Exhibition: St. Michaels at Vermont 10/30/21

 Vermont 105 St. Michaels 60

What an incredible feeling to be back at Patrick. There is just nothing like the energy of the crowd and live basketball. 

The exhibition today was the first look at how the early season minutes might look. The starters were Ryan Davis, Ben Shungu, Kam Gibson, Isaiah Powell, and Robin Duncan. That is the lineup that makes the most sense balancing experience and offensive diversity. The rest of the first half rotation involved Finn Sullivan, Justin Mazzulla, Aaron Deloney, Bailey Patella, and Evan Guillory. That is a really strong veteran group with Guillory mixing in, looking like the most college ready of the young crew. This is the group that has the best handle on the defensive scheme. Isaiah Powell led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds. With the Purple Knights playing zone, Powell had his midrange game on full display. He looked the part of the third scorer that Vermont is looking for after Shungu and Davis. Justin Mazzulla was once again all over, playing tough defense and hitting the boards hard. He finished with 10 rebounds and looks as though he will be playing a little more of a post player role in some of the Cats smaller lineups. Kam Gibson struggled to get his shot going but looks like he will provide a veteran presence in several facets of the game. Finn Sullivan had a *cough* eventful game, He led the Cats from distance, knocking down 3-6 from long range and showing some defensive versatility. He continued to play some PG, initiating the offense with the second unit. He also banged a three off the side of the backboard and got stuffed by the rim on a dunk attempt. I really like Sullivan's fit on this Cats team and his size a versatility are going to be crucial when Vermont is forced to play small. Speaking of playing small, with Duncan Demuth and Nick Fiorillo still on the sidelines and Tomas Murphy nowhere to be seen, Vermont is paper thin in the frontcourt. The Cats are going to need someone out of that group to play a big role on this team or they are going to really struggle against teams with a strong post presence. Evan Guillory really stood out amongst the young guys. He is a physical defender and a strong rebounder. He looks ready to contribute right away. Sam Alamutu and Georges Lefebvre looked a step behind and are still adjusting to the college game. It was a good first exhibition performance and the Cats showed some good signs from the perimeter. Already thinking about next Saturday. 

Happy Halloween!

America East Conference preview 21-22

We are only a few weeks away from the season and that means it is preview time. 

The America East conference experienced many changes this offseason. Lots of talent in, lots of talent out, three new coaches, Hartford's plan to drop to DIII, and a new commissioner to top it all off. Those factors have all combined to create what I think will be a unique season in conference history. Rarely has there been so much talent and experience across the entire conference. The extra COVID year and the new transfer rules have created a wealth of players who have played 100+ career games. Due to the wealth of talent available through transfers this season, teams were able to look at their weaknesses or roster needs and address them in a way they have never been able to before. As a result teams have put together more complete rosters that are not relying on young inexperienced players to immediately step in a fill out the rotation. This influx of talent is going to bring some exciting battles in the top half of the conference as teams try to maximize the opportunity this year presents. Without further ado this is how I think the regular season will play out. 

1. Stony Brook

        The Seawolves were picked first by the narrowest of margins in the coaches poll and I too feel that they are set up to make a run at the regular season championship. They were already returning a strong core and then added the strongest group of transfers in the league. Elijah Olaniyi returns to the Seawolves after a year in the ACC with Miami. Olaniyi was a two time all AE performer in his previous stint in the league and held his own in the ACC last season. He will immediately step back into a role as one of the top players in the league. Jahlil Jenkins comes to the Seawolves after completing a stellar four year career at Fairleigh Dickinson. Jenkins is a two time all NEC performer who has scored 1700 career points. Between Jenkins and Juan Felix Rodriguez the Seawolves have the best PG duo in the conference. Stony Brook also grabbed Anthony Roberts from St. Bonaventure. He didn't make the impact there he was hoping but during his time at Kent State he was on the MAC all freshman team and averaged 12 points per game as a sophomore. Put these guys together will key returners Tykei Green, Jaden Sayles, Omar Habwe, Tyler Stephenson-Moore, and Frankie Policelli and the Seawolves are brimming with talent. They are big, physical, experienced and two deep at every position. Getting all of this talent and new personnel to gel on the court will be the key. If they take this talent and turn it into on court execution they will be the regular season champs. 

2. Vermont

        The Catamounts are in unfamiliar territory after five consecutive years as the preseason favorites. They to return a strong core including reigning player of the year Ryan Davis. He enters the season as the best big man in the league and will have every opportunity to continue his role as the best player in the league. With Ben Shungu, Bailey Patella, and Justin Mazzulla returning for their bonus year, Vermont also boasts an experienced roster. The loss of Stef Smith creates a void that the Catamounts will try to fill by committee. They added transfers Kam Gibson and Finn Sullivan who will help be a part of that guard group replacing Smith's production. The two question marks that are keeping the Cats a notch below Stony Brook in the preseason is the frontcourt depth and perimeter shooting. Health has kept Vermont's frontcourt depth thin and that is going to be a theme throughout the season. When healthy Vermont has the frontcourt depth to hang with anyone but the margins are thin. Last year the Cats struggled from the perimeter and with Smith's departure they are even more unproven from deep. They have some candidates to fill in but it remains to be seen how consistent they can be. The calling card of Vermont teams is that they are better than the rest of league when it comes to playing as a unit. A full non-conference schedule this season will be key to building that chemistry and unity for a championship run.  I will post a more in depth Vermont specific preview after the exhibition games over the next few weeks. 

