Vermont 75 UCSB 68
It wasn't pretty but it was a win.
Vermont clawed their way to a much needed victory over UCSB. The game was marred by fouls and poor execution from both teams. During pregame it was announced that Dre Wills was suspended indefinitely due to a violation of the student-athlete conduct code. This is a serious blow to the Vermont team and in warm ups it looked like the team was reeling from the effects of the news. This negative energy continued throughout the first part of the game as Vermont tossed up air balls and struggled to execute. Whatever happens with Wills is going to have a tremendous effect on the Vermont program. This could be a small violation or a big one and it will be a difficult time for the team. Regardless, the Cats were able to overcome the sluggish start and began to knock down shots. No one shot particularly well overall but several people made big shots when Vermont needed a bucket. The balanced scoring was on full display as everyone contributed to the win. On defense, the Cats got physical underneath and made it difficult for UCSB to finish around the rim. This physicality was something that Vermont has been lacking and it paid off as UCSB struggled to cash in their opportunities at the free throw line. On the reverse side Vermont was effective at the free throw line and it was the difference in the game. Kurt Steidl played hard and hit big shots. This was a big win for Vermont as they need to start building some positive energy around the team. Many of the players are lacking confidence and this next stretch of games is an opportunity to build momentum before the conference schedule. The next game on Saturday is a cupcake against NAIA Fishers College. This is good timing for that game as the team is going to need some time to sort out all of the emotions surrounding the Wills situation. The roller coaster ride continues.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Vermont at St. Bonaventure 12/8/15
St. Bonaventure 80 Vermont 68
Vermont takes another tough loss on the road. The hits keep on coming for the Cats as they struggle to find consistency. Ernie Duncan missed another game which continues to negatively affect Vermont's offense. This game boils down to free throws and threes. Vermont could not stop the Bonnie's perimeter shooting and did not cash in on their own chances at the foul line. I think back to when Vermont was around 4th in the country in free throw percentage just a few games ago. The Cats free throw percentage has fallen off a cliff and it has coincided with Duncan sitting out and Dre Wills returning. For the first part of the season the right players on Vermont were taking the free throws and it definitely inflated the numbers. Free throw shooting is going to continue to be a struggle as Dre Wills, Ethan O' Day, and Drew Urquhart are below average free throw shooters. As far as the perimeter defense, it is becoming a significant concern for Vermont. In years past they have struggled through the non conference with their defense and it has never seemed like it was going to be a season long problem. This year there is something different about their defense and it is going to need to improve by leaps and bounds over the next month in order for the Cats to find success in the conference schedule. The America East is looking like it is going to be significantly better this year and Vermont is going to have to start getting on track soon. Getting healthy will be the first step in the right direction. Since it was announced that Duncan was a game time decision for this game it seems likely he will play in the next game as Vermont has a week off to prepare. Vermont absolutely needs Duncan to be healthy. This week is going to be a time where Ethan O'Day really has to do some soul searching. He is playing very poorly and it is unclear as to why. Vermont needs O'Day to dig deep and find himself again or it is going to be a long season. I am also very interested to see what happens with Urquhart's playing time. He has been on a yo-yo this season and it seems like neither he nor the coaching staff know which Drew is going to show up. He put up a 9 point, 12 rebound performance in tonight's game and it would be a significant boost if he can start to find some of the consistency he began to display at the end of last season. With a week off to mull over the losing streak, this is a critical point in Vermont's season. If the players and coaching staff don't start feeling some positive momentum soon, this season has a chance to slip away. This is one of the stretches where a team finds out what they a really made of and the game next week will be a good indication of which direction Vermont is headed.
