Vermont 80 Concordia 43
The season is off and running with Vermont putting Concordia away with a strong second half in exhibition number one. The first half was pretty slow as everyone shook off rust and overcame first game jitters. The number one takeaway from this game was that Robin Duncan is a next level player. He played a team high 30 minutes and had the poise of a seasoned veteran. His is the best passer on the team by a wide margin and has an strong ability to get to the rim. It is going to be hard to keep him off the floor. He gives Vermont the dynamic pass first play maker they have been looking for. There is a very good chance that all three Duncan brothers will be in the starting lineup. This is not a knock against Stef Smith who also looked good, but Duncan's ability to initiate the offense is too good to keep off the floor. He uses his body to shield the defender very well and because his is so tall at the point guard spot, he can see the whole floor. He has looked better and better every time I have watched him. Isaiah Moll led the Cats with 19 pts and 7 rbs. His quickness allows him to get a shot whenever he wants and is going to provide instant offense for the Cats. He showcased his entire arsenal scoring at all three levels. He plays a little fast and is sometimes going to force shots up, but he is going to have some monster games for the Cats this season. Ra Kpedi got the start and played well finishing 6-6 from the field on his way to 14 points. He looks much improved and is going to give the Cats good minutes this season. I was surprised to see Vermont struggle so much from the outside and they were atrocious from the free throw line but I will chalk that up to early season jitters. Learning to play together is going to be the biggest storyline early in the season. Last years team was a well oiled machine and as a result they were steady as a rock. This year team is going to be a little more unpredictable as each player figures out their role. The bigger news today was that the new arena is getting closer to being a reality. The Board of Trustees approved the project and as long as the money keeps rolling in, construction will begin this winter. That would put the Cats in the new arena for the 2020-2021 season. Just incredible news and will help keep this Vermont basketball program moving forward. It has been a long and arduous process to get to this point and it feels good that it is actually going to happen. Vermont also hosted Eric Beckett, a 6-5 2019 guard from the Tilton school via Canada for an official visit this weekend. He attended the game tonight so maybe he will kick off the 2019 class in the coming weeks. Every time I see this team play I get more excited for the season to start.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Sunday, October 21, 2018
The Preview before the Preview
Hello all!
Basketball is back and the Catamounts season is fast approaching. With Vermont having a scrimmage each of the past two weekends it was a great opportunity to get a sneak peak of what the team will look like this season. My first impression is that there is an incredible depth of talent on this team. Despite the losses of some major contributors, Vermont brings back some important pieces from last years team and adds a freshman class that is as instantly impactful as any Vermont has ever had. Lets start with the new guys. I have made it clear in a few other posts that I believe all three of the freshman could develop into all league caliber players. The more I see them play, better I feel about my prediction. All three of the freshman have a chance to make a significant impact on this years team. Robin Duncan is the very definition of a point guard. Head is always up, sees the whole court, and puts his teammates in a position to score. With Stef Smith dealing with a nagging injury, Duncan has stepped up and carved out a role on this years team. He is very long for a point guard at 6-5 and uses it to his advantage on both defense and offense. He uses his length to finish creatively around the rim and thread passes to teammates in tight windows. On the defensive side of the ball he gets into passing lanes and knows where to be. His stroke from three has looked very good so far as well and he is very much looking like the total package. There will be plenty of minutes this season where all three Duncan brothers are on the court at the same time. Isaiah Moll, a 6-7 freshman from Albany continues to impress with his quickness and a diverse offensive game. He is going to be able to score in bunches as he is explosive off the dribble. If there is a lane to the rim Moll can hit it like a running back and finish with authority. He is able to get himself open anytime and will be strong player to go to if the offense is sputtering. He is going to have some explosive scoring games this season. Ryan Davis is the other freshman who is going to be counted on for big minutes. The 6-8 250lb freshman from Illinois has a chance to start from day one. He is a true big man who has a soft touch underneath. Davis has great hands that allow him to catch tough passes and finish through contact. Add in the fact that he can shoot the three and he is also going to have some big games this season. He is probably going to take some lumps in the early part of the season as he adjusts to the college game. Once conference play rolls around he has the chance to be a dominant force on the inside. One of the biggest results of Moll and Davis being so ready to contribute is it will be much harder to double team Anthony Lamb. With other big men capable of scoring on the inside teams are going have to scheme very hard to stop the Cats inside game. Especially because this Vermont team is absolutely loaded with three point shooters. The Cats are really going to be able to attack teams from inside and out this season. They are going to continue to be a very efficient offensive team who shoots a high percentage and takes care of the ball. As far as the returnees who impressed. Lamb looks ready to explode and provided good health that is exactly what he is going to do. He is ready to be a leader on this team and be the go to scorer. The same can be said for Ernie Duncan. Ernie has looked very aggressive on offense, driving to the rim and looking to score on every possession. He has a more diverse offensive repertoire that people think and now that he is going to be asked to initiate the offense more often, I think he will be looking to score in a variety of ways. Everett Duncan is going to take another big leap this season as he too is looking to score more. He has taken over the role of the player that is diving to the rim off the the ball. He is still lights out from three and is one of the more vocal players out on the court. When Stef Smith has been on the court he has looked great. Smooth offensively and also a great shooter from three. The nagging injury is definitely a concern so it will interesting to see if he can get healthy. Ra Kpedi, Bailey Patella, and Ben Shungu are all capable of making an impact in whatever minutes they will contribute this season. Skyler Nash is working his way back into the rotation and his shot looks ready to go. Like all the the young guys he is still getting comfortable with the defense but it is great to see him back on the court. I don't really know where Samuel Dingba fits into the rotation. He makes some good plays on defense but struggles to stay out of foul trouble and is not as impactful on the offensive end. All of this adds up to a team that is ready to compete for a conference title. The bottom half of the America East is going to be pretty weak this season and the middle tier has a lot of question marks to work out. Hartford looks very strong and they are going to give Vermont a challenger for the title. I am going to write my America East and Vermont previews closer to when the actual season begins. My closing thoughts are that this team may not be as consistently good as the teams of the past few season because of their youth. However, due to their length, athleticism, and shooting ability they might have an even higher ceiling. This is the type of team that could lose some clunkers, but when they put it all together they have the ability pull off some big wins. That is all for now! I cant wait for the first exhibition next weekend.
