching to a zone defense down the stretch and not trusting Lamb to play it effectively. This one is gonna sting for a while and it continues the notion that this Vermont team struggles to execute down the stretch in big games. They cant dwell on it too much as they welcome Yale on Saturday for what should he a very hard fought game. Yale has been playing extremely well and is going to be a very tough match up for Vermont. The Cats enter a very tough stretch of the schedule where they are going to be playing very good teams night in and night out. This is another in the long list of mental obstacles that this Vermont group has to overcome.
Heartbreak.
Houston converted a layup at the buzzer to defeat Vermont in the championship of the Gulf Coast Showcase. This one is tough. Vermont fought hard to get back into the game and took control in the final minute, only to have miscues come back to haunt them. Vermont went up 71-67 and then allowed a corner three on an out of bounds play to cut the lead to 71-70. Then Kurt Steidl came down with a huge rebound and forced a jump ball. On the ensuing inbound he was fouled with about 7 seconds left. Steidl missed the front end of the one and one. Houston then drove it right down the middle and dished it off for the winning layup. Agonizing defeat. I feel for Steidl. He worked his butt off and hit big shots in the second half, only to have the missed free throw come back to haunt him. Vermont played so hard in the second half and couldn't miss from three shooting 9-17 from deep. Ernie Duncan remained hot scoring 17 points to lead the Cats. Payton Henson had 11 points and 7 rebounds, continuing his consistent run to start the season. He did get into silly foul trouble in the first half and it was very telling when he was on the bench. He is already Vermont's most important player. The only portion of the game where Houston dominated Vermont was with Henson on the bench at the end of the first half. Vermont gave up offensive rebounds and their offense was completely stagnant. His versatility on offense and ability to rebound are very much the engine of this team. Drew Urquhart quietly had a very effective tournament and is steadily earning more and more minutes. He looks more decisive on the court and is staying away from the glaring miscues that have kept him on the bench over his first two years. Anthony Lamb only played eight minutes in the second half. I think that is due to Becker switching to a zone defense down the stretch and not trusting Lamb to play it effectively. This one is gonna sting for a while and it continues the notion that this Vermont team struggles to execute down the stretch in big games. They cant dwell on it too much as they welcome Yale on Saturday for what should he a very hard fought game. Yale has been playing extremely well and is going to be a very tough match up for Vermont. The Cats enter a very tough stretch of the schedule where they are going to be playing very good teams night in and night out. This is another in the long list of mental obstacles that this Vermont group has to overcome.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Gulf Coast Showcase: Hofstra vs Vermont
Vermont 87 Hofstra 73
Ernie Duncan poured in a career high 33 points on 7-10 shooting from three leading the Cats to a victory in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Showcase. Duncan was unbelievable in this game. Hitting from all over the court, driving into the lane, and knocking down his free throws. Duncan broke out of his mini-slump in a big way and showed what a difference maker he can be. Just an amazing performance. For the second straight game the Vermont defense looked sharp. The energy from the Cats in the first half was tremendous. They were diving all over the floor and imposing their will on Hofstra. The rotations are getting sharper and they have really cleaned up the defense around the three point line, forcing Hofstra to shoot 4-19 from deep. Vermont's passing was another bright spot in tonight's game. There were several beautiful pick and rolls and players were really finding cutters in the lane. The Cats only turned the ball over nine times and were really strong with the ball for much of the game. Payton Henson continued to be a workhorse scoring 16 points on 7-9 shooting and leading Vermont with 8 rebounds. He has been so consistent and has such tremendous offensive versatility. This game was a glimpse of how strong Vermont could be this year. They have an efficient offense that is versatile and scoring can come from many different sources. If the defense continues to improve, Vermont is going to be able to make it very tough on their opponents. The balance that they have been searching for the last few seasons is starting to come together. Now it is on to the championship game against the winner of Houston and South Dakota. Houston looks very strong and is a little out of place in this mid-major tournament. It will be great for this team to play for a championship even if it is a small November tourney. The experience and mental preparation in a tournament like this is crucial for the stretch run late in the season. The live feed on YouTube has be great for this tournament and I can't wait for tomorrow nights game. 7:30pm sharp. Go Cats Go!!!!
Ernie Duncan poured in a career high 33 points on 7-10 shooting from three leading the Cats to a victory in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Showcase. Duncan was unbelievable in this game. Hitting from all over the court, driving into the lane, and knocking down his free throws. Duncan broke out of his mini-slump in a big way and showed what a difference maker he can be. Just an amazing performance. For the second straight game the Vermont defense looked sharp. The energy from the Cats in the first half was tremendous. They were diving all over the floor and imposing their will on Hofstra. The rotations are getting sharper and they have really cleaned up the defense around the three point line, forcing Hofstra to shoot 4-19 from deep. Vermont's passing was another bright spot in tonight's game. There were several beautiful pick and rolls and players were really finding cutters in the lane. The Cats only turned the ball over nine times and were really strong with the ball for much of the game. Payton Henson continued to be a workhorse scoring 16 points on 7-9 shooting and leading Vermont with 8 rebounds. He has been so consistent and has such tremendous offensive versatility. This game was a glimpse of how strong Vermont could be this year. They have an efficient offense that is versatile and scoring can come from many different sources. If the defense continues to improve, Vermont is going to be able to make it very tough on their opponents. The balance that they have been searching for the last few seasons is starting to come together. Now it is on to the championship game against the winner of Houston and South Dakota. Houston looks very strong and is a little out of place in this mid-major tournament. It will be great for this team to play for a championship even if it is a small November tourney. The experience and mental preparation in a tournament like this is crucial for the stretch run late in the season. The live feed on YouTube has be great for this tournament and I can't wait for tomorrow nights game. 7:30pm sharp. Go Cats Go!!!!
