UMass Lowell 93 Vermont 82
Well....that is the game that has finally shaken my faith and has me questioning where this team is headed. Vermont was outplayed from the opening tip, in every facet of the game, and looked like a team who is completely lost. The players from UMass Lowell looked confident and sure of their game plan. Every time the Cats made a run, Lowell responded by knocking down a big shot. They played a great game so before I delve into the reasons why Vermont is lost right now I will congratulate Lowell on a perfectly executed game plan. This game exposed so many of the flaws that this team has been hiding and overcoming to start the season. First and foremost, the lack of toughness on this team is becoming alarming. Last year with a very similar group, they never seemed to be out of a game and were always one run away from taking control. This year once the ball starts rolling downhill, they look powerless to stop it. This goes for every player on the team. The Cats are just folding under pressure every step of the way. This is especially evident on the defensive side of the ball. The defense is a complete mess, especially in the first half. Here are the conference first half points given up 40, 34, 42, 45. Here are the second half points given up 32, 35, 26, 48. The Lowell game was the first time that a team continued to score at a high pace throughout the entire game. The rotations are just awful and Becker cannot seem to find any combination that is able to make the right decisions. There is not a very clear solution to the struggles on defense because if the players don't have the rotations and schemes down by now, it is unlikely they are going to suddenly figure them out. On offense, Vermont is really struggling to consistently make shots. There are stretches in each game where the Cats miss several layups and cannot finish around the rim. That makes them rely heavily on their perimeter shooting which at this point is exclusively the three point line. They are getting absolutely nothing in the mid-range. That is allowing teams to pressure the ball without fear, because if they get beat they only have to cover the paint. Someone has to start taking and making some mid-range jumpers. The three point shooting has begun to drop off and that is squarely on the shoulders of Ernie Duncan and Kurt Steidl. Duncan is 0-11 from three in the last two home games and Steidl is 8-30 from three over his last seven games. Tonight they were a combined 0-9 from three and none of them were really even close. Both players look slow and seem to be playing through an injury as they do not look like the same players that started the season. Vermont is a complete mess as a team and some of the flaws are looking like they will be tough to overcome. This team has been overcoming obstacles at a steady pace over the last two seasons but they may have finally reached a breaking point. With the always difficult Binghamton road game coming up on Thursday they don't even have time to lick their wounds. I thoroughly dislike the Binghamton away game each year as Vermont always plays incredibly poorly. I would like to say that they cannot play any worse than they did tonight but right now I just don't know.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Vermont at Hartford 1/16/16
Vermont 83 Hartford 68
Vermont rebounded from a tough first half to win on the road at Hartford. To begin the game the Cats pounded the ball inside and looked like they would dominate. Then Trae Bell-Haynes went down with what looked like a pretty serious injury and Vermont lost their focus. On offense they stopped getting the ball inside and settled for too many jumpers. On defense they let Hartford dictate the pace of play and let them run their sets with little resistance. Hartford caught fire from three and erased a 17 point deficit to go into halftime with a 42-39 lead. The Cats went to the locker room, regained their focus, and played tough defense in the second half. Vermont held Hartford to 1-12 shooting from three in the second half after allowing 9-14 from three in the first half. The star of the game was Ethan O'Day. The senior leader dominated from the opening tip on his way to a career high 24 points. O'Day added 10 rebounds and 6 blocks for his 3rd career double double. Cam Ward also stepped up in a big way. With Bell-Haynes going down, Ward was forced to play huge minutes and responded by scoring 17 points and dishing out 7 assists. The depth that Vermont has at point guard certainly saved the day. Several players stepped up after being thrust into bigger roles. Nate Rohrer got his first start of the year and responded by playing tough defense and grabbing several key offensive rebounds. He also threw in 4 assists for good measure. The numbers don't tell the whole story as Rohrer does all the little things that help a team win. Everett Duncan came off the bench and went 3-3 from three, scoring a career high 11 points. Ernie Duncan rebounded from the worst game of his young career, scoring 15 points and looking much more comfortable out on the court. The Cats cannot seem to catch break as just when they are about to get Dre Wills back and finally play with a full team.....Bell-Haynes gets hurt. I hope he recovers soon but I would have to think he will miss some time. Losing Bell-Haynes is a huge blow as he has been on a tear and one of the most consistent players on Vermont all year. The Cats have a quick turnaround as they host UMass Lowell on Monday night. That game will be the first for Wills in quite and while and due to the Bell-Haynes injury, he may have to play big minutes right away.
