Thursday, March 21, 2019

13 Vermont vs 3 Florida State game recap

Florida State 76 Vermont 69

Vermont played Florida State tough before falling in the first round of the NCAA tournament. For most of the game Vermont executed their game plan perfectly. They made Florida State a jump shooting team and the Cats shot lights out from three. Florida State was able to turn the tides by getting to the line relentlessly down the stretch. Anytime a team is trying to pull an upset they need a few bounces to go their way and it seemed like Vermont couldn't catch a break over the last 10 minutes of the game. What was most impressive about the game was how evenly matched the two teams looked. If you took the names off the jerseys it looked like any old ACC game. Vermont looked really good and pushed Florida State to the limit. It is an interesting place to be in this program where games like this feel like a disappointment. I know the players are not satisfied and that shows the drive this team has to push even further. When you zoom out on the game it is clear that Vermont belongs and continues to perform well in these games against the big time programs. They can't quite breakthrough and are still looking for that big upset, but it feels like they are very close to reaching that goal. Anthony Lamb was really tough in this game leading the Cats with 16 points and 8 rebounds. He also led the team with 3 assists and his back to back blocks late in the first half were electrifying. Ben Shungu continued his late season surge and was incredible scoring 15 points including 3-3 shooting from deep. He looked like a stud at the end of the season and his improved shooting is a surprise to say the least. Ernie Duncan finished his career in style knocking down 5-6 from deep. Those threes bring him to 308 for his career and second place all time at Vermont. Stef Smith also chipped in 15 points as Vermont shot a blistering 16-32 (50%) from three. This group was really fun to watch this season and I will miss watching Ernie play. The future is bright and this team can be proud of how they represented the Vermont program in today's game. I will post a season wrap up sometime next week after the dust has settled. Another great season in Catamount country.

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

13 Vermont vs 4 Florida State: March Madness preview

The Catamounts are back in the big dance. Here are a few thoughts about their upcoming matchup.

Florida State is an imposing opponent. They are big, strong, and athletic. A defensive minded team with balanced scoring. The Seminoles have 8 players that are averaging between 6 and 13 points per game. They are led by Mifondu Kabengele, a 6-10 forward. Terrance Mann, a 6-7 guard is the Seminoles best all around player. Also on the team is a familiar face. David Nichols transferred from Albany and has spent this season as a key contributor off the bench. Vermont has the best case scenario for a lower seeded team as they get as close to a home game as possible. The game will be played in Hartford, CT if front of what will be a very pro Vermont crowd. The Cats were in a similar situation when they pulled off the Syracuse upset as a 13 seed playing in Worcester, MA. As a lower seeded team, that type of atmosphere is honestly more important than the matchups on the court. No matter what when pulling an upset, the higher seeded team has to have an off night. Just rewatch the upset of Syracuse and what will jump out at you is how poorly the Orange played in that game.  Getting a few of the outside factors in Vermont's favor is only going to help. Catamount fans travel well and I would expect the arena to be tipped very much in Vermont's favor. There is so much about an NCAA tournament game that is out of teams control such as travel time, crowd noise, game time, etc. The fact that most of those extraneous factors are seemingly tipped toward Vermont is a plus. Now for a few thoughts about the game itself.

The blueprint for a Vermont upset:

First and foremost the Cats have to stay in the game early. Many an upset bid has been swallowed up by a slow start. This doesn't mean they need to have a lead, they just have to be competing. From there it is about taking what Florida State will give them. The Seminoles are not a great three point shooting team. When looking at the competitive games that Vermont has played against big time competition over the past few years, the three point line has always been a key. Take the Purdue tournament game two years ago. Before the game one of the big concerns was the size of Purdue. Certainly the big men had an effect on the game, but the deciding factor was perimeter shooting. In the Kansas game earlier this season, it took LaGerald Vick shooting 8-8 from three to finally shake the Catamounts. Over the course of the season, Florida State has struggled to consistently make perimeter shots. If Vermont can force the Seminoles to be a perimeter oriented team, it will greatly increase their chance of pulling an upset. If they can do that on defense AND hit perimeter shots of their own, the game will be very competitive. Vermont has also been inconsistent from the three point line this season. They have a collection of shooters that can get hot and if Stef Smith can continue his late season surge Vermont will be able to win the battle at the three point line.

The free throw line is another interesting thing to keep track of for both teams. Florida State shoots 74% from the line and gets to the line at a high rate. Vermont is going to have to contend with the big men underneath and the Seminoles wing players slashing to the rim. The Cats are one of the best in the country at keeping their opponents off the line. Conversely Florida state puts their opponents on the line at a very high rate. Their physical style has put them in foul trouble at times and their opponents have been able to take advantage. Vermont shot 75% from the line this season and it will be crucial to cash in their chances when they get there.

