The Aaron Deloney game

Vermont 78 Colgate 68

Aaron Deloney sparked the Cats with a career high 18 points off the bench as Vermont defeated Colgate to wrap up the non-conference portion of the season. The Vermont program has always hung their hat on the "next man up" mentality and that effect was on full display. With Robin Duncan sidelined with an injury and Kameron Gibson struggling to make an impact, it was Deloney who finally gave the Cats the scoring punch they have been looking for off the bench. It was another gutsy effort for Vermont against a very good, well coached Colgate team who was without their leading scorer. The 3-9 record is very deceiving as they have been dealing with injuries. This team was picked to win the Patriot League and dropped 100 points in a win over Syracuse earlier this season at full strength. They are one of the best three point shooting teams in the country and Vermont held them to 6-19 (31%). The perimeter defense was pesky once again, helmed by Ben Shungu and Justin Mazzulla. In a very similar fashion to the game at Brown this game highlighted the Cats heart. They were downright awful for the first 10 minutes of the second half. With Ryan Davis on the bench due to foul trouble the offense came to a screeching halt. The twelve point lead evaporated and Colgate took a two point lead at 50-48 with 9:20 to go. Then as he has done all year, Shungu calmly drained a three to regain the lead. Vermont didn't trail for the rest of the game and pulled away thanks to Isaiah Powell and Aaron Deloney knocking down some much needed perimeter shots. This team believes they are going to win. You can see the body language as they dig deep and will themselves to victory. 

Deloney was tremendous. Vermont has been waiting all year for someone to come in off the bench and make shots. Deloney made 3-4 from three and attacked the basket with lightning speed. This has to be one of the most out of nowhere performances in recent memory. Deloney had played a combined 13 minutes over the last 9 games (including 4 games where he did not play at all) before logging 18 today. Deloney has always had a feisty spirit but struggled to provide enough offense to offset how much opposing teams attack him on defense. Today he was able to make a huge impact and lead the Cats. It says a lot about the program that these bench guys are ready when their number is called. Also off the bench today Nick Fiorillo made a big impact as well. Colgate played two bigs for much of the game and Fiorillo was needed to bang down low. He played a season high 23 minutes and scored 5 points to go along with a team high 8 rebounds. Isaiah Powell continued his incredibly consistent play with 17 points and 6 rebounds. He hit two big threes during the late run and continues to impress with his physicality. Ryan Davis finished with 17 points as well and knocked down three more threes. Before his last two misses this afternoon Davis had made 9 consecutive threes. Pretty incredible. Shungu continues to start slow offensively but makes every one of his shots count in crunch time. He finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in another tone setting performance. His defense was superb in forcing the Colgate guards into tough shots all game. 

I am very excited for conference play to get going when the intensity gets ratcheted up another few notches as every game matters. Finishing the non-conference at 8-4 with the very tough schedule that Vermont played is impressive. The Cats have learned alot about their team and have been battle tested for sure. This team looks poised to make a run at the title. 

Back from vacation for a belated Brown game recap

Vermont 70 Brown 65

I have returned from a quick trip to Florida!

I did not watch the game live but was able to watch the replay of the game after the fact. It was a great back and forth battle between two well coached teams. My biggest takeaway from this game was about this Vermont team's identity. It is time to stop getting caught up in what this Vermont team doesn't do (shoot the ball well from three) and embrace this team for what is does do well (play tough defense, clean up the defensive glass, take care of the ball, AND show a ton a heart). I have been just as guilty as others in getting caught up in the three point shooting narrative. However, 11 games in and this team has found its identity. This team is not going to be a great three point shooting team. I think they will improve but will probably top out at serviceable. The thing is, that is fine. There are no perfect teams in college basketball every team has strengths and weaknesses and part of the coaching challenge is to find ways to play to strengths and overcome weaknesses. This Vermont team currently has two glaring weaknesses. They struggle from three and do not get very many offensive rebounds. There are going to be games where those weakness get exploited but this team is built to overcome both. The Cats play great defense and force other teams to shoot poorly to help offset their lack of perimeter shooting. Vermont is also one of the best teams in the country at preventing offensive rebounds to offset their lack of second chance points. Outside of all the nitty gritty statistics the other reason to embrace this group is their heart. The Brown game was a another example of how hard this team works and how much they want to win. After leading most of the game and dictating the tempo, Brown took their first lead with 50 seconds left. The Cats didn't quit, they didn't falter. They dug deep and won the game. This is a group that will do whatever it takes to win. 

Isaiah Powell was tremendous in this game. His physical defense really set the tone and he he came up with the big stop and rebound to seal the game. Finishing with 15 points and 8 rebounds, Powell has really become this team's lunchpail guy. Even keeled, physical, workmanlike. Powell plays within himself and epitomizes the win first attitude of this team. Ben Shungu led the Cats once again with 18 points in another solid effort. Ryan Davis rediscovered his stroke going 4-4 from three and finishing with 16 points. Going back to the Providence game that is six consecutive threes made by Davis.  A great sign heading into conference play next month. I could have also led with Justin Mazzulla as the star of this game as he has really come into his own since he entered the starting lineup. His defensive intensity in this game was one of the best individual defensive efforts I have seen. He was everywhere. Disrupting dribbles, tipping passes, diving for loose balls, and hitting the glass. Mazzulla finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, a block and even knocked down two threes for good measure. He has the look of a guy in his last year of college basketball trying to squeeze every ounce out of the experience. 

