Ouch.
Iona blitzed Vermont out of the gates and never let their foot off the gas in a dominating performance. After looking more together and cohesive in the USC game, the Cats took a step back in this one looking disjointed and frustrated. As I mentioned in the season preview, this is a grueling non conference schedule where they play several other teams who have tournament aspirations and there are no cupcakes. The Cats were never in this one with too many turnovers and missed layups. Vermont is looking for an offensive identity. There are no go to offensive sets and too many possessions devolve into one on one improvisation. As I mentioned in the last post lineup changes were going to be coming and it only took until the second half of the game tonight. Becker benched three starters to begin the second half, sending a message that the quality of play needs to increase. This feels like a key moment in Vermont's season. They have now lost four in a row and did not even give themselves a chance in this game. Lots of soul searching after this one and it makes the Yale game a must win situation. It might seem early for that talk but with another long trip and a three games in three days tournament coming up, the Cats need some positive momentum.
Dylan Penn was the only Catamount in double figures with 10 points but he was one of the starters benched to start the second half. He is not engaged enough on the court and has too many lapses on both ends of the floor. He has had stretches where he is very impactful but they are often sandwiched between lackadaisical play. He has some major work to do to make the impact that was expected preseason. Aaron Deloney did not play at all in the second half. He struggled with the physicality of the Iona guards and did not score. Nick Fiorillo was the other starter on the bench to start the second half. His transition to be more of a traditional big man is not going well at the moment. He doesn't have a strong back to the basket game and is struggling with the physicality underneath. Sam Alamutu, Kam Gibson, and Perry Smith Jr were the replacement starters to begin the second half. Alamutu made some nice plays and gave them more size and strength on the perimeter. Smith Jr had some nice moments and some not so great moments. He finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds showcasing his size and strength underneath. He also turned the ball over several times and only shot 3-7 from the field. There were some growing pains for sure but he is going to be the answer for Vermont underneath. His ability to get up to speed and make an impact is going to be the deciding factor in Vermont's sucess this season. Finn Sullivan really struggled in this game. He got some tough offensive foul calls early and let his emotions get the best on him. Sullivan finished with 7 turnovers which is astronomical, particularly for someone who takes such good care of the ball. Robin Duncan also turned the ball over 4 times and was ineffective offensively. He grabbed 9 rebounds to lead Vermont again, which is why he plays a crucial role despite his offensive struggles.
Vermont is in a tough spot. I very much think they can still fix the issues but the preseason expectations may have skewed the view of how this team would perform early. They are replacing a lot and have players shifting to roles they have never played before. With a schedule packed with so many good teams, getting wins while smoothing out the wrinkles is a tall task. How they play against Yale on Tuesday will answer a lot of questions about the resolve of this Vermont team.