Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Vermont at New Hampshire 1/29/20

Vermont 56 UNH 43

Vermont used another stifling defensive performance on the way to their sixth straight victory. The defense was dug in from the get go as the Cats held UNH to 26% shooting from the field. Once again the energy was great and the Cats were flying all over the court. Anthony Lamb led the way with 20 points. With UNH electing to go with single coverage, Lamb gave a vintage performance. Strong underneath the rim and setting the tone with his physicality. It was great to see him get as fired up about diving on a loose ball or getting a big defensive stop as he was when he made a three. That is the type of leadership that Lamb brings to this team.  Lamb and the rest of his teammates are playing with incredible fire and energy on both ends of the court. Stef Smith chipped in 11 points, knocking down 3/4 from three. Ben Shungu was a monster on the boards, pulling down a career high 10 rebounds. Ryan Davis again gave Vermont the offensive boost they needed under the rim. Daniel Giddens began the game with the worst four minutes of his Vermont career but was able to bounce back with some very nice alley-oop finishes. The Stony Brook game was quite a wake up call for Vermont, particularly on the defensive end. Since giving up 81 points to Stony Brook, Vermont has allowed 54 points per game. With their bench performing at such a high level the defensive energy from all the Cats has increased exponentially. Now the big showdown in Albany on Saturday to finish off the first half of the conference schedule. The atmosphere is going to be electric for that one.

Sunday, January 26, 2020

UMass Lowell at Vermont 1/25/20

Vermont 92 UMass Lowell 62

Vermont dominated both sides of the ball in an absolute shellacking of UMass Lowell to take sole possession of first place in the America East. In one of their most complete performances of the season the Cats shot 55% from the field and swarmed Lowell on the defensive end. Guys were flying all over the court and won just about every 50/50 ball throughout the entire game. In the first half Vermont dominated with their defense. They held Lowell without a field goal for about 10 minutes in the first half. In the second half Lowell began to get some easy buckets and cut the lead to 9 at one point. Vermont responded in a big way and stretched the lead out to 30 in the blink of an eye. There was a renewed energy and focus from the Cats tonight. With Albany’s loss earlier in the day Vermont had the chance to reassert itself at the top of the conference and they did not disappoint. Anthony Lamb broke out of his mini-slump and led the Cats with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Lamb knocked down 4 threes and took advantage of Lowell electing not to send an aggressive double team. Ryan Davis impressed again with 16 points and 7 rebounds. At times during the preseason when Lamb was out, Davis looked like the best player on the team. He has battled ineffectiveness and defensive lapses throughout the season but right now he might be the most crucial player in the Vermont rotation. His offensive ability opens up the whole court for the Vermont offense and his ability on the offensive glass gets Vermont second chances. Davis had some jaw dropping highlights in this one including an incredible spin move on a cut from the baseline and a beautiful drive from the top of the key. He has played his way into more minutes and hopefully he can continue to take advantage. Bailey Patella continues to bring boundless energy to the court and he contributed in all aspects in tonight's game. Patella finished with 10 points and had several big momentum swinging plays. Tonight demonstrated what this team can do when they are playing as one unit. Now that the bench is producing Becker is able to go entire stretches with the second unit. The ability to mix and match lineups is when Vermont is at their best.  The next two games are going to really test Vermont. Two games on the road against a much improved New Hampshire team and then the bitter rivalry game against Albany. This is the stretch where Vermont can separate themselves from the rest of the league by winning two tough road games.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Vermont at Maine 1/22/20

Vermont 59 Maine 57

Well that was brutal.

