Vermont 102 St. Michael's 53
Time for the real thing.
Vermont overwhelmed St. Michael's to finish out the exhibition portion of their schedule with another win. With Trae Bell-Haynes and Ernie Duncan sitting, the young guys got a chance to showcase what they can bring to the table. Coach Becker said that the two starters were being held out as a precaution and that they would both be ready to go. I am glad to hear that they are both okay. Even thought there was a clear disparity between the two teams this game was a great opportunity for the guys fighting for roles to have an opportunity to play through mistakes and build some confidence. Drew Urquhart made a few nice plays and it will be crucial for him to have some positive energy as he is going to be a key player for this team. Samuel Dingba has a ways to go before he is ready to contribute after his year off and Urquhart has to be the one to provide depth in the frontcourt. Sticking in the frontcourt, Ra Kpedi still would benefit from a redshirt year and maybe I am still higher on him than most, but he is going to be a good player for Vermont. With the way his minutes went in the preseason I have a feeling that the coaching staff wants to redshirt him this season. If he gets stronger and is able to learn the system, I think he makes a big impact down the road. In the battle for minutes in the backcourt, Ben Shungu made some strides. He is a very strong finisher around the rim and his outside jumper has improved since last year. I like his physicality and he is player who could have a role on this years team. Stef Smith made some more great plays but showed a little bit of inexperience in this game. His shot selection was not great and he played too fast, resulting in too many turnovers. He has a very strong ability to score the ball but needs to work on his passing and feel for the offense. In the battle for minutes at the small forward position vacated by Kurt Steidl, there are still a lot of questions. Everett Duncan and Skyler Nash have been the early favorites but both of them are having a tough time of the defensive side of the ball. Duncan again impressed with his rebounding ability grabbing 6 boards in 16 minutes. He will get the first crack at minutes but he has far to go to get up to speed defensively. Nash looked more comfortable and got a few shots to fall and that will help him build confidence. Bailey Patella had some nice moments and he has a lot of potential as he gets stronger. There are going to be some intense playing time battles all year in practice and it will be interesting to see as the season progresses how the minutes play out. The progression during the non-conference schedule will be a great story line as there are a lot of minutes available for the second unit and there are still a lot of roles up in the air after the exhibition schedule. Next Sunday is going to a daunting task but I think it is a great way to start the season. My Vermont season preview will be out sometime before the game on Sunday.
P.S.
I feel the need to address the comments from the crowd while the players from St. Michael's were kneeling during the anthem. It was embarrassing as a Vermonter to hear some of the comments that were directed at the protesters. If respect for America is what you are after than respect for your fellow American has to be there first. That is what this protest is all about. Equality and fair treatment for everyone. I hope we as Vermonters can show that we are forward thinking, fairminded, supportive, and thoughtful human beings as I am very sure we will continue to see these protests throughout the season.
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