Vermont 90 Maine-Fort Kent 54
The starters got some much needed rest and the bench got a chance to show their stuff in Vermont's win over Maine-Fort Kent. The sub division one game on the schedule is always a tough one to gauge. The challenges of getting home games means that this game is going to continue to be part of the schedule. Some years they are tough to watch, and some years they serve a good purpose. This year was the latter as the Cats were coming off a tough weekend tournament and are about to embark on a 5 game road trip. This Vermont team also needs time to develop a bench and what better way to get the bench some playing time than in a game that is clearly in hand. The bench development is very much a work in progress and this game cemented that the starters are going to be playing big minutes this year. As long as guys stay healthy that is not necessarily a negative as having the best players on the court as much as possible is a good thing. It is just a big shift from how Vermont teams have been typically constructed over the past few years. This game was much like an audition for minutes and I though Ben Shungu looked really good in his first real game action. He is strong and a good finisher around the rim. He used his year off to work on his shot and it does look much improved. The battle between him and Stef Smith for minutes is going to be a interesting thing to follow as the season wears on. They each bring a different skill set and both have the ability to contribute. Samuel Dingba got his first game action as a Catamount and worked off some of his rust. On the one hand he has a ridiculous wingspan which makes him both a threat on the glass and as a shot blocker. On the other hand he is wild and struggles to gather the ball. He has the chance to work his way into minutes as a defensive specialist due to the lack of frontcourt depth. Dingba has a long way to go before he gets there as he tries to get up to speed after the year off. Cam Ward as of right now looks like the odd man out. He struggled to contribute last season and so far it has carried over to this season. He is struggling to make shots and is not playing with confidence. He has shown in the past he can be a big time contributor and I hope before the end of the season he finds his way again. Now the Cats gets to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving before heading off on a grueling five game road trip. None of the games are going to be a cakewalk and Bucknell/Marquette is a particularly difficult two game stretch. This makes the Yale game to kick it off very important. Yale has lost two major contributors to injuries but is still a very talented team. Road games are tough to win no matter what and Vermont is going to have to find a way to get off to better starts than they have thus far this season. Falling behind on the road can be a particularly difficult thing to overcome. As far as the chance for big wins and having a good non conference record goes, this is the stretch. Each of these games is a real test and this is their best opportunity for some strong wins. They have been close to getting that signature non conference win over the past few seasons and this is the opportunity to get over the hump. On this holiday I am thankful that there are people out there who actually enjoy reading this rambling blog. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
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