Rebounding is key in any game and with the size that Florida State has it will be important for the Cats to get on the boards. Vermont has been exceptional at preventing offensive rebounds over the past few seasons. This season they were once again top ten in fewest offensive rebounds given up. If you go to look a the Cats T Rank you will see that they led the country in defensive rebounding percentage. This is one of the areas that has allowed Vermont to remain competitive against tough competition.

Last but not least, the Cats get to play loose as the underdog for once. They have spent the better part of the last three years as the hunted. Now they can embrace the moment and play without fear. This team is so mentally tough and even keeled. Never too high, never too low. In the games against Kansas and Louisville earlier in the season, Vermont was able to battle back each time it looked like the game was going to get away from them. I would expect the same winning mentality in this game on Thursday afternoon. I think they are going to make a game of it and it is going to be fun to watch.



Saturday, March 16, 2019

AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONS!!!!

Vermont 66 UMBC 49

Today we spell redemption U-V-M.

In front of a charged up crowd the Vermont Catamounts punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament by taking down defending champ UMBC. Anthony Lamb led the charge with 28 points and 9 rebounds on his way to the Most Outstanding Player award. His leadership cannot be overstated. He keeps the team levelheaded and through his tenacity sets the example for all the other players to follow. Lamb did an excellent job against the double team and was able to take advantage of UMBC's aggressiveness on defense to get to the foul line. Stef Smith continued his strong finish to the regular season with 17 points and 8 rebounds. I have said all year that Smith's rebounding ability is vastly underrated and tonight he came up with some huge boards. His perimeter shots were not falling so he made a nice adjustment and came up with some beautiful finishes at the rim. The unsung heroes of the season also came to play in the title game. Even in my most positive and dreamlike projections this season I did not see both Ben Shungu and Samuel Dingba playing 35 and 20 minutes respectively, in the title game. Much less making crucial plays and being indispensable parts of the rotation. I give so much credit to those two players for working hard and making improvements to their game. Dingba has brought a tough physical defensive presence and given the Cats a strong offensive rebounder. He finished with 4 points and 5 rebounds in another gutsy effort. The most amazing story of the end of the season is Shungu's emergence as a go to player for Vermont. He hit some huge buckets down the stretch, including two huge three pointers. He has made himself into a serious offensive threat while continuing to play tough defense. He made life difficult for KJ Jackson and his block at the end of the first half was a huge momentum swing. Easy to root for players like that. This season might be one of the coaching staff's best as well. They worked hard to get the most out of a very young and thin bench. Becker said all week that they had a plan to take down UMBC and the Cats executed it perfectly. A 7th title, all in the last 16 years, is an incredible accomplishment. Coach Becker has continued to push the program further and is an incredibly special coach. One of the best in the business. What is most exciting is the family atmosphere and the attitudes of the players that come to the Vermont program. They all want to win and win the right way. After the game the players and coaches are all there on the court celebrating with the fans and taking pictures. This program goes beyond basketball and the fact that Becker and his coaching staff have been able to combine that with winning is an incredible feat. This three year run of success has been special and as fans we should all appreciate how rare it is to have a basketball program like this in our backyard. I think Vermont will probably get a 13 seed and can't wait to see this team in the tournament. Before the game this week I will post a preview of the matchup. Feels good to be back on top.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

STEF SMITH

Vermont 84 Binghamton 51

See you Saturday.

Stef Smith exploded for 23 first half points on 7-8 shooting from three and sent the Cats to the America East championship game. Smith finished with 28 points and 8 three pointers in front of a rocking crowd. He was silky smooth and confident in a new hairdo that I would imagine makes another appearance on Saturday. Always the x-factor for Vermont, Smith is regaining the confidence he had at the beginning of the season at the perfect time. What an electric performance. Binghamton refused to come out of their zone and as a result Vermont was able to get a wide open shot on every single possession. I have never seen a game move so quickly and smoothly. Anthony Lamb was his usual self putting up 18 points on 9-12 shooting and dishing out a career high 7 assists. More than anything the team looked locked in. The Cats played every possession like it was a close game and kept up the intensity despite the wide margin. They have the fire in their eyes and are a team on a mission. The defense was particularly tight with a combination of Ben Shungu and Robin Duncan holding rookie of the year Sam Sessoms without a single point. The other semifinal was also a blowout until Hartford made a furious comeback before falling in double overtime to set up a finals rematch. This is the game Vermont wants. This team has something to prove and is poised to go out and get the championship. See you Saturday.