Vermont takes another tough loss on the road. The hits keep on coming for the Cats as they struggle to find consistency. Ernie Duncan missed another game which continues to negatively affect Vermont's offense. This game boils down to free throws and threes. Vermont could not stop the Bonnie's perimeter shooting and did not cash in on their own chances at the foul line. I think back to when Vermont was around 4th in the country in free throw percentage just a few games ago. The Cats free throw percentage has fallen off a cliff and it has coincided with Duncan sitting out and Dre Wills returning. For the first part of the season the right players on Vermont were taking the free throws and it definitely inflated the numbers. Free throw shooting is going to continue to be a struggle as Dre Wills, Ethan O' Day, and Drew Urquhart are below average free throw shooters. As far as the perimeter defense, it is becoming a significant concern for Vermont. In years past they have struggled through the non conference with their defense and it has never seemed like it was going to be a season long problem. This year there is something different about their defense and it is going to need to improve by leaps and bounds over the next month in order for the Cats to find success in the conference schedule. The America East is looking like it is going to be significantly better this year and Vermont is going to have to start getting on track soon. Getting healthy will be the first step in the right direction. Since it was announced that Duncan was a game time decision for this game it seems likely he will play in the next game as Vermont has a week off to prepare. Vermont absolutely needs Duncan to be healthy. This week is going to be a time where Ethan O'Day really has to do some soul searching. He is playing very poorly and it is unclear as to why. Vermont needs O'Day to dig deep and find himself again or it is going to be a long season. I am also very interested to see what happens with Urquhart's playing time. He has been on a yo-yo this season and it seems like neither he nor the coaching staff know which Drew is going to show up. He put up a 9 point, 12 rebound performance in tonight's game and it would be a significant boost if he can start to find some of the consistency he began to display at the end of last season. With a week off to mull over the losing streak, this is a critical point in Vermont's season. If the players and coaching staff don't start feeling some positive momentum soon, this season has a chance to slip away. This is one of the stretches where a team finds out what they a really made of and the game next week will be a good indication of which direction Vermont is headed.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Vermont at Yale 12/5/15
Yale 72 Vermont 54
Vermont fell apart in the second half and lost big to Yale. The first half was well played by both teams and it looked like it was going to be another back a forth contest with Yale. The Bulldogs had different ideas and took control of the game early in the second half and did not look back. Yale is a very good team and should be the Ivy representative in the NCAA tournament this year. Justin Sears is a great player and Makai Mason has looked tremendous to start his sophomore season. At the beginning of the year I had this game circled as a loss. When Yale got pounded by Albany a week ago, it did not change my feeling because they were without Sears. He is the type of player that changes the entire dynamic for a team. I did think that Vermont would have a better showing but this was a very motivated Yale team. After losing to Albany, Yale has now won the following two games by a combined 57 points. This game was all about the inability to make shots. Much of that credit goes to Yale's defense. The Bulldogs blocked 9 shots and made it difficult to finish at the rim. Vermont also really misses Ernie Duncan's presence from the perimeter. He has been the Cats best shooter by far this year and when he is not in the lineup, Vermont's offense is going to struggle. If Vermont is going to beat a top flight opponent, they need a full squad to do so. Vermont also struggled with fouls for much of the game which did not help them find any rhythm. It comes down to not letting the game get the best of you as a player. Vermont let Yale push them around and beat them down mentally throughout the game. This is going to be very frustrating to Becker and rightfully so. I think Becker is struggling with how to get consistent effort from this Vermont team. I believe what is causing most of the inconsistency is the lack of defined roles. Due to the continued health issues, there has been no continuity in what each player is being asked to do and as a result Becker can not find a consistent rotation. This creates stretches of games where Vermont is off kilter because the lineups are still not used to playing together. Despite the fact that Vermont returned a large part of their core they are working in several new players and for the first time in several years the Cats have a very thin bench. Injuries are part of the game and I cant help but think back to last year when Vermont dealt with several injuries in the early going. They lost several games and looked similarly discombobulated. When Vermont was at full strength they were able to find a rhythm and had success in the conference schedule. That is what the Cats will look to do this year as well. The game against St. Bonaventure becomes a crucial game for Vermont's confidence. St. Bonaventure is an opponent who Vermont can beat when they are at full strength so it will be a good test of how they respond to letting a game get away from them in such a disappointing fashion.