3. Hartford

        Never has a defending champ been in such a strange situation. With the announcement that Hartford is moving to DIII, they are a team that is fighting for their very existence instead of trying to build off the previous season's success. There is no coach in the league who is better at taking whatever circumstances his team is in and using it as motivation than John Gallagher. They are going to be hungry to prove they are no flash in the pan and that they deserve to remain a DI program. Traci Carter is gone but Hartford quickly found a replacement in Dejaun Clayton. Clayton comes to the Hawks after completing a four year career at Coppin State. He is a three time all MEAC performer who brings the same high energy all out style that made the Cater/Hartford paring so tough. They also add big man Jared Kimbrough from La Salle and DII transfer David Shriver. Austin Williams leads the returners and was named to the preseason all conference team. Hunter Marks and DJ Mitchell are back as well and the Hawks also get Moses Flowers back from last seasons injury. Hartford has really found its identity over the past few seasons and is out to prove that they have staying power. 

4. New Hampshire

        The Wildcats have been kind of an enigma over the past few seasons. Wild swings in performance from game to game as they have struggled to find consistency. They have shown the ability to compete with the top teams only to lose some headscratchers to the bottom half of the league. They have some of the top returning players in the league in Jayden Martinez, Nick Guadarrama, and reigning America East rookie of the year Nick Johnson. They also get Josh Hopkins back after being injured last season. They addressed their inconsistent shooting thought the transfer portal by adding Sloan Seymour and DII transfer Marco Foster. Much like the other top teams the Wildcats will rely on their physical defense to set the tone. The battles in this top group are going to be intense and for the Wildcats to take the next step they will have to find a way to improve their game to game consistency. 

5. UMBC

        Our first team with a coaching change. Ryan Odom, Brandon Horvath, and RJ Eytle-Rock are all at Utah State as the Retrievers enter a new era. They enter this era will Jim Ferry at the helm, an experienced coach with varying degrees of success at his other head coaching stops. He inherits a roster in flux but with several pieces that will keep them in contention. Keondre Kennedy, LJ Owens, Darnell Rogers, Dimitrije Spasojevic, and Jacob Boonyasith all return to reprise their roles from last years regular season championship team. To round out this years roster UMBC added Hakim Byrd, Anyang Garang, Yaw Obeng-Mensah, and Ray Salnave through the transfer portal. Salnave in particular is a nice addition as he is an all MAAC performer with 1200+ career points. It is hard to know how all of these pieces will fit together and Ferry's teams have often struggled at the defensive end, but there is no doubt that the Retrievers have some intriguing pieces that will make them a pesky out in the middle of the conference. 

6. Albany

        Will Brown is gone after 20 years at the helm and the Great Danes only coach as a full DI member. The end of an era for sure. Love him or hate him he was the best coach in the league when it came to in game adjustments. Dwayne Killings takes over in his first year as a head coach. Albany hit the transfer portal hard grabbing De'vondre Perry, Gerald Drumgoole, Paul Newman, and DII all conference player Matt Cerruti. They are also one of the few teams with a strong freshman class adding impact players Justin Neely, Ny'mire Little, and Aaron Reddish, the younger brother of NBA player Cam Reddish. They also return Jarvis Doles, Chuck Champion, and Trey Hutcheson to fill out a roster that has some nice pieces. The Great Danes are going to play hard and look like they are building to a bright future, but look a step below the upper half of the league. They are carrying the crown of the best of the rebuilding programs. 

7. NJIT

        The leaders of last years team Zach Cooks and San Antonio Brinson are gone as the Highlanders look to rebuild their roster. Matt Faw comes in as a transfer bringing versatility and experience. They still have Dylan O'Hearn, Souleymane Diakite, and Antwuan Butler as key returnees who played significant roles on last seasons squad. They also add a very buzzy freshman from Sweden in 6'8" guard Jacob Mansson. NJIT lacks depth and is one of the more inexperienced squads in the league. They might flash here and there but are going to struggle to consistently challenge the top of the conference. 

8. UMass Lowell

        The River Hawks made a surprise run to the title game last season riding the white hot duo of Connor Withers and Obadiah Noel. Noel has moved on and leaves a big hole in the Lowell roster. He was their engine and set the tone in everything they did. Withers is back and looks to build on his hot finish to last season. The River Hawks return musch of their team but several of those returnees are young and inexperienced outside of last season. They add Ayinde Hikim, Everette Hammond, and John Hall through the transfer portal to round out their roster. This is a team searching for a new identity and one that is going to have to build strong chemistry quickly to climb out of the bottom half of the league. 

