Honoring Legends

First and foremost tonight was special. Sorrentine & Coppenrath are the reason I am a Vermont fan. That era was incredible and every game was a chance to see what they were going to do next. From that point on I haven't missed very many games. It is so special to have this incredible level of college basketball in our little old state and we have these two legends to thank for that. The ceremony was perfect and the crowd was incredible. Becker said after the game that it didn't have the atmosphere of a normal exhibition game and I would have to agree. That felt like a late season thriller. A wonderful night for two wonderful people.

As far as the game goes, holey moley. I try to keep a level head on this blog and keep an even keel when the hype train starts rolling. After watching that game tonight it is hard to keep that feeling in check. This team has a chance to be the best ever. At times tonight they were unstoppable. At no point during the game did they look like a team missing one of the best players in the country. The biggest reason to believe in this teams ability to take it to the next level is their mentality. These players are focused. They are not playing like a team that has bought into the hype. Diving for a loose ball, fighting through screens, making the extra pass. My favorite moment from the game was probably Stef Smith tipping the ball away and fighting for possession, the ball rolling straight down the edge of the sideline, Smith tracking it down, and whipping it to a hard charging Everett Duncan for a layup. That is a play from a team that only cares about winning. Smith looked incredible before getting a little dinged up. So fast, so confident. He is ready to step into the spotlight. Ryan Davis continued to impress. He is a completely different player. Healthy and slimmer, Davis is noticeably quicker and has the look of a player who could take over a game and carry his team. Everett made 6/8 from three and also looked focused and confident. Daniel Giddens had some impressive blocked shots and the coaching staff is committed to getting him looks at the rim. He isn't quite up to speed yet but the potential is tantalizing. In the first half Vermont ran a lot of high ball screen action and it was very effective at getting their post players good shots at the rim. That will be a nice wrinkle to the offense this season.  Bailey Patella also had the best extended minutes of his career. His athleticism is a difference maker. The hype is real and the ceiling of this team is very high. The battle for minutes is going to be intense as this is by far the deepest team Vermont has put together. I will be out of town for next weekend's exhibition so I will no be able to see that game. I will post my my season preview before the first regular season game. What a time to be a Vermont fan.

Scrimmage at the Aud

For the second year in a row the Vermont basketball teams made the trip down to the historic Barre Auditorium for an open scrimmage. The Aud is my favorite place to watch a basketball game so I am beyond delighted with this new tradition. The Cats played two 16 minute halves so the intensity was at a higher level than it was on Wednesday night. Ryan Davis continued to impress and looks like a completely different player. He looks trim and is moving noticeably better on the court. I have been blown away with his movement without the ball, particularly on screen and roll action. Davis is doing a tremendous job making himself available to his teammates and getting in a position to score. Without Lamb on the floor for these two scrimmages, Davis has looked like the Cats best player. His defensive positioning is much improved and he is getting to his spots a step faster than he was a season ago. He is going to have to continue to work on staying out of foul trouble but he looks to be on the brink of a breakout. Everett Duncan is making some great slash cuts and hard drives at the rim. His aggressiveness at the offensive end will be a interesting storyline to follow throughout the season. Aaron Deloney is fearless. He is going to be a player that can both shoot you into and out of a game. As with most freshman point guards his decision making is going to need refinement but he is oozing with potential. He has the ability to put a team on his back and carry them. His role this season is certainly going to be more of a spark off the bench but down the road he could take the reins and lead the team. Everything else I saw was consistent with what the players showed on Wednesday night. Robin Duncan knocked down a couple more threes showcasing his improved stroke, Daniel Giddens is going to have some crazy blocks and dunks, Stef Smith is money, and Duncan Demuth is going to do a little bit of everything. One concern for this team is how will they perform from the three point line. Losing Ernie Duncan was going to be tough anyway but in the same year that the three point line gets moved back is going to add another layer to replacing that production. Vermont has many capable three point shooters but it will be interesting to see if they can replace the consistency that Ernie brought to the court. We finally get some real basketball next week. Should be a great great game and a magical night honoring two more Vermont legends.

A quick first look at this year's team

Basketball is back!!!