Saturday, March 9, 2019

America East Quarterfinals 3/9/19

Vermont 73 Maine 57

Anthony Lamb set the tone early and led the Cats to victory in quarterfinal action. Lamb finished with 34 points in an impressive performance to open the America East playoffs. He looked determined from the tip and played the game like he was on a mission. He scored from everywhere showcasing his entire arsenal against an over-matched Maine squad. He looks primed for a big run. Ernie Duncan chipped in 12 points including the 300th three pointer of his career. Teams are making life difficult for Ernie lately with heavy ball denial and he is having to work very hard to get into his offense. The defense looked good in the first half and Vermont was able to give some of the young guys some good minutes in the second half. The big news from the day is that Binghamton beat Stony Brook which means that Vermont's semifinal opponent will be Binghamton due to the reseeding after each round. That is a very different semifinal that Vermont initially thought they had and it will be interesting to see UMBC and Hartford meet for a third time as Hartford beat UMBC in both meetings during the regular season. The game on Tuesday is going to be very physical and Vermont is going to have to come out and take the wind out of Binghamton's sails early in the game. I thought that Vermont really missed Ben Shungu tonight. He warmed up with a soft brace on the knee he hurt in the last game but did not play. Hopefully it is something minor. His ability to lock down defensively and get to the rim are crucial parts of Vermont's game plan. One down. Two to go.

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

UMass Lowell at Vermont 3/5/2019

Vermont 74 UMass Lowell 57

Vermont used a balanced attack put away Lowell in the regular season finale. Stef Smith broke out of an extended slump and led the Cats with 21 points. He looked like the Smith from the beginning of the season shooting tough threes with confidence and attacking the rim. If he can continue to knock down shots it will help alleviate some of the defense pressure on Ernie Duncan and Anthony Lamb. Anthony Lamb had strong all around game with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. Opposing teams are really making life difficult for him on offense and he is working hard to find other ways to make his presence felt. Ernie tossed in 14 points on his senior night and knocked down two more three's putting him two away from 300 for his career. Samuel Dingba overcame an emotional scuffle early in the game where he received a technical foul and did what he does best puling down 8 rebounds and swatting away 2 shots. It was a strangely intense game with several technical fouls and a lot of physical play. Ben Shungu and Ryan Davis left with injuries and Davis' eye looked pretty gnarly after the game. Hopefully they are okay as both are now key pieces of the rotation. Shungu was having one of the best games of his career before the injury. He really brought the crowd to their feet with a thunderous fast break dunk early on. One thing that has gone unnoticed is that since returning from injury Davis is shooting  40% (6-15) from three. His ability to stretch the floor is starting to have a positive effect. Now it is time for the real deal. Playoff basketball. Once again it is Maine in the quarterfinal. There is nothing better that basketball in March.

Sunday, March 3, 2019

Vermont clinches the regular season title

Vermont 56 Stony Brook 50

Three in a row!!

Vermont overcame another offensive meltdown and used their tough physical defense to put Stony Brook away and clinch the America East regular season title. Three straight regular season titles is an incredible accomplishment. You have to go all the way back to Drexel in the mid 90's (with current UNH coach Bill Herrion) for the last team to complete the trifecta. I realize that the tournament title is the real goal, but the sustained regular season success the Cats are in the midst of cannot be overlooked. In this game the Cats came out with more energy than they have had in weeks. They looked recharged and Isiah Moll and Ryan Davis played particularly well. They closed the first half with a 12 point lead and looked every but as if they were poised to take over the game. Then they came out of the locker room charged up even more and tried to win the game in the first 5 minutes. They took a ton of threes and too many quick shot with little success. This opened the door for Stony Brook to go on one of their patented runs. The Seawolves responded with a flurry of three pointers and stormed back to take the lead. Nothing was falling for Vermont and they fell behind by five. Then, down by three with 6 minutes to go, Ryan Davis hit the shot of the game. Davis knocked down a three from the wing to tie the game and gave Vermont the boost they needed to finish the game. Davis is really starting to come around and played this game with his best energy of the season. A few minutes later with the game tied Ben Shungu hit a tough shot in the open floor which proved to be the game winner. In crunch time other players have to step up and tonight was all about the unlikely heroes. Shungu started his second consecutive game and showed tremendous poise and toughness. Shungu finished with 7 points and a team high 8 rebounds. His transformation from walk on to key player is awesome. The offensive slowdowns continue to be concerning but the defensive intensity that the Cats are able to bring has been incredible. This is the type of game great teams have to be able to win. Against a very good Stony Brook team Vermont was able to use their defense when their shots weren't falling. This game had a playoff atmosphere with the regular season title on the line in front of a sellout crowd. The Cats checked goal number one off the list and are ready to make the push for the title.