Another great win for the road warrior Catamounts. They now head into a week off for exams before heading back out on the road against Northeastern on Sunday. That will be another very tough road game against a very tough, well coached Northeastern team. 

Vermont at Providence 12/7/21

Providence 68 Vermont 58

Nate Watson and AJ Reeves scorched the nets and led Providence to the victory over Vermont. Watson set the tone early on the inside and Reeves took care of everything from the perimeter for the Friars. Reeves made 6 threes was the only player on Providence to hit a three. Becker talked about Providence being the toughest test in the non-conference schedule prior to the game and the Friars played like it. Vermont was uncaraisticaly sloppy at the start of the game and dug themselves into a 10-0 hole. The Cats were rushing shots and passes and didn't show the poise that had been their trademark thus far this season. Then the defense dug in and kept them in the game well into the second half. Vermont did an excellent job limiting the offensive impact of the rest of the Friars but Reeves hit a couple big threes as the Cats were making a second half run. The 16 turnovers were easily a season high and many of them were unforced. Too many lackadaisical passes and letting Providence dictate the pace of play. The Friars defense was energized and they were attacking every passing lane. Despite the turnovers and some tough offensive stretches, overall Vermont battled hard. They held their own on the boards and were able to make runs each time it seemed like the Friars were going to blow it wide open. The defense continues to impress and I think the experience of the players on this years roster has the defense getting locked in ahead of schedule. 

In what has become a pattern this season Ben Shungu shook off a tough first half and finished with 20 points. It was another uneven effort from Shungu that included some point blank misses, but his ability to power through his difficulties, dig deep, and keep fighting has been impressive. Ryan Davis finished with 18 points for the Cats in what was a return to form. Davis was hyper efficient going 6-8 from the field, 2-2 from three, and 5-6 from the line. He looked like last years Davis and had a great drive and dunk. Isaiah Powell did not have a great shooting night but finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. His consistency on the glass has been huge for the Cats. Justin Mazzulla battled hard right until the last whistle and had one of those games where the box score doesn't do him justice. He finished with 7 rebounds and 3 assists but played great defense and had several key hustle plays. Finn Sullivan struggled mightily, particularly in the first few minutes of the game. He seemed too hyped up and was playing too fast. The bench struggled to make an impact as Becker tried to find the most effective lineup. 

A tough fight in a game where Vermont was not a their best. There were times where the Cats could have thrown in the towel but each time they battled back and there were some positives to take away. Up next is another game in the great state of Rhode Island against Brown on Friday night. I will be travelling for a family event and will not be able to watch the game. I might comment on the outcome after catching up on the game but otherwise I will be back in action for the Northeastern game on December 19th. 

Vermont vs Dartmouth 12/1/21

Vermont 83 Dartmouth 65

Home sweet home.

Vermont used a balanced scoring attack with six players in double figures to dominate Dartmouth. The Cats jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back. The defense was locked in from the get go. The game plan was clearly to not let Brendan Berry get looks from three as the Vermont defenders were tenacious on the permeter. Vermont held Dartmouth to 39% shooting and on offense shot a blistering 56%. It was a relief to finally see some shots fall. The big story from tonights game was the change in the starting lineup. Finn Sullivan and Justin Mazzulla started in place of Robin Duncan and Kam Gibson. That change was inevitable as the slow starts that were plaguing the Cats were directly tied to Gibson and Robin's struggles offensively. In the games last week the gameflow changed every time Mazzulla and Sullivan entered the game. Early returns on the lineup changes are very good. Sullivan really got the Cats going early offensively and Mazzulla set the tone defensively on the perimeter against Barry. Once again Vermont was tremendous with 16 assists and only 7 turnovers. This might be the best passing team Vermont has ever put together. There are so many strong passers and the chemistry is very good. Tonight's game was an example of how good Vermont can be when they are hitting on all cylinders. 

Sullivan impressed in his first start. He is providing the three point shooting that the Cats are looking for with a 3-6 effort from distance tonight. Sullivan finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and zero turnovers. I mentioned when he committed that I thought he was a sneaky good addition to Vermont and he is showing why so far this season. He has tremendous versatility and is always turned up to eleven. The only negative is that intensity still gets him into trouble when he can't change gears and his emotions boil over. Yelling at the other team after a big play and demonstrative body language after getting called for a foul. The refs talked to him several times and there were four instances where he could easily have been called for a technical. I love the emotion he plays with and teams need a hype man but if he is going to continue to grow in his role he has to bottle that lightning. Ryan Davis was a beast in tonight's game. He led the Cats with 16 points and 8 rebounds. He got so many tough rebounds in traffic and finished through contact at the other end. His hands are tremendous and when he get the ball in the paint he is nearly automatic. It was great to see him have a better shooting game after a few tough efforts last week. Ben Shungu, Isaiah Powell, and Mazzulla finished with 13, 11, and 10 points respectively. Kam Gibson finally looked comfortable in his first time coming off the bench. With the second unit he was able to be the first or second option on offense and was able to excel in that role in the second half. Gibson finished with 10 points and as I have said before I am intrigued by his potential as a scorer off the bench. 

This is the type of team that I think this group of Cats is going to be. They are a team that will be the sum of their parts. They are going to have balanced scoring where different guys can be the star each night. For a long time that was a staple of the Vermont program and I see this group as a return to form. Everyone knows their role and executes. Now they have little break before a big game against Providence next Tuesday. A great win to get some momentum going in to what will be a very tough matchup.