Monday, November 21, 2016
Gulf Coast Showcase: Wofford vs Vermont
Vermont 60 Wofford 59
When the team needed him. Trae Bell-Haynes stepped up.
Bell-Haynes hit a floater from the left side with 3.5 seconds left as Vermont dug deep and defeated Wofford in the opener of the Gulf Coast Showcase. This one was back and forth from the get go with neither team leading by more than seven points. The story in this game was the Vermont defense. Wofford is a program that loves the three pointer and they had already made 25 threes through their first two games. With the way Vermont had been defending the three so far this year, things could have gotten out of hand. Instead, the hedging on the perimeter was tremendous and Wofford fished 4-12 from three. Wofford didn't take or make as many threes as they are accustomed to and give full credit to the effort put forth by the Cats. The defense showed flashes of the Becker defensive teams of old. The fact that this Vermont team was able to win a grinding defensive battle is a testament to how much improved they are this year. Over the last few years when the shots don't fall, the team hasn't won. A great team effort led once again by Payton Henson with 14 points and 8 rebounds. After the calf injury scare he played a team high 35 minutes and was very tough on the boards. Bell-Haynes' passing continues to be strong as he led the Cats with 6 assists. His improved court vision is paying early dividends for Vermont. Cam Ward made the most of his limited minutes and hit two big threes, including one as a part of a 4 four point play in the first half. Anthony Lamb struggled with foul trouble and was visibly frustrated for much of the game. He managed to grab 7 rebounds and looked good on the boards. He is very close to another breakout game. Now on to the winner of Hofstra/Bradley at 5pm tomorrow.
P.S. I was able to watch the game because I had a snow day today!! Thank goodness. I wouldn't have wanted to miss this one.
When the team needed him. Trae Bell-Haynes stepped up.
Bell-Haynes hit a floater from the left side with 3.5 seconds left as Vermont dug deep and defeated Wofford in the opener of the Gulf Coast Showcase. This one was back and forth from the get go with neither team leading by more than seven points. The story in this game was the Vermont defense. Wofford is a program that loves the three pointer and they had already made 25 threes through their first two games. With the way Vermont had been defending the three so far this year, things could have gotten out of hand. Instead, the hedging on the perimeter was tremendous and Wofford fished 4-12 from three. Wofford didn't take or make as many threes as they are accustomed to and give full credit to the effort put forth by the Cats. The defense showed flashes of the Becker defensive teams of old. The fact that this Vermont team was able to win a grinding defensive battle is a testament to how much improved they are this year. Over the last few years when the shots don't fall, the team hasn't won. A great team effort led once again by Payton Henson with 14 points and 8 rebounds. After the calf injury scare he played a team high 35 minutes and was very tough on the boards. Bell-Haynes' passing continues to be strong as he led the Cats with 6 assists. His improved court vision is paying early dividends for Vermont. Cam Ward made the most of his limited minutes and hit two big threes, including one as a part of a 4 four point play in the first half. Anthony Lamb struggled with foul trouble and was visibly frustrated for much of the game. He managed to grab 7 rebounds and looked good on the boards. He is very close to another breakout game. Now on to the winner of Hofstra/Bradley at 5pm tomorrow.
P.S. I was able to watch the game because I had a snow day today!! Thank goodness. I wouldn't have wanted to miss this one.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Lyndon State at Vermont 11/19/16
Vermont 79 Lyndon State 20
Yikes. Lets never do that again.
I have remained positive over the years about adding the non division 1 team to the schedule. I never liked it but rationalized in every way I could. After today's game I can rationalize no more. That was not a game. That barely qualified as a scrimmage. I hope that the atrocity of today begins the conversation of ending this game being on the schedule each year. Lyndon State did not make a shot in the first half. 0-27. Zilch. Zero. A 43-4 halftime lead is insane. There were no takeaways from this game other than Lyndon was completely over matched in every possible sense of the word. The only information to discuss from this game are some injury and playing time issues. First, Payton Henson was injured within the first 5 minutes of the game and did not return. It looked like a calf injury and his body language suggested to me that it was somewhat significant. The trainers worked on him the entire game and he iced and stretched all the way through. With three games in three days coming up any minor injury could be exaggerated by the lack of rest time. Calf injuries are notoriously difficult and it is a significant concern for the Cats. Josh Hearlihy did not play until very late in the second half which seemed very odd. If he was hurt I feel as though they wouldn't have played him at all. His usage made no sense. The biggest early season question for me right now is about Everett Duncan. He has not played at all and if he was ever going to play it would have been in this blowout. He dresses and warms up before every game which makes it seem like it is not injury related. That is a very strange situation for sure. This tournament in Florida will be interesting for Vermont. Playing back to back to back games is taxing and always raises the injury risk. It is however an opportunity to play some good teams and work to improve their on court chemistry. The Cats depth will be tested and so will their team health. The game on Monday is at 11am so I will be unable to watch it. Wofford is going to be a tough matchup and it should be a good game.