Vermont fell apart in the second half and lost big to Yale. The first half was well played by both teams and it looked like it was going to be another back a forth contest with Yale. The Bulldogs had different ideas and took control of the game early in the second half and did not look back. Yale is a very good team and should be the Ivy representative in the NCAA tournament this year. Justin Sears is a great player and Makai Mason has looked tremendous to start his sophomore season. At the beginning of the year I had this game circled as a loss. When Yale got pounded by Albany a week ago, it did not change my feeling because they were without Sears. He is the type of player that changes the entire dynamic for a team. I did think that Vermont would have a better showing but this was a very motivated Yale team. After losing to Albany, Yale has now won the following two games by a combined 57 points. This game was all about the inability to make shots. Much of that credit goes to Yale's defense. The Bulldogs blocked 9 shots and made it difficult to finish at the rim. Vermont also really misses Ernie Duncan's presence from the perimeter. He has been the Cats best shooter by far this year and when he is not in the lineup, Vermont's offense is going to struggle. If Vermont is going to beat a top flight opponent, they need a full squad to do so. Vermont also struggled with fouls for much of the game which did not help them find any rhythm. It comes down to not letting the game get the best of you as a player. Vermont let Yale push them around and beat them down mentally throughout the game. This is going to be very frustrating to Becker and rightfully so. I think Becker is struggling with how to get consistent effort from this Vermont team. I believe what is causing most of the inconsistency is the lack of defined roles. Due to the continued health issues, there has been no continuity in what each player is being asked to do and as a result Becker can not find a consistent rotation. This creates stretches of games where Vermont is off kilter because the lineups are still not used to playing together. Despite the fact that Vermont returned a large part of their core they are working in several new players and for the first time in several years the Cats have a very thin bench. Injuries are part of the game and I cant help but think back to last year when Vermont dealt with several injuries in the early going. They lost several games and looked similarly discombobulated. When Vermont was at full strength they were able to find a rhythm and had success in the conference schedule. That is what the Cats will look to do this year as well. The game against St. Bonaventure becomes a crucial game for Vermont's confidence. St. Bonaventure is an opponent who Vermont can beat when they are at full strength so it will be a good test of how they respond to letting a game get away from them in such a disappointing fashion.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Vermont at Dartmouth 12/2/15
Vermont 68 Dartmouth 63
When Vermont and Dartmouth play it can be expected that the game will be close, hard fought, and ugly. This game did not buck that trend and Vermont was able to rise from the rubble with a victory. Winning on the road is tough and a rivalry game makes it even tougher. The task became more difficult due to the fact that Vermont was without Ernie Duncan who suffered a concussion during the Marist game. Health continues to be a struggle for Vermont and it is no surprise that without their best shooter from deep, the Cats struggled from the perimeter. This should be the post where Ethan O'Day gets nothing but adulation for posting a 16 point, 8 rebound, 3 block night. He scored tough buckets underneath and played with grit and determination. Unfortunately what really sticks out is the 4-12 shooting from the free throw line. That is a pitiful number and it is made worse by the fact that most of those misses were in crunch time when Vermont was trying to put the game away. Poor O'Day just cant put it all together in the same game. Something always seems to be lacking. Nonetheless, O'Day did what senior captains do on the road and that is set the tone and play tough. Kurt Steidl put together another nice night on the boards and hit some crucial free throws. Trae Bell-Haynes also had a nice game with 15 points. Cam Ward continued his strong play and hit a big shot down the stretch. For Vermont to win a tough game on the road without one of their top players is a step in the right direction. The Cats will have to hope for a healthy Duncan on Saturday for a tough road game against preseason Ivy favorite Yale. They will need all hands on deck in what should be another grinder.