Vermont survived a determined Maine team and picked up their fourth straight victory. The Cats played uninspired basketball for much on the game. Maine kept Vermont off balance with changing defenses and physical play. The lone bright spot for the Cats was Ryan Davis who set a career high with 22 points. He also led the team with 7 rebounds while single-handedly keeping Vermont in the game. He has started to break out of his slump and his play down the stretch will be crucial as an offensive threat to relieve some pressure off Anthony Lamb in the post. The rest of the Cats struggled to find any kind of rhythm as the poor perimeter shooting once again reared its ugly head. Vermont finished 4-20 from downtown and it is time to wonder if they are going to be able to get it going from deep down the stretch. What was most disappointing about this game was that Vermont had taken some significant steps forward after the loss to Stony Brook. This game feels representative of the how the season has progressed. Each time the Cats start to put it together, they come out and take a step back. However, they did pull out the win on the road and if you look at some of the other scores from around the America East tonight, there was something in the water. Previously winless UMBC went on the road and defeated Hartford while Binghamton went out and beat Stony Brook on the road. A topsy-turvey night in the league and Vermont was able to pull out the win. The results form around the league tonight speak to how important it is to show up for every game as conference play offers no easy matchups. Now the Cats come home to a high flying UMass Lowell team that has always played Vermont very tough. Patrick should be rocking on Saturday night.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Hartford at Vermont 1/18/20

Vermont 74 Hartford 57

Vermont used another balanced attack to wear down the Hawks on the way to their third victory in a row. Another true team win and the stat that jumps out at me is 18 assists on 30 made baskets. That is an incredible ratio and a tremendous example of how this team has responded to their conference opening loss. The Cats know that teams are selling out to take Anthony Lamb out of the game and now they are ready for it. For three games in a row Vermont has been able to pull away from teams by remaining patient and working to get open shots and the best shot on as many possessions as they can. With Lamb as a facilitator they are forcing teams to think twice and that hesitation is creating openings for the other Cats. Lamb finished with 8 points and on the surface it may look like he had an off game but that is far from reality. Lamb controlled the game despite the fact that he only took five shots and focused more on staying tough on the defensive end and facilitating to get his teammates open looks. He added 8 rebounds and 4 assists while playing a team high 32 minutes. His willingness to do whatever it takes for the team to win has put Vermont in a perfect position. They are winning games where they do not have to rely on him to take over. If the rest of the Cats can continue to produce, opposing defenses are going to be forced to second guess the double and triple teams. When that happens.......watch out because Lamb will make them pay. Speaking of facilitators, Robin Duncan continues to raise his level of play. He led Vermont with 11 points and chipped in 4 rebounds and 4 assists. He is creating match-up nightmares for opposing guards and is setting the tone on both ends of the floor. Another player who is showing tremendous growth is Bailey Patella. He continues to be a spark-plug on both ends of the floor and really shined in this afternoon's game. Patella finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and was again a disruptive force on defense. Ryan Davis and Aaron Deloney also played great as the Vermont bench poured in 35 points. Also a shot out has to go to Daniel Giddens for finally getting some feel good plays. He threw down three big dunks that electrified the sellout crowd and it was nice to see some positive energy go his way. The Cats play continues to trend in the right direction as they prepare for Maine on Wednesday night.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Vermont at Binghamton 1/15/20

Vermont 72 Binghamton 53

Vermont used a balanced attack to bury Binghamton on the road. The Cats put 5 players in double figures and were able to get some quality minutes from their bench for the second game in a row. This is the type of depth and bench production that Vermont expected to have from the beginning of the season. The difficulty of the the non conference schedule and key injuries sapped the Cats ability to build up their bench. Now Vermont has a opportunity to really build their chemistry and get some minutes and some confidence for the guys on the bench. This stretch will be crucial for Vermont to help solidify roles for the stretch run. Anthony Lamb, Ben Shungu, and Ryan Davis all led the Cats with 12 points apiece. Stef Smith and Robin Duncan chipped in 10 points each to round out the double figure scorers. Robin also led the team with 8 rebounds. The offense looked fluid for most of the game and the defense was locked in from start to finish. The Cats have responded to the loss to Stony Brook by taking care of business on the road, particularly on the defensive end. In a rapid turn of events, with Stony Brook's loss to Hartford tonight, Vermont has a chance to put themselves back at the top with a win over Hartford on Saturday. This is why it is important not to overreact to a single game outcome so early in the conference schedule. Now the Cats have all the fire and motivation they need to come out and make a statement at Patrick on Saturday.