Yikes. Lets never do that again.
I have remained positive over the years about adding the non division 1 team to the schedule. I never liked it but rationalized in every way I could. After today's game I can rationalize no more. That was not a game. That barely qualified as a scrimmage. I hope that the atrocity of today begins the conversation of ending this game being on the schedule each year. Lyndon State did not make a shot in the first half. 0-27. Zilch. Zero. A 43-4 halftime lead is insane. There were no takeaways from this game other than Lyndon was completely over matched in every possible sense of the word. The only information to discuss from this game are some injury and playing time issues. First, Payton Henson was injured within the first 5 minutes of the game and did not return. It looked like a calf injury and his body language suggested to me that it was somewhat significant. The trainers worked on him the entire game and he iced and stretched all the way through. With three games in three days coming up any minor injury could be exaggerated by the lack of rest time. Calf injuries are notoriously difficult and it is a significant concern for the Cats. Josh Hearlihy did not play until very late in the second half which seemed very odd. If he was hurt I feel as though they wouldn't have played him at all. His usage made no sense. The biggest early season question for me right now is about Everett Duncan. He has not played at all and if he was ever going to play it would have been in this blowout. He dresses and warms up before every game which makes it seem like it is not injury related. That is a very strange situation for sure. This tournament in Florida will be interesting for Vermont. Playing back to back to back games is taxing and always raises the injury risk. It is however an opportunity to play some good teams and work to improve their on court chemistry. The Cats depth will be tested and so will their team health. The game on Monday is at 11am so I will be unable to watch it. Wofford is going to be a tough matchup and it should be a good game.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Vermont at Marist 11/16/16
Vermont 76 Marist 72
Vermont held off a hard charging Marist team and hung on for a tough win on the road. Marist looked very poor to start out the game and Vermont jumped out to a big lead. The Red Foxes began to chip away and started to speed Vermont up on offense. This forced the Cats into too many turnovers and as a result Marist came all the way back and took the lead. Vermont executed down the stretch and was able to pull out the victory. There is a lot to unpack from this game. First, Payton Henson can really put the ball in the hoop. He led the Cats in scoring for the second game in a row finishing with 18 points. His rebounding has also been impressive as he finished with 8 boards to lead the Cats. Anthony Lamb bounced back with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Henson and Lamb give Vermont a dimension that they have never had: two post players who score inside, outside, and can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. Trae Bell-Haynes fell one point short of a double double, finishing with 9 points and 10 assists. Dre Wills continued his strong start with 11 points and Kurt Steidl righted the ship with 10 points. Vermont got to the rim relentlessly and shot 53% from the field. Now on to the not so pretty numbers. First off Vermont committed 18 turnovers and most of them were bad turnovers on passes at the top of the key. Several times Vermont players turned to swing the ball and passed it directly to a Marist player. Those are flat out inexcusable. Henson finished with 6 turnovers and many of them were careless or sloppy. As the post play looks good for the Cats, the perimeter play is struggling. The three point shooting has been poor and opposing teams are shooting very well from three. Through the three games Vermont sits at 33% (17-51) from three and opponents are 43% (29-67). That is a significant and concerning disparity. Often when Vermont struggled in games last year it was due to that exact difficulty. Also, as was a struggle at the beginning of last year the defensive rotations are atrocious. The team at large is struggling mightily to grasp the defensive rotations and it has resulted in Becker struggling to find working lineups. So far this season Becker's substitutions and lineups are making the statement "play D or sit". That is part of the reason Wills has played so many minutes. The rotations will get better as they did last year but they certainly are not there yet. It was great to get the win but it was heart wrenching game to watch. It was good for Vermont to get some practice in a close, hard fought game and be forced to make tough plays down the stretch. Now it is time for the home opener. Certainly not the most exciting home opener but one that I wouldn't miss.