At the season ticket holder event this evening fans were treated with a sneak preview of the year's team. The team played one half of basketball. No Anthony Lamb or Ben Shungu for his one but every other player played at least a few minutes. Extrapolating one half of basketball into a entire season's performance is always a fun exercise so let the overreactions begin! Biggest takeaway right off the bat is the depth of talent on this team. They are two deep at every position and are going to have impact players off the bench. Over the past few seasons they have had to cobble together their bench play and in the big games the rotation often became very small. Whoever turns out to be the second unit has a chance to be just as impactful as the starters. The battle for minutes is going to be fierce and this might be the year Becker is able to go back to the more even minutes distribution that he prefers. This group has so much length and athleticism. Becker has always had top notch defensive teams and I think this group has a chance to be one of his best. If the new players are quick studies of the system, watch out. Both transfers (Duncan Demuth, Daniel Giddens) are going to make an impact on the defensive end. Demuth is going to make some of big hustle plays and play hard nosed defense. He looks like the ultimate glue guy who is going to do a lot of little things to help the team win. Giddens has a limited offensive skillset but can absolutely jump out of the gym. He is going to have some electrifying dunks this year. His challenge will be to stay out of foul trouble and limit his turnovers. To continue on with the new guys both of the scholarship freshman looked strong. Aaron Deloney was quick and fearless. He attacked the rim and finished through contact. He is definitely going to be able to provide an offensive spark off the bench. Eric Beckett looks like a Swiss army knife player. He did a little bit of everything and is built like a truck. The other big takeaway was that Ryan Davis looked like a stud. Slimmer, quicker, and more decisive, Davis was the leading scorer in the scrimmage. He has some nice finishes inside and hit a couple from three. I really think his injury last year slowed his development and he never really got back into the groove. He looks like he could make a big jump this season. Robin Duncan also impressed by knocking down a couple triples with confidence. His offensive limitations cost him minutes down the stretch last season. He clearly committed to improving his shot in the offseason as his mechanics looked very different. He stayed much more vertical with less of the drifting that created his shooting inconsistencies last year. If he rounds out his game by making himself more of a threat on the offensive end of the floor, the sky is the limit. Everyone else looked good as well. One last observation was that Nick Fiorillo, the walk-on from Maine, might be a diamond in the rough. He is bigger than I thought and has a nice soft shooting stroke. With a year of development he looks like he has a chance to be an impact player. What a treat it is going to be to go and see big time college basketball this season at Patrick.

P.S. You might notice a change to the name of the blog. When I started this six years ago I had a website as well where I tracked milestones and important stats. That was a little beyond my computer abilities but the website was called 14th State of Mind. I am so excited for this season I felt like it was time to jazz up the blog a bit so it was time for the name change. Thanks again to everyone who reads the blog and gives me an outlet for all of my ranting and raving!

Vermont gets their first commitment for 2020

After a summer of just missing on a couple of their 2020 targets, Vermont landed their first 2020 recruit last night. Georges Lefebvre a 6'8" 205lb small forward from Montreal, Quebec who is playing at Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, North Carolina gave his verbal commitment to the Cats. You can check out his highlights here. In watching his highlights and reading up on his game, it feels like Lefebvre is a great get for Vermont. Super athletic with a 7 foot wingspan, Lefebvre has a chance to be a game changer on both ends of the court. He projects as a slashing small forward who will get out in the open court. Will dunk over anyone and is a fierce competitor. Outside game is improving and looks like he will develop into a capable outside shooter. Justin Byerly of Prep hoops wrote before last season that he was a "program changer in every way". Another high IQ, hard working player who is committed to becoming the best player they can be. His speed and athleticism really stand out and will serve him well while he rounds out the rest of his game. He might not be a day one superstar but has the potential down the road to be dominating on both ends of the floor. Early on has the potential to be a fan favorite energy player off the bench with some huge dunks and blocks.  Nice to finally be tapping the Montreal basketball pipeline as it is the closest major city. There is really no more online info about any other targets for 2020. There is only one other name on Verbal Commits and he is most assuredly going to a much high level. Vermont has shown the ability to recruit players without leaving a significant online trail to follow. It will be interesting to see who else they are targeting for 2020. We will finally get to see some real basketball in only a few weeks!