Basketball is back and the Catamounts season is fast approaching. With Vermont having a scrimmage each of the past two weekends it was a great opportunity to get a sneak peak of what the team will look like this season. My first impression is that there is an incredible depth of talent on this team. Despite the losses of some major contributors, Vermont brings back some important pieces from last years team and adds a freshman class that is as instantly impactful as any Vermont has ever had. Lets start with the new guys. I have made it clear in a few other posts that I believe all three of the freshman could develop into all league caliber players. The more I see them play, better I feel about my prediction. All three of the freshman have a chance to make a significant impact on this years team. Robin Duncan is the very definition of a point guard. Head is always up, sees the whole court, and puts his teammates in a position to score. With Stef Smith dealing with a nagging injury, Duncan has stepped up and carved out a role on this years team. He is very long for a point guard at 6-5 and uses it to his advantage on both defense and offense. He uses his length to finish creatively around the rim and thread passes to teammates in tight windows. On the defensive side of the ball he gets into passing lanes and knows where to be. His stroke from three has looked very good so far as well and he is very much looking like the total package. There will be plenty of minutes this season where all three Duncan brothers are on the court at the same time. Isaiah Moll, a 6-7 freshman from Albany continues to impress with his quickness and a diverse offensive game. He is going to be able to score in bunches as he is explosive off the dribble. If there is a lane to the rim Moll can hit it like a running back and finish with authority. He is able to get himself open anytime and will be strong player to go to if the offense is sputtering. He is going to have some explosive scoring games this season. Ryan Davis is the other freshman who is going to be counted on for big minutes. The 6-8 250lb freshman from Illinois has a chance to start from day one. He is a true big man who has a soft touch underneath. Davis has great hands that allow him to catch tough passes and finish through contact. Add in the fact that he can shoot the three and he is also going to have some big games this season. He is probably going to take some lumps in the early part of the season as he adjusts to the college game. Once conference play rolls around he has the chance to be a dominant force on the inside. One of the biggest results of Moll and Davis being so ready to contribute is it will be much harder to double team Anthony Lamb. With other big men capable of scoring on the inside teams are going have to scheme very hard to stop the Cats inside game. Especially because this Vermont team is absolutely loaded with three point shooters. The Cats are really going to be able to attack teams from inside and out this season. They are going to continue to be a very efficient offensive team who shoots a high percentage and takes care of the ball. As far as the returnees who impressed. Lamb looks ready to explode and provided good health that is exactly what he is going to do. He is ready to be a leader on this team and be the go to scorer. The same can be said for Ernie Duncan. Ernie has looked very aggressive on offense, driving to the rim and looking to score on every possession. He has a more diverse offensive repertoire that people think and now that he is going to be asked to initiate the offense more often, I think he will be looking to score in a variety of ways. Everett Duncan is going to take another big leap this season as he too is looking to score more. He has taken over the role of the player that is diving to the rim off the the ball. He is still lights out from three and is one of the more vocal players out on the court. When Stef Smith has been on the court he has looked great. Smooth offensively and also a great shooter from three. The nagging injury is definitely a concern so it will interesting to see if he can get healthy. Ra Kpedi, Bailey Patella, and Ben Shungu are all capable of making an impact in whatever minutes they will contribute this season. Skyler Nash is working his way back into the rotation and his shot looks ready to go. Like all the the young guys he is still getting comfortable with the defense but it is great to see him back on the court. I don't really know where Samuel Dingba fits into the rotation. He makes some good plays on defense but struggles to stay out of foul trouble and is not as impactful on the offensive end. All of this adds up to a team that is ready to compete for a conference title. The bottom half of the America East is going to be pretty weak this season and the middle tier has a lot of question marks to work out. Hartford looks very strong and they are going to give Vermont a challenger for the title. I am going to write my America East and Vermont previews closer to when the actual season begins. My closing thoughts are that this team may not be as consistently good as the teams of the past few season because of their youth. However, due to their length, athleticism, and shooting ability they might have an even higher ceiling. This is the type of team that could lose some clunkers, but when they put it all together they have the ability pull off some big wins. That is all for now! I cant wait for the first exhibition next weekend.
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