P.S. Anthony Lamb now sits 15 points away from becoming only the 7th Catamount to reach the 1700 point plateau.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Vermont at UMBC 1/11/2020

Vermont 74 UMBC 50


Vermont bounced back and used a dominant second half to defeat UMBC on the road. The big news of the game was that the coaching staff lifted Isaiah Powell's redshirt. As I mentioned in my last post, they had to realize that they inaccurately assessed the team needs at the beginning of the season. Powell would have very clearly been a help in the last game because of his versatility on both offense and defense. I don't know how Powell feels about losing a half season of his career but kudos to the coaching staff for admitting their mistake. Powell was pretty good in this game especially considering it was his first action of the year. He scored 6 points and pulled down 7 rebounds while playing extended minutes. Now that is the good news. Unfortunately at the end of the game he rolled his ankle and looked to be in a significant amount of pain. Hopefully he is okay because I feel like that is the story of Vermont's season thus far. Just when they seem to be figuring things out and start heading in the right direction, something goes wrong and derails their progress. After a sluggish first half Vermont really found something in the second half. They had more energy and an edge that hasn't been as present over the last few weeks. The Cats received contributions from everyone and put 4 players in double figures. It was a true team win. Teams are absolutely selling out to stop Anthony Lamb and it is going to be important for Vermont to get contributions from the other guys just like they did in this game. Everett Duncan led the Cats with 15 points as he has been making a killing at the foul line recently. Stef was next up with 14.  He has blossomed into an incredible player. He is in a stretch of games where he has been the Cats best player. Over the last 5 games Smith is averaging 21 points on 54% shooting from the floor. He has been particularly good during this stretch at both getting to and finishing at the rim as evidenced by shooting 67% on two point baskets. Overall the game was a great way to bounce back. It still feels like Vermont could put it into another gear if they could just get a stretch where the team remained fully healthy for consecutive games. Binghamton is up next which will be another good road test to see if the Cats can put a full 40 minutes together and take care of business.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Stony Brook at Vermont 1/8/2020

Stony Brook 81 Vermont 77

Stony Brook used a hot shooting night to hand Vermont the loss at Patrick Gym. The first takeaway is that Stony Brook is a very good team. They have great shooting, depth, and play with intensity. They played a nearly flawless game and executed down the stretch, Every time they needed a big shot they got one. You have to tip your cap to them for executing their game plan so well. Now on to Vermont. The defense was pretty atrocious for the second consecutive game. The rotations are slow and the communication is lacking. It is strange after they had such a strong stretch of defense in early December to see them regress so quickly. One common thread over the last two games is Daniel Giddens complete ineffectiveness. He was starting to make real progress during the month of December but has fallen off a cliff with 21 scoreless minutes over the last two games and only one rebound.  Without him they have gone small and as a result Anthony Lamb has been playing center often, which is making their interior defense much weaker. Giddens has a limited time to get it together or the coaching staff is going to have to make some tough decisions. The problem is that Ryan Davis is also struggling and Duncan Demuth is a non-factor. Tonight was the first game where I felt like they missed Isaiah Powell. I don't know all the behind the scenes info but if it was about playing time opportunities, he would have had plenty tonight. Vermont is just missing something right now. They don't look like the well oiled machine that they have been over the last several seasons. They are not playing as confidently or as freely. Even the fans tonight were oddly quiet and restless. Several times Becker himself tried to hype up the crowd. One very interesting fact is that they have lost nine conference games over the last five seasons including tonight and six of those losses have been at home. Patrick Gym has been oddly unkind in conference play. So where do the Cats go from here? They have proven that they can win on the road and they still have the whole conference season ahead of them. Vermont needs to remember that they have proven that they can win. Maybe now they can play with a chip on their shoulder and use this as motivation to prove that they are still every bit the team to beat. This one stings for sure but the key will be how the Cats respond on Saturday against UMBC.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Non-Conference Wrap Up