When Vermont and Dartmouth play it can be expected that the game will be close, hard fought, and ugly. This game did not buck that trend and Vermont was able to rise from the rubble with a victory. Winning on the road is tough and a rivalry game makes it even tougher. The task became more difficult due to the fact that Vermont was without Ernie Duncan who suffered a concussion during the Marist game. Health continues to be a struggle for Vermont and it is no surprise that without their best shooter from deep, the Cats struggled from the perimeter. This should be the post where Ethan O'Day gets nothing but adulation for posting a 16 point, 8 rebound, 3 block night. He scored tough buckets underneath and played with grit and determination. Unfortunately what really sticks out is the 4-12 shooting from the free throw line. That is a pitiful number and it is made worse by the fact that most of those misses were in crunch time when Vermont was trying to put the game away. Poor O'Day just cant put it all together in the same game. Something always seems to be lacking. Nonetheless, O'Day did what senior captains do on the road and that is set the tone and play tough. Kurt Steidl put together another nice night on the boards and hit some crucial free throws. Trae Bell-Haynes also had a nice game with 15 points. Cam Ward continued his strong play and hit a big shot down the stretch. For Vermont to win a tough game on the road without one of their top players is a step in the right direction. The Cats will have to hope for a healthy Duncan on Saturday for a tough road game against preseason Ivy favorite Yale. They will need all hands on deck in what should be another grinder.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Marist at Vermont 11/29/15
Vermont 86 Marist 60
The Cats returned home and dominated the Marist Red Foxes. Using a significant size advantage, Vermont dominated the paint, crushing Marist on the boards (46-20) and getting easy buckets down low. This is a game the Vermont is supposed to win and they did it in convincing fashion. The return of Dre Wills is a wonderful thing and watching this game it is easy to see how important he is to Vermont. This game would have been very different and that is a testament to how many different ways Dre can affect the game. He shut down Marist's best scorer on the defensive side of the ball and it is no accident that the Cats' best team defensive effort of the year coincided with Dre's return. On the offensive side of the ball Dre stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. He got to the rim at will and flew all over the glass. He can affect the game in so many ways that he is one of the few players that can change the entire team dynamic. His health the rest of the season will be the biggest factor in Vermont's success. It looked like the week off helped Kurt Steidl as he responded with his best offensive game of the season. What made Steidl's game really special was the addition of the one dribble pull up jumper. Steidl hit about four of those shots and it added a great dimension to his game. His growth as a player has been tremendous and if his health can also improve, Vermont will have the full team they need. Darren Payen continues to look great. He hit shots from all over the floor and hustled after every lose ball and rebound. He is contributing more than was expected and it has given Vermont a potent 1-2 punch underneath. Overall the Cats effort was the best it has looked all season. Many players were diving for lose balls and getting tough rebounds. That is the kind off effort Vermont will need to demonstrate night in and night out to sustain success. Nate Rohrer was impressive again finishing creatively around the rim and hitting from the outside. He is the perfect type of player for Vermont's system and plays hard on every possession. Now it is back on the road to face Dartmouth on Wednesday. It will be a good test to see if the Cats can bring the same intensity they had at home into a road environment. One of the other interesting story lines will be Trae Bell-Haynes adjusting to coming off the bench. He had a very uneven game this afternoon, looking great finishing around the rim but looking lost when trying to pass the ball. It will be a great battle between him and Ernie Duncan for minutes and will most likely be very match-up dependent. This upcoming three game road trip will be a great litmus test now that Vermont is back at full strength.
The Cats returned home and dominated the Marist Red Foxes. Using a significant size advantage, Vermont dominated the paint, crushing Marist on the boards (46-20) and getting easy buckets down low. This is a game the Vermont is supposed to win and they did it in convincing fashion. The return of Dre Wills is a wonderful thing and watching this game it is easy to see how important he is to Vermont. This game would have been very different and that is a testament to how many different ways Dre can affect the game. He shut down Marist's best scorer on the defensive side of the ball and it is no accident that the Cats' best team defensive effort of the year coincided with Dre's return. On the offensive side of the ball Dre stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. He got to the rim at will and flew all over the glass. He can affect the game in so many ways that he is one of the few players that can change the entire team dynamic. His health the rest of the season will be the biggest factor in Vermont's success. It looked like the week off helped Kurt Steidl as he responded with his best offensive game of the season. What made Steidl's game really special was the addition of the one dribble pull up jumper. Steidl hit about four of those shots and it added a great dimension to his game. His growth as a player has been tremendous and if his health can also improve, Vermont will have the full team they need. Darren Payen continues to look great. He hit shots from all over the floor and hustled after every lose ball and rebound. He is contributing more than was expected and it has given Vermont a potent 1-2 punch underneath. Overall the Cats effort was the best it has looked all season. Many players were diving for lose balls and getting tough rebounds. That is the kind off effort Vermont will need to demonstrate night in and night out to sustain success. Nate Rohrer was impressive again finishing creatively around the rim and hitting from the outside. He is the perfect type of player for Vermont's system and plays hard on every possession. Now it is back on the road to face Dartmouth on Wednesday. It will be a good test to see if the Cats can bring the same intensity they had at home into a road environment. One of the other interesting story lines will be Trae Bell-Haynes adjusting to coming off the bench. He had a very uneven game this afternoon, looking great finishing around the rim but looking lost when trying to pass the ball. It will be a great battle between him and Ernie Duncan for minutes and will most likely be very match-up dependent. This upcoming three game road trip will be a great litmus test now that Vermont is back at full strength.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Vermont at Florida 11/25/15
Florida 86 Vermont 62
And that concludes the most difficult portion of Vermont's non conference schedule.
