Summer Updates

This week I beat the heat and headed down to Patrick to watch the post Becker camp pick up. I was able to watch the new players twice this week and boy did it feel good to watch some live basketball. It is always exciting to see the new players for the first time and get a feel for the new roster. This year it will be a little bit more individual talent reactions because not all of the players were playing in the games so it is hard to get a gauge on how the full roster will fit together. Ben Michaels (Great Britain) and Lucas Mari (Spain) are off readying for the U20 EuroBasket tournament in July. TJ Long is in the final stages of recovery from last years injury and newcomers Trey Woodyard and Chris Kuzemka were out as well. On to the reactions! First reaction is that this group has a feel more like the days of old when high school recruiting was king and it was exciting to see all of the developmental potential without any context from previous college stops. I think about the summer Canadian tour in 2018 and seeing the Ryan Davis, Robin Duncan, Isaiah Powell crew for the first time. There is that type of potential on this roster. The coaching staff will be looking to unlock and develop the significant talent that is present on the roster. The Vermont program's fabled player development will be on full display as they tease out what previous programs missed. Gus Yalden's talent really popped, particularly his ability to run the offense out of the high post as a screener and a passer. He is a true back to the basket big man with good touch around the rim. He is a good example of a guy who has not put it together at previous stops and if the coaching staff can mold and shape that talent, he will make a significant impact. True freshman Momo Nkugwa has effortless bounce, finishing above the rim and flashing great speed. With a loaded roster he is more of a future impact player but he is already a tough defender and is well rounded offensively. Ben Wesson, much like last year in the camp pick up, is a lights out shooter from deep. He continues to look like a great fit in the future. David Simon's length really jumps out as he towers over everyone on the court. He has tremendous potential as a shot blocker and a rim runner while also showing off a nice stroke from deep. He is still developing offensively but has an incredibly high ceiling. Ben Johnson is every bit the shooter his career at Bellarmine would suggest and looked good making decisions with the ball in his hands. It was great to see Jackson Skipper back and he looked good running the offense and scoring from different spots on the court. Sean Blake looks stronger and more physical this year as he looks to compete for point guard minutes. Noah Barnett's hustle, tenacity, and physical play continue to put him in good spots and he is a major disruptive force at both ends. TJ Hurley looks ready to cap off a strong Catamount career as the quiet leader and longest tenured Catamount. Drew Bessette continues to impress physically and he looks more comfortable on the court. When all is said and done and this roster is fully put together, they are going to be a well rounded group and have more high major size across the board than any time in Vermont history. There are potential lineups where one of the TJ's will be the "smallest" guy on the floor. This group will be a work in progress defensively but after struggling offensively over the last few seasons, I think the coaching staff will welcome a new and different challenge. This team has offensive weapons and threats up and down the roster. With more shooting, driving lanes will open up and with more traditional post options, the offense will be more multi-dimensional. Looking at the talent that the coaching staff has to work with and thinking about how effectively they have been able to develop and get buy in from players, this team has major potential. I can't wait to see how different this group looks in the fall after getting acclimated to the system and working with the coaching staff on a development plan. Get ready Catamount country, this team is going to be fun to watch. 

P.S. Fun Fact! The Catamounts have two players (Noah Barnett and Ben Michaels) who were high school teammates of the second and third picks (Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe) in the NBA draft. 

Vermont lands Lucas Mari

WHOA

Vermont finished up their 25-26 roster with a bang today as they added 19 year old Spanish pro player Lucas Mari. It is hard to overstate how huge a moment this is for the Vermont program. This is Vermont's first foray into the international player waters, a practice that has been made possible by the new NIL landscape and is becoming increasingly popular. It reinforces Vermont's reputation as a destination for players who want to improve and win. Mari is 6'7” point guard who was being heavily recruited to the P5 level. I read an article from the beginning of May that had possible destinations listed as Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Gonzaga and Arizona. Needless to say the potential and upside here is off the charts. Mari is a top prospect in the Spanish national team system and has been playing pro ball for the last few years. He played this last season at Le Horta and averaged 10.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He is a stat stuffing machine who will be a regular triple double threat. He played in the Adidas Eurocamp this past weekend and if you want to watch the type of potential he has been flashing check out this game where he finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists (#31). He has major size and athleticism and uses it to get to the rim and see passing lanes all over the court. His court vision and mapping is particularly impressive and has great play-making instincts. He runs the offensive with a calm, commanding presence and is excellent at running the pick and roll. He has a nice off the dribble pull up game and has made improvements as a spot up shooter. Mari has great leadership intangibles and Spain's youth development program is widely considered one of the best in the world. Valenica, the team that currently holds his rights, is one of the top teams in one of the top leagues in the world. He gives the Cats a do-it-all player that will be able to play multiple positions and impact the game at several levels. The idea of Mari spraying the ball to all of the shooters that the Cats added this offseason is tantalizing. I am ready to start calling the Mari & Sean Blake PG duo thunder and lightning. The cultural adjustment and learning the defensive system will be big challenges, but this has the potential to have a monumental impact on the Vermont program. Making connections to international pro basketball is going to be crucial moving forward in the post amateurism world and demonstrating the ability to develop pro players is an incredible feather in the cap for any program. This is the cherry on top of an incredible offseason for Vermont and the Cats have the potential to be appointment television this season.