9. Binghamton

        The Tommy Dempsey era ends with a whimper as the Bearcats struggled to keep their young stars from transferring out. Levell Sanders will try his hand at building some semblance of programmatic continuity. Last season Binghamton was wholly dependent on letting it fly from three and Tyler Bertram, Bryce Beamer, and Dan Petcash are back to let it fly once more. The Bearcats add John McGriff and Jacob Falko from the transfer portal and are looking for any positive momentum they can muster. Climbing out of the bottom nationwide is step one for this program as the Bearcats have a long road ahead this season. 

10. Maine

        Richard Barron gets his guys to play hard, believe in the process, and they are often pesky despite not having the talent that the rest of league can put on the floor. Once again they are going to have to rely on that fighting spirit as it looks like another long season in Orono. Lechaun Duhart and Ja'shonte Wright-McLeish are back to lead the scoring while Stephane Ingo and transfer Chris Efretuei bring the defense. The two big men will provide what will be the most intimidating shot blocking duo in the conference but Maine is going to struggle to score the ball consistently. Like Binghamton, the Black Bears have struggled to build any year to year continuity and this season it looks like more of the same. 

Well there you have it. A few thoughts on how things are going to play out this season. I will be writing up the Cats exhibition games and a Vermont team preview in the coming weeks. 

Live basketball at the Aud

First off, what a wonderful feeling being in a gym and watching live basketball again. There is just nothing like it. Also I would like to say thank you to all the people who come up and say hello and talk to me about the blog. I really appreciate the community that this blog has built and love connecting with other Vermont fans.

Now onto the scrimmage.

The game ended in a 61-61 tie with a pretty exciting last 5 minutes of big time shot making by both teams. 

The thing that stood out to me the most from today was the size, strength, and physicality of this years team. The group of guards that Vermont has is bigger and stronger than any group they have had before. The players went hard today and I was blown away by their physicality. Vermont has always prided itself on defense and this years team has a chance to be very special on that end of the floor. 

Let us start with the players who look ready to reprise their roles on the team. Ryan Davis looked every bit the centerpiece he was last season. Ben Shungu is poised to cap off his career with another strong season and will be locked in as the Cats number two scorer. Isaiah Powell looked great doing his normal dirty work down low and will continue to see his role grow. Robin Duncan continues to bring his steady presence running the offense and the defense. Justin Mazzulla spent the whole practice coaching on the court, off the court, and to anyone who would listen. He made some nice plays and continues to provide a very versatile presence. 

Aaron Deloney was great in the scrimmage, finally showing off the shooting touch Vermont fans have been waiting for. He has always been tough and unafraid to do the little things and if his shot can find some consistency he will be able to provide some of the shooting Vermont is looking for. Georges Lefebvre made some nice plays and flashed some potential. He hit the boards hard and had a beautiful highlight reel drive and dunk. He certainly has all the pieces to be impactful but still needs some more reps to get into the speed of the game. Eric Beckett and Bailey Patella played limited minutes. Duncan Demuth, Tomas Murphy, and Nick Fiorillo were on the sidelines for this one.

The moment we have all been waiting for. Our first look at the new Catamounts. Kam Gibson looked solid. No glaring mistakes and knocked down several threes. Should be able to provide an experienced presence and outside shooting. Finn Sullivan looked very good. He is going to be a very nice piece for the Cats. He played all over the court including lots of point guard in the second half. Strong, versatile, and showcased good court vision. He had several great finds for threes. He has a nice ability to get his own shot, even if a few times he dribbled himself into some bad spots. Evan Guillory is big, physical, and a very strong defender. He will get minutes this season as a defensive stopper while his offense catches up. Sam Alamutu is equally as big and strong. Tremendous size at the guard position between these two freshman. Alamutu showed flashes of his tremendous athleticism and potential. He is going to be a tenacious rebounder. He is a little further behind in his adjustment to the college game and might need to get to conference play before he finds consistency. Michel Ndayishimiye got in the game, hit a three and didn't back down from anybody as he begins his redshirt season. 

Overall the Cats looked very good. The defense will be there this season and Davis will continue to give them a dynamic inside out presence. I also think they will be tough to press because they have so many ball handling options. The three point shooting will be the wild card. They have added some shooting but the key will be finding consistency. With the guys sitting out today the thin frontcourt rotation was glaring. After Powell and Davis they have no experienced proven frontcourt players. Murphy continues to have difficulty getting on the court and Vermont is going to have to play small often without him. In conference that is a little less of a concern but throughout the non-conference they are going to need one of the young guys to step up and take on the role of back up big man. 

I can't wait to see the exhibition games and see how the rotation plays out. There are a lot of minutes up in the air and some very interesting lineup combinations that Vermont can use. The Catamounts look like a team that has the pieces to make a run at another title.