Vermont hung with Florida for about 70% of the game before succumbing to the heavily favored opponent. For the first part of the game, Vermont held their own on the boards and limited the points off turnovers. Eventually the turnovers became to numerous and the second chance opportunities were converted by Florida. Right when Vermont made a run, the Gators got hot from behind the arc and that was all she wrote. From this point on there are many winnable games and more games in the comforts of Patrick gym. Vermont is struggling with their team identity so far this season. They have been a great defensive team for a long time and every team that Becker has coached has played tough D. With all of the newfound offensive success, the defensive side of the ball is taking a backseat. It is clear that this bothers Becker based on his postgame comments and he wants the team to get tough and more physical. Vermont needs to find a way to balance the offensive efficiency with the same tenacious defense they have played in the past seasons. This next stretch will be crucial to the development of that mentality. Everett Duncan played well as a replacement for Kurt Steidl (resting his ankle) scoring 8 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. It is great to see him get a few minutes as he may be called upon to play some minutes as the season wears on. Cam Ward put together another solid effort getting a double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. In the interesting stat department, Cam Ward now has two double digit rebounding games in 40 career games while Ethan O'Day has two double digit rebounding games in 98 career games. That is a sobering look into O'Day's difficulties on the boards and a compliment to Wards abilities. It was great to see Dre Wills back out on the floor and I hope he can stay healthy because the Vermont really needs him. The game against Marist on Sunday should be a good test of where Vermont is in the process of coming together as a team this season.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!
And that concludes the most difficult portion of Vermont's non conference schedule.
Vermont hung with Florida for about 70% of the game before succumbing to the heavily favored opponent. For the first part of the game, Vermont held their own on the boards and limited the points off turnovers. Eventually the turnovers became to numerous and the second chance opportunities were converted by Florida. Right when Vermont made a run, the Gators got hot from behind the arc and that was all she wrote. From this point on there are many winnable games and more games in the comforts of Patrick gym. Vermont is struggling with their team identity so far this season. They have been a great defensive team for a long time and every team that Becker has coached has played tough D. With all of the newfound offensive success, the defensive side of the ball is taking a backseat. It is clear that this bothers Becker based on his postgame comments and he wants the team to get tough and more physical. Vermont needs to find a way to balance the offensive efficiency with the same tenacious defense they have played in the past seasons. This next stretch will be crucial to the development of that mentality. Everett Duncan played well as a replacement for Kurt Steidl (resting his ankle) scoring 8 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. It is great to see him get a few minutes as he may be called upon to play some minutes as the season wears on. Cam Ward put together another solid effort getting a double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. In the interesting stat department, Cam Ward now has two double digit rebounding games in 40 career games while Ethan O'Day has two double digit rebounding games in 98 career games. That is a sobering look into O'Day's difficulties on the boards and a compliment to Wards abilities. It was great to see Dre Wills back out on the floor and I hope he can stay healthy because the Vermont really needs him. The game against Marist on Sunday should be a good test of where Vermont is in the process of coming together as a team this season.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Vermont vs. Buffalo 11/22/15
Buffalo 77 Vermont 71
The mistakes and turnovers caught up to Vermont in the loss to Buffalo. It was an uneven effort for the Cats. Vermont battled back from several second half deficits and ran some good sets. For most of game however, the Cats were pushed around by Buffalo and turned the ball over in crucial situations. The turnovers were careless and unforced and seemed to happen due to Vermont struggling with Buffalo's size underneath. Buffalo did a great job keeping Vermont from getting to the rim cutting off passing lanes. Vermont looked disjointed and they could not find an effective lineup. Even the coaching staff seemed unsure as some of the defensive switches were unnecessary and the substitutions were not as smooth as the last few games. Buffalo executed down the stretch and never let Vermont