Vermont held off a hard charging Marist team and hung on for a tough win on the road. Marist looked very poor to start out the game and Vermont jumped out to a big lead. The Red Foxes began to chip away and started to speed Vermont up on offense. This forced the Cats into too many turnovers and as a result Marist came all the way back and took the lead. Vermont executed down the stretch and was able to pull out the victory. There is a lot to unpack from this game. First, Payton Henson can really put the ball in the hoop. He led the Cats in scoring for the second game in a row finishing with 18 points. His rebounding has also been impressive as he finished with 8 boards to lead the Cats. Anthony Lamb bounced back with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Henson and Lamb give Vermont a dimension that they have never had: two post players who score inside, outside, and can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. Trae Bell-Haynes fell one point short of a double double, finishing with 9 points and 10 assists. Dre Wills continued his strong start with 11 points and Kurt Steidl righted the ship with 10 points. Vermont got to the rim relentlessly and shot 53% from the field. Now on to the not so pretty numbers. First off Vermont committed 18 turnovers and most of them were bad turnovers on passes at the top of the key. Several times Vermont players turned to swing the ball and passed it directly to a Marist player. Those are flat out inexcusable. Henson finished with 6 turnovers and many of them were careless or sloppy. As the post play looks good for the Cats, the perimeter play is struggling. The three point shooting has been poor and opposing teams are shooting very well from three. Through the three games Vermont sits at 33% (17-51) from three and opponents are 43% (29-67). That is a significant and concerning disparity. Often when Vermont struggled in games last year it was due to that exact difficulty. Also, as was a struggle at the beginning of last year the defensive rotations are atrocious. The team at large is struggling mightily to grasp the defensive rotations and it has resulted in Becker struggling to find working lineups. So far this season Becker's substitutions and lineups are making the statement "play D or sit". That is part of the reason Wills has played so many minutes. The rotations will get better as they did last year but they certainly are not there yet. It was great to get the win but it was heart wrenching game to watch. It was good for Vermont to get some practice in a close, hard fought game and be forced to make tough plays down the stretch. Now it is time for the home opener. Certainly not the most exciting home opener but one that I wouldn't miss.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Vermont at Providence 11/14/16
Providence 80 Vermont 58
Vermont couldn't overcome a sluggish start and Providence pulled away in the second half to hand the Cats their first loss of the season. Providence dominated Vermont physically and kept the Cats from getting to the free throw line. This was an ugly one for sure. The one bright spot was Payton Henson. He looked very good for the second straight game leading the Cats with 21 points and 7 rebounds. He looked great off the dribble and fished strong around the hoop. He is going to be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams all season because of his versatility and athleticism. Dre Wills again looked like his old self and had some very good moments. It was good to see Josh Hearlihy on the floor and I really like his floor game and defensive versatility. Other than that it was kind of a train wreck. Vermont committed 17 turnovers, shot 5-20 from three, and consistently made poor decisions on both defense and offense. Trae Bell-Haynes had one of those games he has from time to time where he gets caught going too fast with nowhere to go. Anthony Lamb had a "freshman" game where he tried to force it on offense and put himself in some tough spots. I said that I wasn't concerned about Kurt Steidl after the opener and I am not ready to say concerned yet, but he has started the season about as poorly as possible. Missing shots, turning the ball over, and looking uncomfortable on the court, Steidl has got to get himself going in the right direction. The player I am deeply concerned about is Darren Payen. If Steidl has started out about as poorly as possible, then Payen has definitely started out as poorly as possible. He looks just awful at both ends of the floor which culminated in him getting stuffed by the rim on a wide open dunk in the waning moments of the game. A tough game all around but one the Cats can learn from and get better. I do want to mention that it looks as though the America East will not be as down as some prognosticators mentioned before the season. Albany and UNH already have a good win each and UMass Lowell just beat Wagner who just beat UConn. The Conference is starting to look as though it will be very competitive. Now it is time for Marist on Wednesday,
Vermont couldn't overcome a sluggish start and Providence pulled away in the second half to hand the Cats their first loss of the season. Providence dominated Vermont physically and kept the Cats from getting to the free throw line. This was an ugly one for sure. The one bright spot was Payton Henson. He looked very good for the second straight game leading the Cats with 21 points and 7 rebounds. He looked great off the dribble and fished strong around the hoop. He is going to be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams all season because of his versatility and athleticism. Dre Wills again looked like his old self and had some very good moments. It was good to see Josh Hearlihy on the floor and I really like his floor game and defensive versatility. Other than that it was kind of a train wreck. Vermont committed 17 turnovers, shot 5-20 from three, and consistently made poor decisions on both defense and offense. Trae Bell-Haynes had one of those games he has from time to time where he gets caught going too fast with nowhere to go. Anthony Lamb had a "freshman" game where he tried to force it on offense and put himself in some tough spots. I said that I wasn't concerned about Kurt Steidl after the opener and I am not ready to say concerned yet, but he has started the season about as poorly as possible. Missing shots, turning the ball over, and looking uncomfortable on the court, Steidl has got to get himself going in the right direction. The player I am deeply concerned about is Darren Payen. If Steidl has started out about as poorly as possible, then Payen has definitely started out as poorly as possible. He looks just awful at both ends of the floor which culminated in him getting stuffed by the rim on a wide open dunk in the waning moments of the game. A tough game all around but one the Cats can learn from and get better. I do want to mention that it looks as though the America East will not be as down as some prognosticators mentioned before the season. Albany and UNH already have a good win each and UMass Lowell just beat Wagner who just beat UConn. The Conference is starting to look as though it will be very competitive. Now it is time for Marist on Wednesday,
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Vermont gets another 2017 commitment
Third post of the day! That is a new record.
A dynamic point guard from Canada commits to Vermont.... Stop me if you have heard this before.
The excitement around the Vermont Program continues as they receive a commitment from Canadian PG Stefan Smith for the 2017 class. Smith attends Bill Crothers Secondary School which is the same school that Trae Bell-Haynes attended. I saw Smith behind the bench at the St. Michael's scrimmage and he must have like what he saw because he was originally offered as part of the 2018 class. After watching highlights Smith has the potential to be a very good player for Vermont. Like Bell-Haynes, Smith has a strong body and uses it to get to the rim and finish through contact. He has dynamic playmaking skills and a good outside shot. Looks to be a well balanced player who will fit into the new style of play that Vermont is building. The word from some of the North Pole Hoops scouts is that he is another high character/tough defender/team leader type player. It is great to see a connection paying dividends and it is not surprising that Bell-Haynes is a great ambassador for the Vermont program. With what Bell-Haynes has accomplished at Vermont, it is exciting to get another player from the same program. Bell-Haynes was college ready both physically and mentally and without taking anything away from what a great player he is, attending Bill Crothers must have contributed to his readiness. The momentum for Vermont continues to skyrocket and will only build further if Vermont can have the kind of success they are looking for this year. To continue building for the future from a recruiting standpoint, the last area of need for Vermont is getting a few big men as part of the 2017 and 2018 classes. They have one more scholarship in 2017 and then the big year when 5 become available for the 2018 class. Vermont is continuing to make noise on the recruiting trail and setting themselves up for continued success.
