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!