Season Wrap, A look to the future, and Becker is special

After taking time for reflection, I still can't say enough good things about this past season. All of the records and winning games still feels incredible but the thing that I can get over is the mentality of the players in this program. The coaching staff is getting high level, high character players to buy into the system and believe that they can achieve their goals no matter how lofty. Under the pressure of being the overwhelming preseason favorite, the pressure of past failures, and the pressure of a long winning streak the Catamounts never wavered. Being mentally tough is one of the most difficult things about playing a sport. It is hard to know how players are going to react when confronted with pressure packed situations and it is difficult to build mental toughness. It is easy to teach someone a skill, put on muscle, or understand a play. It is very tough to teach someone how to be mentally tough. The fact that the Vermont coaching staff has been able to find players on the recruiting trail and identify their makeup beyond the game of basketball is tremendous. The way the Catamounts played this season may never be repeated. This was a once in a generation team and a once in a generation season. Definitely one for the history books and one that I will revisit as a fan quite often.

It is hard to single out players on this team because it truly was a team effort and this team in particular cared nothing for individual accomplishments and accolades. However, there are individual pieces that stand out from this season. First and foremost, watching Trae Bell-Haynes emerge as the leader of this team was spectacular. He has an incredible calm about him and brings this team with him wherever he goes on the court. I think that is reflected in his recognition as the player of the year. His basketball talent is clear but there were other players in the league who had great seasons. I think what put him over the top is the way he carries himself on the basketball court and how he is able to lead his team. The emergence and growth of Anthony Lamb this season was something I have never seen before. There have been many players that have made huge jumps from one year to the next. They get into the gym in the offseason and improve the holes in their game. I have rarely if ever seen a player make that jump so rapidly in the middle of a season. There was a stretch from December to January where Lamb could barely stay on the court due to foul trouble and getting lost on defense. He looked lost on the court and it looked like the freshman wall had been hit. He worked hard and by the end of the season was the driving force behind the Catamounts. It was even his defense that was coming up big for Vermont down the stretch. He is a future star and a player of the year in waiting. Anyone who watched that Purdue game, Vermont fan or not, could tell that he was another level player who is ready to push the Vermont program forward. Dre Wills, Darren Payen, and Kurt Steidl will be greatly missed. Payen found his niche and became an incredibly effective player who at various points during his two year career saved Vermont when they needed someone to step up. Wills provided the grit, determination, and attitude that is necessary when a team needs someone down in the trenches. He is the best on ball defender I have ever had the chance to watch at Vermont and his ability to finish in the lane will be missed. I can not put into words how incredible Steidl has been for the Vermont program. He played with determination and poise. From day one he was ready to do whatever his team needed him to do to win. If Vermont needed some threes, Steidl was there. Tough rebounds? check. Shutdown defense? check. Leadership? Integrity? check and check. He was everything you want in a college athlete. Replacing all of the things he did for this team will be the coaching staff's toughest task next season. He will be missed and I wish him the best of luck on his recovery. I have a soft spot for Wills and Steidl as well because they were freshman the first season I started writing this blog. Sometimes with this program it is hard to reflect on how great the season was because it is so easy to get excited about the next season. This team is once again going to be fun to watch. There will be a learning curve as they will be incorporating a lot of new faces. Even though the Cats are only losing three players, they are adding six new players with the possibility of a seventh. Three redshirts, two recruits, and a transfer will be added to the mix next season. It will be exciting how all of the new pieces fit into and complement the returning players. 

My final thoughts for this post are about Becker's final press conference today. If anyone after watching that press conference doesn't believe that John Becker is one of the best coaches in America, they need to get their head checked. That press conference was a tremendous example of why this program has reached the level it is at. Becker has a uncompromising drive to reach his goals and expects the same out of those around him. He loves the Vermont program and wants to be the guy that turns Vermont into a perennial mid-major power. I believe he has the chance to do that. He has already built a special program without the resources that many other school have. The pitch is to come to Vermont to win and be part of the family atmosphere. That is great and has worked thus far but as he said it can only work for so long. I am glad Becker stood up, spoke out, and basically demanded a new arena. This Vermont program has to upgrade their facilities or the momentum they have created will run out. UVM and the community at large has at times take the success of the men's basketball program for granted and doesn't quite seem to realize how hard it is to win consistently at the mid-major level. This Vermont program has an incredible coach who wants to stay at Vermont and move this program as far as it can go. That is a rare and special thing at this level of college basketball. The next step is a new arena and it needs to happen now. If the money isn't in hand and the construction doesn't begin, Becker is going to be far more likely to leave. His love for this program and his family's love for this area can only go so far. He needs to feel support for his vision. I hope that this season showed people in this community that Vermont has a real opportunity to be a nationally relevant basketball program. I will echo Becker's sentiment that the time is now to take the next step and give this incredible basketball program the arena it deserves.