A dynamic point guard from Canada commits to Vermont.... Stop me if you have heard this before.
The excitement around the Vermont Program continues as they receive a commitment from Canadian PG Stefan Smith for the 2017 class. Smith attends Bill Crothers Secondary School which is the same school that Trae Bell-Haynes attended. I saw Smith behind the bench at the St. Michael's scrimmage and he must have like what he saw because he was originally offered as part of the 2018 class. After watching highlights Smith has the potential to be a very good player for Vermont. Like Bell-Haynes, Smith has a strong body and uses it to get to the rim and finish through contact. He has dynamic playmaking skills and a good outside shot. Looks to be a well balanced player who will fit into the new style of play that Vermont is building. The word from some of the North Pole Hoops scouts is that he is another high character/tough defender/team leader type player. It is great to see a connection paying dividends and it is not surprising that Bell-Haynes is a great ambassador for the Vermont program. With what Bell-Haynes has accomplished at Vermont, it is exciting to get another player from the same program. Bell-Haynes was college ready both physically and mentally and without taking anything away from what a great player he is, attending Bill Crothers must have contributed to his readiness. The momentum for Vermont continues to skyrocket and will only build further if Vermont can have the kind of success they are looking for this year. To continue building for the future from a recruiting standpoint, the last area of need for Vermont is getting a few big men as part of the 2017 and 2018 classes. They have one more scholarship in 2017 and then the big year when 5 become available for the 2018 class. Vermont is continuing to make noise on the recruiting trail and setting themselves up for continued success.
Vermont at Quinnipiac 11/12/16
Vermont 94 Quinnipiac 70
Now that is a season opener.
Vermont dominated an overmatched Quinnipiac squad from start to finish and picked up their first win of the season. Quinnipiac was very weak and is going to struggle this season but the Cats first game against a Division I opponent could not have gone better. The script remained the same from the exhibition games. Anthony Lamb and Payton Henson are going to have a tremendous impact for Vermont. Lamb again looked like Vermont's best player. Finishing in traffic, hitting perimeter jumpers, knocking down free throws, and going all out on every play. Lamb led the Cats with an efficient 23 points and 9 rebounds in only 24 minutes. The eye test is even better as he made several beautiful plays that don't show up in the box score including a sequence where he stole an inbound pass and immediately threw a home run pass to Henson for a dunk. He is a very special player. Henson was just as impressive in his Catamount debut. Transfers ability to impact the game right away is notoriously difficult to predict but this time it is clear right away that Henson is going to be very good for Vermont. Henson contributed 19 points and 7 rebounds in 26 minutes. Henson too showcased his ability to score inside and out and run the floor to get easy buckets in transition. Adding two polished scorers to an already potent offense is very exciting. Vermont can spread the floor and attack the rim from almost any position when Henson and Lamb are on the floor together. Trae Bell-Haynes looked great dishing out 8 assists to go along with 16 points. Ernie Duncan added 13 points and looked much quicker going to the hoop. Dre Wills did some very nice Dre Wills things including a stretch in the second half where he had a steal on three consecutive possessions. Vermont was without Josh Hearlihy and Nate Rohrer and they were still very deep and able to use several different effective combinations. Kurt Steidl really struggled to get into rhythm but that is no cause for concern as he has proven that he bounces back. The only player who had some concerning minutes was Darren Payen who looked all out of sorts on both ends of the floor. He is definitely one of the players most in danger of losing minutes. The Hearlihy situation concerns me a little and I hope it is nothing serious because it is in games against teams like Providence on Monday where they could really use his versatility. Vermont has the capability to pull off a few upsets in the non-conference schedule because of their ability to score the ball. What a great way to open the season and get the ball rolling. Now on to Providence Monday night for what will be a great test.
P.S. It looks like they will after all redshirt Ben Shungu as planned because I did not see him on the bench (redshirts don't travel with the team). It is great that it worked out that way because he could benefit from a redshirt year.
Now that is a season opener.
Vermont dominated an overmatched Quinnipiac squad from start to finish and picked up their first win of the season. Quinnipiac was very weak and is going to struggle this season but the Cats first game against a Division I opponent could not have gone better. The script remained the same from the exhibition games. Anthony Lamb and Payton Henson are going to have a tremendous impact for Vermont. Lamb again looked like Vermont's best player. Finishing in traffic, hitting perimeter jumpers, knocking down free throws, and going all out on every play. Lamb led the Cats with an efficient 23 points and 9 rebounds in only 24 minutes. The eye test is even better as he made several beautiful plays that don't show up in the box score including a sequence where he stole an inbound pass and immediately threw a home run pass to Henson for a dunk. He is a very special player. Henson was just as impressive in his Catamount debut. Transfers ability to impact the game right away is notoriously difficult to predict but this time it is clear right away that Henson is going to be very good for Vermont. Henson contributed 19 points and 7 rebounds in 26 minutes. Henson too showcased his ability to score inside and out and run the floor to get easy buckets in transition. Adding two polished scorers to an already potent offense is very exciting. Vermont can spread the floor and attack the rim from almost any position when Henson and Lamb are on the floor together. Trae Bell-Haynes looked great dishing out 8 assists to go along with 16 points. Ernie Duncan added 13 points and looked much quicker going to the hoop. Dre Wills did some very nice Dre Wills things including a stretch in the second half where he had a steal on three consecutive possessions. Vermont was without Josh Hearlihy and Nate Rohrer and they were still very deep and able to use several different effective combinations. Kurt Steidl really struggled to get into rhythm but that is no cause for concern as he has proven that he bounces back. The only player who had some concerning minutes was Darren Payen who looked all out of sorts on both ends of the floor. He is definitely one of the players most in danger of losing minutes. The Hearlihy situation concerns me a little and I hope it is nothing serious because it is in games against teams like Providence on Monday where they could really use his versatility. Vermont has the capability to pull off a few upsets in the non-conference schedule because of their ability to score the ball. What a great way to open the season and get the ball rolling. Now on to Providence Monday night for what will be a great test.