Vermont 77 Dartmouth 68

Vermont finished up the non-conference schedule with a hard fought win over Dartmouth. The Cats were able to overcome some uncharacteristic defensive struggles and executed down the stretch to put the game away. Robin Duncan continued his strong play with another great all around effort. He finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals in a team high 38 minutes. He also broke out of his shooting slump from the free throw line, knocking down 7/8 from the charity stripe. Over his last three games Robin is averaging 8.3 points, 8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 50% from the field and 75% from the line. He has taken control of the offense and is doing a little bit of everything for Vermont. Bailey Patella also stepped up in a big way, playing a career high 30 minutes. He is giving the Cats tremendous energy off the bench and is impacting both ends of the floor. He can do so many little things to help the Cats win and he makes electric plays that can really swing the momentum of a game. In past seasons he struggled to harness that energy and would take too many unnecessary chances, He has really found a balance and harnessed the chaos he can create on the court. Stef Smith was electric, leading the Cats with 24 points and has looked very explosive over the last few games. He has become so dangerous with the ball in his hands and has added some nifty moves and finishes to his arsenal. Smith is blossoming into a full blown star. The non-conference schedule was a huge success this season. Getting to 10 wins with a very difficult schedule is huge for the Cats. The "struggles" were really overblown due to what was ultimately one bad half of basketball against Rider. The other 4 losses were games in which they were either underdogs or the game was a toss up. The combined record of the teams that the Cats lost to is 47-18 (72%). Vermont absolutely lived up to expectations and is every bit as dangerous as everyone thought preseason. This is especially true considering they have not been at full strength all season. To be without a starter for most of the season and continue to win games is a testament to the winning mentality that this team possesses. The big question mark from the non-conference schedule is the Cats three point shooting. That is the fly in the ointment for Vermont and it will be interesting to see if they can find their stoke during the conference schedule. Now the real season begins. The America East conference landscape looks similar to the last several seasons with a few strong teams at the top and the rest of the league lagging behind. Vermont opens with Stony Brook at home in what will be a great measuring stick. Stony Brook looks to be the Vermont's most likely challenger for the top spot. The Cats actually have a "bye" for the first round of games so they get to watch everyone else open conference play this weekend. Conference play is a whole different animal where every team knows each other so well and the rankings and expectations get thrown out the window as teams fight to control their own destiny. This is what the season is all about and every game matters from here on out. 

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

George Washington at Vermont 12/31/19

Vermont 76 GW 51

Vermont used an explosive first half from Anthony Lamb and another suffocating defensive effort to close out 2019 with a victory. Lamb was the story in the first half, catching fire on his way to a 20 point half. Finally knocking down some perimeter shots, Lamb had his offensive rhythm back for the first time in weeks. It is a great sign for a player who wasn't going to be kept down for long. Lamb finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in a dominating performance. Robin Duncan turned in his second straight strong effort. With Ben Shungu sidelined, Robin is the guy who needed to step up. He played his trademark suffocating defense and chipped in 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Everett Duncan also stuffed the stat sheet with 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. His two three point baskets in the second half put the game away and he did a little bit of everything in this one. It was nice to see the Cats put together back to back strong offensive games. It bears mentioning again that some of the offensive struggles to this point are due to the strong quality of opponent that Vermont scheduled this season. Vermont's KenPom defensive efficiency sits at 47 which is why they have been able to continue to win games in the non-conference despite the offensive struggles. In their five losses this season, the opponents average defensive efficiency is 60. In their wins it is 207. They have played some very good defensive squads who executed their game plan very effectively. For some context the average defensive efficiency for the rest of the America East conference is 253. These last two games are more indicative of how the Vermont offense is likely to perform for the rest of the season. I am not going to be able to watch the game tomorrow night in Dartmouth but can't wait for conference play to start!