I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. I had the privilege today of sitting in on a Zoom meeting with Coach Becker, AD Schulman, various other members of Vermont athletics, alumni, donors, former players, coachers, and others. I am so appreciative of receiving the invite because when I started writing this blog to keep a few of my friends up to date about Vermont basketball (and partially to protect those same friends from having to hear me talk about it non-stop), I never thought that 7 years later I would be in a meeting like that. Pretty cool. Thanks to everyone who keeps coming back and reading. It was great to hear that the team is back on campus and going through individual workouts. As expected there are many things about the season that are still up in the air. They are still trying to fill out the non conference schedule in hopes of a full season so I can't wait to see what that looks like. It was nice to hear that the program as a whole has continued to support each other throughout this difficult time. Whether we have basketball sooner or later the meeting was another reminder of what makes the Vermont program so unique and special. There is so much that Coach Becker and the athletic department do to support the student athletes in the program outside of basketball and help them become the best version of themselves. I am so thankful that in our little state we have the opportunity to watch high quality basketball with high quality people who want to build a community as much as they want to win. Stay safe everyone!
Not to burst your bubble Lee, but I believe all season ticket holders were invited to the Zoom meeting. Aren't you a season ticket holder? I'm not feeling very optimistic about a season this year. At this point I'd be content to run with the suggestion Rick Pitino made, a January start,no conference tournaments,no out of conference games, conference winners automatically go to the NCAA tournament.
ReplyDeleteThe meeting was fun to be a part of and the blog came up as a topic during the meeting. I am also not optimistic about a season. I agree that the best I am hoping for is a conference only season. There might be a way to have a few mini-bubbles but that is about it. The NBA is showing right now that a bubble format is the plan that can yield the most positive results.
DeleteHi Lee,
ReplyDeleteWe are just regular UVM alumni and regular rabid season ticket holders. Thank you so much for your insight and kindness.
You’re welcome! Thanks for reading!
DeleteThank you for this post (and all the updates). I just wish it was longer and more specific.
ReplyDeleteHow is Vermont basketball different from other programs in the way it supports its student athletes?
How many years of eligibility does Murphy have?
Keep up the great work.
I would like to have more info or get more in depth but with the uncertainty surrounding the season it is hard to get into the nitty gritty until there is a clearer picture of what the season will look like. There are always a few ways the Vermont program jumps out. The focus on winning as a collective group and supporting each other only comes from building a positive culture on and off the court.. Having Ari-Shapiro Miller embedded with the team is also something that few programs have. He can not only support the players to navigate and succeed in their education but can be a resource for players who are seeing mental health support. It is no accident that there have been several powerful stories from players about seeking support and overcoming difficult times. The program really focuses on the players as a whole person and there is an emphasis on them performing off the court as much as on. There are certainly other programs that have supports in place and excel with building a positive culture. I believe that Vermont does it as well as any program in the country. Murphy and Mazulla both have one year right now but Becker said the team had submitted paperwork to try and get them another year of eligibility. Murphy has a decent case because his was injury related. Mazulla transferred after the start of last season so his is not as clear.
DeleteThank you. I was under the impression that Murphy had two seasons and Mazulla had one and a half.
ReplyDeleteAny word on how much eligibility Justin and Tomas have? Thank you for the reports. Curious if the Iona game is still on.
ReplyDeleteNo definitive information yet. I would guess that the NCAA is reviewing this years eligibility waivers first and will get to the extra year of eligibility waivers second. It will be interesting if teams focus on scheduling individual games or try to get in a couple bubbles to replace the lost games. It is great to finally have a start date for the season!
ReplyDeleteAny info on why the team is not playing in the Gulf Coast tournament? Appreciate updates on the team.
ReplyDeleteThere is not a lot of information floating around. Just like many other things right now things are changing so rapidly, teams are keeping things close to the vest. My best guess is that leagues like the Ivy and Patriot moved to conference only. That is certainly a likely scenario for the AE. An 18 game league schedule might be the best they can hope for this year.with With the NCAA looking into a giving an extra year of eligibility for all winter sports athlete everything about this year is up in the ai, Including recruiting. So everything is kind of at a standstill.
DeleteThank you for the post, much appreciate during this serious time. Grateful for any news.
ReplyDeleteAny word on the amount of eligibility remaining for Tomas and Justin? The roster on the site states that Justin has one year of eligibility remaining. Shouldn't he have more? He only played in a few games last season for GW before transferring. I was under the impression that Tomas and Justin would more than one year.
ReplyDeleteAnytime someone plays at all during a season, that player has to apply to get that season of eligibility back. As of right now both players have one year remaining pending waivers. There is talk of granting every winter sport athlete an extra year of eligibility due to COVID but that isn’t a sure thing as that would have massive ripple effects, particularly on the next recruiting cycle. I am guessing that those type of extra year waivers are still getting sorted through by the NCAA because they are trying to weed through all of the waivers that will affect players eligibility for this season.
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