P.S. It looks like they will after all redshirt Ben Shungu as planned because I did not see him on the bench (redshirts don't travel with the team). It is great that it worked out that way because he could benefit from a redshirt year.
Vermont Season Preview 2016-2017
The expectations are high for another season in Catamount country. The excitement has been building and today it is time for the hype to begin its journey into reality.
Record: 22-9 (13-3) 1 seed, win in the championship against Albany.
Starting five: Trae Bell-Haynes
Ernie Duncan
Kurt Steidl
Anthony Lamb (he may not start right away, but will be before long)
Payton Henson
Team Leaders:
Scoring: Everyone......but seriously Vermont is going to have as many as 5 players averaging between 10-12 points.
Rebounds: Lamb. He has that Voelkel-like ability to go get the ball no matter where it is.
Assists: Duncan. I think the great passing that he showed very briefly during his redshirt year comes back.
This is the year the Cats transition from plucky young underdogs to experienced favorite. The biggest key to their success will be if they are mentally able to make that shift. The talent is there. This team will be very efficient offensively and is going to be able to run away from some teams by purely outscoring them. The defense should be slightly better, although the rule changes are going to make that process difficult. There are going to be a large number of fouls called, especially in the early part of the season as the NCAA continues the freedom of movement point of emphasis. Get ready for some ugly non-conference games. It is getting harder and harder to play tough, on the ball man to man defense in college basketball. As a result the definition of what a good defense is looks like it is changing. Much like last year, the newcomers are going to have lapses on defense early on as they get used to the system. Coach Becker admitted his "teach offensive players defense" has been more difficult than he anticipated and it will be interesting to see if he has more success with that idea this year. This is the type of team that could steal a few surprise wins in the non-conference if they are able to get the chemistry going much earlier in the season than the last few years.
Keys to Success
Managing minutes: Having too many good players is a nice problem to have but can also be a very tricky one. It seems like the players have bought into the "winning is everything" mentality. This should help limit some of the disappointment with minute fluctuation. This team also has strong leadership and a great trio of captains to remind everyone of the ultimate goal. Another difficulty with a deep team is making sure the right player is playing at the right time. Balancing when to pull a struggling player or who to put in to take advantage of a match-up can be tricky. When a team has a small rotation, the players out there are the players you got and you ride them for better or worse. This year the lineups could be vastly different game to game. This can be both a blessing and a curse as that leaves more in game decisions for the coaching staff and more in game uncertainty for the players.
Rebounding/post defense: I am going to put these two categories together as they are very closely related. On paper Vermont will be an improved rebounding team. With Albany and New Hampshire shaping up to be the biggest threats in the America East, rebounding will be at the heart of conference success. Both Albany and New Hampshire are still going to be very good rebounding teams and Vermont will hopefully be able to close the gap. The biggest loss the Cats will experience from Ethan O'Day's graduation will be his shot blocking. He was an exceptional shot blocker and bailed Vermont out often with his individual efforts. Without a great shot blocker to protect the rim, Vermont is going have to play better help side defense and not get caught up in the air trying for the big shot block. Having a great shot blocker is not a necessity to have good interior defense. Teams just have to be more diligent in their execution of the defensive scheme.
Mental toughness: Playing conference games as the favorite means everyone gives you their best shot. Teams circle you on the calendar and they all want to the the one to knock you down. To play at a high level, Vermont is going have to be mentally tougher than every other team in the conference. This group has demonstrated the ability to overcome a tremendous amount of adversity and stay together during their few years together. Vermont now is tasked with proving that they can win in the tournament. It is easy to rationalize tough playoff losses when they come after a season in which a team has overachieved. Vermont has had the luxury of being in that situation the past two years. The fact is Vermont has struggled in the playoffs for several years and the last two years they have blown significant leads in the process. The regular season success has been fun but it is time to win the title. This is the year where the team has to make a statement that they can win in the tournament. Anything short of a championship will be a colossal disappointment and the question will start to become: will they ever win in the tournament?
Beating Albany: Here is the big one. I am sure the fans know how that Albany has been a thorn in the Cats side for quite sometime, but when you look at the numbers it is startling. Vermont has lost 5 straight games overall to Albany putting their last win on 2/1/2014. That is almost three years. Ouch. When you dig deeper and look at just games in the conference tournament the dominance is overwhelming. Vermont's career record against Albany in the tournament is 1-5. They have lost 5 straight tournament games to Albany and that puts their one and only win on 3/9/2003. 2003!! That is quite a stretch of dominance for the Great Danes. Albany is going to be very good again this year and Vermont has to find a way to break through. There is no path to the championship without beating Albany.
