Hurricane benefit

Vermont 87 BU 76

Basketball is back and balance is restored to my life.

Vermont opened its season for a good cause in a exhibition against old rival Boston University. The Cats woke up in the second half and seized control of the game, cruising to a sizable victory. It was a great opportunity to see Vermont get a game against division one competition to begin their season. It feels like a more accurate assessment of where they are at. There is a lot to sort through so lets get to it. The returning core looked ready and ahead of the curve. Anthony Lamb looked his dominant self out-muscling and outworking his opponents for rebounds and finishing through contact at the rim. With increased confidence and a year of college basketball under his belt, he is going to have a big year. His froncourt counterpart Payton Henson also looked strong with some creative finishes at the rim. He was a little overshadowed by Lamb's breakout last year but he is every bit a special and versatile player who creates matchup problems. Trae Bell-Haynes looked good as always even though he was battling through some foul trouble. I thought Ernie Duncan looked like the most improved player of the group. He drove to the rim with more determination and grit than I have seen him through his first two years. If he continues to develop that part of his game it makes him that much more dangerous. He only needs to drive the ball like that a few times a games to keep the defense honest. He knocked down 4 out of 5 threes and looked quicker and more decisive with the ball. With so many strong returnees it is weird to think they are also trying to incorporate seven new players into the rotation. The new guys were about where you would expect at this stage of the season. A step slow on the defensive rotations. A bit unsure on offense. This is to be expected as they foray into the college game for the first time. Stef Smith was the standout from the group as he put up 15 points and had 3 steals in 14 minutes. He was strong with the ball and attacked the rim with force (including a sweet fast break dunk). Smith looks ready to contribute this year. Everett Duncan hit the first shot of the season and played the most minutes of the new guys. He got stronger during his redshirt year and continues to impress me with his underrated rebounding ability. He looks to be the guy who is going to get the first crack at minutes and his playing time is going to hinge on his ability to play defense. Skyler Nash looked timid but solid in his minutes. The coaching staff clearly wants Samuel Dingba to be a part of their post rotation. He has the length but he is very raw and foul prone. The staff is going to have to deploy him in short spurts like they did with Darren Payen last year in order to maximize his efficiency. Ben Shungu, Bailey Patella, and Ra Kpedi didn't play quite enough to get an impression of what their roles might be. Overall Vermont looked very strong. The offense is going to be there this year and I think they are going to have close to 5 guys averaging double figures. The offensive efficiency and versatility is on track. The defense takes time and the defensive system is difficult to learn. The young guys have their work cut out for them in that department. With the loss of Kurt Steidl and Dre Wills I do think the defense, especially early in the season, will take a slight step back. Without the strong and experienced individual defenders Vermont is going to have to rely on each other more and function as a defensive unit. The returning core group hasn't skipped a beat and will be leaned on heavily to start the season. The depth may be an issue early on but the talent is there and come conference time the young guys will have carved out their roles. I already cant wait to be back at Patrick on Sunday.