get comfortable. To me this game ended up being about the timing of the mistakes that Vermont made. Often they were on crucial possessions or times when they were building momentum and the turnovers often came in bunches. This allowed Buffalo too many chances to reverse the momentum and maintain control of the game. This is a game where the Cats are going to look at the tape and lament their missed opportunities, Ethan O'Day in particular looked awful. He turned the ball over, struggled finishing, and missed free throws. He looked physically over matched and unable to get out of his own way. He needs to cut down on the mistakes as they are detracting from the things he is doing well. Trae Bell-Haynes struggled in the game as well. Coming off such a great game the previous night, it wasn't a surprise to see him force the ball. He tried to do to much and ended up in tough situations which caused him to turn the ball over and miss shots. Unlike the previous games where he had success playing patiently, he was back to playing at one speed and rushing though the Cats offense. On the positive side Vermont did hold their own on the boards and Darren Payen in particular grabbed some tough rebounds. I don't really want to say he looked good as he also got beat on the boards several times, but he is getting tougher rebounds than he did even a few games ago. Hopefully that aspect of his game can continue to improve. Ernie Duncan continues to impress from the three point line as he finished the weekend 8-11 from three and at one point made 7 straight over the two game span. His shooting ability has been better than advertised. I wrote last night how poorly Cam Ward had been playing to start the year and I was hoping he would snap out of the funk. I didn't have to wait very long as Ward played a strong game. He finished with 11 points and finally looked comfortable and confident on the court. A tough loss for Vermont and now it is on the Florida which will be another tough game. Vermont is certainly taking their lumps early, and the hope is that it will serve them well as the season wears on.
The mistakes and turnovers caught up to Vermont in the loss to Buffalo. It was an uneven effort for the Cats. Vermont battled back from several second half deficits and ran some good sets. For most of game however, the Cats were pushed around by Buffalo and turned the ball over in crucial situations. The turnovers were careless and unforced and seemed to happen due to Vermont struggling with Buffalo's size underneath. Buffalo did a great job keeping Vermont from getting to the rim cutting off passing lanes. Vermont looked disjointed and they could not find an effective lineup. Even the coaching staff seemed unsure as some of the defensive switches were unnecessary and the substitutions were not as smooth as the last few games. Buffalo executed down the stretch and never let Vermont get comfortable. To me this game ended up being about the timing of the mistakes that Vermont made. Often they were on crucial possessions or times when they were building momentum and the turnovers often came in bunches. This allowed Buffalo too many chances to reverse the momentum and maintain control of the game. This is a game where the Cats are going to look at the tape and lament their missed opportunities, Ethan O'Day in particular looked awful. He turned the ball over, struggled finishing, and missed free throws. He looked physically over matched and unable to get out of his own way. He needs to cut down on the mistakes as they are detracting from the things he is doing well. Trae Bell-Haynes struggled in the game as well. Coming off such a great game the previous night, it wasn't a surprise to see him force the ball. He tried to do to much and ended up in tough situations which caused him to turn the ball over and miss shots. Unlike the previous games where he had success playing patiently, he was back to playing at one speed and rushing though the Cats offense. On the positive side Vermont did hold their own on the boards and Darren Payen in particular grabbed some tough rebounds. I don't really want to say he looked good as he also got beat on the boards several times, but he is getting tougher rebounds than he did even a few games ago. Hopefully that aspect of his game can continue to improve. Ernie Duncan continues to impress from the three point line as he finished the weekend 8-11 from three and at one point made 7 straight over the two game span. His shooting ability has been better than advertised. I wrote last night how poorly Cam Ward had been playing to start the year and I was hoping he would snap out of the funk. I didn't have to wait very long as Ward played a strong game. He finished with 11 points and finally looked comfortable and confident on the court. A tough loss for Vermont and now it is on the Florida which will be another tough game. Vermont is certainly taking their lumps early, and the hope is that it will serve them well as the season wears on.
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