If Vermont can remain mentally tough and focused on the ultimate goal, they will have a great season that should result in a championship. They have a very exciting group of players and will play an exciting brand of basketball. Being a fan this year will be a high excitement/high anxiety kind of year. Whenever "your" team is the favorite it makes every single game seem that much more important as the push the tournament marches on. I really like this team this year and believe in their ability to succeed. Unfortunately there is only one result that will feel satisfying. This year there is no consolation prize. It is time to break through.
Record: 22-9 (13-3) 1 seed, win in the championship against Albany.
Starting five: Trae Bell-Haynes
Ernie Duncan
Kurt Steidl
Anthony Lamb (he may not start right away, but will be before long)
Payton Henson
Team Leaders:
Scoring: Everyone......but seriously Vermont is going to have as many as 5 players averaging between 10-12 points.
Rebounds: Lamb. He has that Voelkel-like ability to go get the ball no matter where it is.
Assists: Duncan. I think the great passing that he showed very briefly during his redshirt year comes back.
This is the year the Cats transition from plucky young underdogs to experienced favorite. The biggest key to their success will be if they are mentally able to make that shift. The talent is there. This team will be very efficient offensively and is going to be able to run away from some teams by purely outscoring them. The defense should be slightly better, although the rule changes are going to make that process difficult. There are going to be a large number of fouls called, especially in the early part of the season as the NCAA continues the freedom of movement point of emphasis. Get ready for some ugly non-conference games. It is getting harder and harder to play tough, on the ball man to man defense in college basketball. As a result the definition of what a good defense is looks like it is changing. Much like last year, the newcomers are going to have lapses on defense early on as they get used to the system. Coach Becker admitted his "teach offensive players defense" has been more difficult than he anticipated and it will be interesting to see if he has more success with that idea this year. This is the type of team that could steal a few surprise wins in the non-conference if they are able to get the chemistry going much earlier in the season than the last few years.
Keys to Success
Managing minutes: Having too many good players is a nice problem to have but can also be a very tricky one. It seems like the players have bought into the "winning is everything" mentality. This should help limit some of the disappointment with minute fluctuation. This team also has strong leadership and a great trio of captains to remind everyone of the ultimate goal. Another difficulty with a deep team is making sure the right player is playing at the right time. Balancing when to pull a struggling player or who to put in to take advantage of a match-up can be tricky. When a team has a small rotation, the players out there are the players you got and you ride them for better or worse. This year the lineups could be vastly different game to game. This can be both a blessing and a curse as that leaves more in game decisions for the coaching staff and more in game uncertainty for the players.
Rebounding/post defense: I am going to put these two categories together as they are very closely related. On paper Vermont will be an improved rebounding team. With Albany and New Hampshire shaping up to be the biggest threats in the America East, rebounding will be at the heart of conference success. Both Albany and New Hampshire are still going to be very good rebounding teams and Vermont will hopefully be able to close the gap. The biggest loss the Cats will experience from Ethan O'Day's graduation will be his shot blocking. He was an exceptional shot blocker and bailed Vermont out often with his individual efforts. Without a great shot blocker to protect the rim, Vermont is going have to play better help side defense and not get caught up in the air trying for the big shot block. Having a great shot blocker is not a necessity to have good interior defense. Teams just have to be more diligent in their execution of the defensive scheme.
Mental toughness: Playing conference games as the favorite means everyone gives you their best shot. Teams circle you on the calendar and they all want to the the one to knock you down. To play at a high level, Vermont is going have to be mentally tougher than every other team in the conference. This group has demonstrated the ability to overcome a tremendous amount of adversity and stay together during their few years together. Vermont now is tasked with proving that they can win in the tournament. It is easy to rationalize tough playoff losses when they come after a season in which a team has overachieved. Vermont has had the luxury of being in that situation the past two years. The fact is Vermont has struggled in the playoffs for several years and the last two years they have blown significant leads in the process. The regular season success has been fun but it is time to win the title. This is the year where the team has to make a statement that they can win in the tournament. Anything short of a championship will be a colossal disappointment and the question will start to become: will they ever win in the tournament?
Beating Albany: Here is the big one. I am sure the fans know how that Albany has been a thorn in the Cats side for quite sometime, but when you look at the numbers it is startling. Vermont has lost 5 straight games overall to Albany putting their last win on 2/1/2014. That is almost three years. Ouch. When you dig deeper and look at just games in the conference tournament the dominance is overwhelming. Vermont's career record against Albany in the tournament is 1-5. They have lost 5 straight tournament games to Albany and that puts their one and only win on 3/9/2003. 2003!! That is quite a stretch of dominance for the Great Danes. Albany is going to be very good again this year and Vermont has to find a way to break through. There is no path to the championship without beating Albany.
If Vermont can remain mentally tough and focused on the ultimate goal, they will have a great season that should result in a championship. They have a very exciting group of players and will play an exciting brand of basketball. Being a fan this year will be a high excitement/high anxiety kind of year. Whenever "your" team is the favorite it makes every single game seem that much more important as the push the tournament marches on. I really like this team this year and believe in their ability to succeed. Unfortunately there is only one result that will feel satisfying. This year there is no consolation prize. It is time to break through.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Exhibition: St. Michael's at Vermont
Vermont 94 St. Michael's 65
Vermont had their full squad and came out firing in their final exhibition game. It was great to see Ernie Duncan back on the court and he showed no ill effects from his sprained thumb leading the Catamounts with 21 points including 5-9 shooting from three. He looked like the Duncan from down the stretch last year and completely changes the dynamics of the Cats offense. His ability to rise up and shoot no matter the situation is crucial when Vermont is really looking for a bucket. Its has been since Sorrentine that Vermont has had a player that has the ability to be effective taking ten three pointers in a game. If he can remain healthy he is going to have a great season. It was also good to see Ward back on the court, but he looked a little more affected by his injury battle. Ward looked tired and not quite up to speed, the result of missing practice time. Hopefully this game is a step in the right direction towards full recovery. It is again time to gush about Anthony Lamb. That kid is on another level. He is all out on every play and goes after the ball relentlessly. He can affect the game in so many ways and did so again tonight with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks. I am sure there will be some growing pains but he has already looked like the best player on Vermont through the exhibition games. There are still many things the Cats need to work in in practice this week as the defense is not quite where it needs to be. The newcomers are still in the process of picking up the rotation as several players founds themselves lost on defense. After the two exhibition games there is no question that Vermont is the most talented team top to bottom in the America East. The question becomes: are they mentally tough enough to make a push for the championship? On a team this talented the only thing that will hold them back is their ability to remain focused on the goals of the team. Coach Becker has talked at length about this team only being concerned about one thing and that is winning. It is easy to talk like that when as of right now no one has lost any minutes. As the season goes on and players start to struggle, that is when winning needs to be the most important thing. The coaching staff is going to have a significant challenge in finding minutes for everyone and someone is going to have less minutes than they want. There are a lot of players deserving of minutes and only so many to go around. I think this team has committed to a goal and I hope that they can hold on to that when inevitably they face adversity. I can't wait for the opener next Saturday and to get this season rolling. I will post a Vermont season preview sometime this week. Time for the real thing.
Vermont had their full squad and came out firing in their final exhibition game. It was great to see Ernie Duncan back on the court and he showed no ill effects from his sprained thumb leading the Catamounts with 21 points including 5-9 shooting from three. He looked like the Duncan from down the stretch last year and completely changes the dynamics of the Cats offense. His ability to rise up and shoot no matter the situation is crucial when Vermont is really looking for a bucket. Its has been since Sorrentine that Vermont has had a player that has the ability to be effective taking ten three pointers in a game. If he can remain healthy he is going to have a great season. It was also good to see Ward back on the court, but he looked a little more affected by his injury battle. Ward looked tired and not quite up to speed, the result of missing practice time. Hopefully this game is a step in the right direction towards full recovery. It is again time to gush about Anthony Lamb. That kid is on another level. He is all out on every play and goes after the ball relentlessly. He can affect the game in so many ways and did so again tonight with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks. I am sure there will be some growing pains but he has already looked like the best player on Vermont through the exhibition games. There are still many things the Cats need to work in in practice this week as the defense is not quite where it needs to be. The newcomers are still in the process of picking up the rotation as several players founds themselves lost on defense. After the two exhibition games there is no question that Vermont is the most talented team top to bottom in the America East. The question becomes: are they mentally tough enough to make a push for the championship? On a team this talented the only thing that will hold them back is their ability to remain focused on the goals of the team. Coach Becker has talked at length about this team only being concerned about one thing and that is winning. It is easy to talk like that when as of right now no one has lost any minutes. As the season goes on and players start to struggle, that is when winning needs to be the most important thing. The coaching staff is going to have a significant challenge in finding minutes for everyone and someone is going to have less minutes than they want. There are a lot of players deserving of minutes and only so many to go around. I think this team has committed to a goal and I hope that they can hold on to that when inevitably they face adversity. I can't wait for the opener next Saturday and to get this season rolling. I will post a Vermont season preview sometime this week. Time for the real thing.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Vermont receives its first 2017 commitment
Just a few hours ago Bailey Patella from Vermont Academy became the first player to commit to the Catamounts 2017 recruiting class. Patella is a 6-5 SF from Lenox, MA who was on campus this past weekend for an official visit. He has attended games before and is very familiar with the Vermont program. This is a great get for Vermont. Patella plays a high level of basketball at Vermont Academy and with his BABC team in the summer. Each of those teams is loaded with high level D1 talent and he is an integral part of each team. He has great athleticism and can really shoot it from deep. He is exactly the type of player Vermont needed to get for the 2017 class. With Kurt Steidl leaving there will be significant minutes available a the SF position. It is one of the few positions that will have available minutes in the 2017-2018 season. With depth at so many other positions it was important to find a versatile wing player. Patella brings exactly that skill set. He is the type of player that fits and finds success in Vermont's system. The coaching staff continues to find good shooters who have the potential to play tough defense and the athleticism to get out and run. He is a very exciting addition to the Catamounts and I think he will be a fun player to watch. Now that the first recruiting domino has fallen, it will be interesting to see if another commitment follows shortly. The signing period begins in one week and I think it is likely that the recruiting class will take shape at that point. The excitement continues to build for the Vermont program for this season and beyond.
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