Vermont rebounded from a tough first half to win on the road at Hartford. To begin the game the Cats pounded the ball inside and looked like they would dominate. Then Trae Bell-Haynes went down with what looked like a pretty serious injury and Vermont lost their focus. On offense they stopped getting the ball inside and settled for too many jumpers. On defense they let Hartford dictate the pace of play and let them run their sets with little resistance. Hartford caught fire from three and erased a 17 point deficit to go into halftime with a 42-39 lead. The Cats went to the locker room, regained their focus, and played tough defense in the second half. Vermont held Hartford to 1-12 shooting from three in the second half after allowing 9-14 from three in the first half. The star of the game was Ethan O'Day. The senior leader dominated from the opening tip on his way to a career high 24 points. O'Day added 10 rebounds and 6 blocks for his 3rd career double double. Cam Ward also stepped up in a big way. With Bell-Haynes going down, Ward was forced to play huge minutes and responded by scoring 17 points and dishing out 7 assists. The depth that Vermont has at point guard certainly saved the day. Several players stepped up after being thrust into bigger roles. Nate Rohrer got his first start of the year and responded by playing tough defense and grabbing several key offensive rebounds. He also threw in 4 assists for good measure. The numbers don't tell the whole story as Rohrer does all the little things that help a team win. Everett Duncan came off the bench and went 3-3 from three, scoring a career high 11 points. Ernie Duncan rebounded from the worst game of his young career, scoring 15 points and looking much more comfortable out on the court. The Cats cannot seem to catch break as just when they are about to get Dre Wills back and finally play with a full team.....Bell-Haynes gets hurt. I hope he recovers soon but I would have to think he will miss some time. Losing Bell-Haynes is a huge blow as he has been on a tear and one of the most consistent players on Vermont all year. The Cats have a quick turnaround as they host UMass Lowell on Monday night. That game will be the first for Wills in quite and while and due to the Bell-Haynes injury, he may have to play big minutes right away.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Albany at Vermont 1/9/2016
Albany 69 Vermont 57
Vermont got off to a slow start and never recovered, losing to Albany in their conference home opener. This game really boiled down to Vermont's inability to make shots. Ethan O'Day and Ernie Duncan shot a combined 2-15 which included 0-7 from three by Duncan. It is pretty difficult to win a game when two of your top scorers throw up bricks. Duncan looked completely out of sorts as he also had 4 turnovers and never really looked comfortable on the court. He is a freshman and is bound to have games like that, but it happened at a really bad time. I have to wonder if he is dealing with a nagging injury from the Harvard game. He certainly did not look like himself. The bottom line is if Vermont makes shots they are in the game. Albany won the battle on the boards as expected but Vermont was supposed to make up for that deficit with better perimeter shooting. Albany's three point shooting is abysmal as they shot 1-11 from three, continuing a trend for them this season. Albany plays very smart and disciplined which makes it hard for teams to go on a run against them. Without being able to string baskets together, Vermont couldn't make up for the early deficit. My one significant complaint from the game is the referee's. The rules changes in college basketball were supposed to be enforced the whole season and teams would have to adjust. I can say with certainty that the points of emphasis were lost on this officiating crew. Albany plays a very physical style of defense and under the old rules that was allowable. In the game today many of the rule changes that are supposed to be allowing for freedom of movement were not called. This is a frustrating as a fan because it seems as though once again the officials are bowing to the coaches wishes and calling the game dictated by how the coaches want. There has to be clarity because right now their are significant inconsistencies game to game. That inconsistency is not fair to the players and game to game they need to know what type of basketball is going to be played. Rant over. In this game today you could again see how much Vermont misses Dre Wills. He brings the toughness, physicality, and tenacity that every team needs in games against top teams. One more game without Wills. Nate Rohrer re-injured his knee and if he goes down it is going to be a significant loss. He has really solidified the frontcourt and does all the dirty work for Vermont. The one positive from the game was in the second half, Kurt Steidl attacked the basket very well. He showed some toughness and grit after struggling in the first half and had a nice game. Thankfully this game is early in the season and Vermont has time to sort things out and get better. There was nothing in the game today that can't be fixed for Vermont and Albany is not so far above Vermont that they can't be beat. Albany won this game and Vermont has to learn from their mistakes and be ready to get after Albany on the road.
Vermont got off to a slow start and never recovered, losing to Albany in their conference home opener. This game really boiled down to Vermont's inability to make shots. Ethan O'Day and Ernie Duncan shot a combined 2-15 which included 0-7 from three by Duncan. It is pretty difficult to win a game when two of your top scorers throw up bricks. Duncan looked completely out of sorts as he also had 4 turnovers and never really looked comfortable on the court. He is a freshman and is bound to have games like that, but it happened at a really bad time. I have to wonder if he is dealing with a nagging injury from the Harvard game. He certainly did not look like himself. The bottom line is if Vermont makes shots they are in the game. Albany won the battle on the boards as expected but Vermont was supposed to make up for that deficit with better perimeter shooting. Albany's three point shooting is abysmal as they shot 1-11 from three, continuing a trend for them this season. Albany plays very smart and disciplined which makes it hard for teams to go on a run against them. Without being able to string baskets together, Vermont couldn't make up for the early deficit. My one significant complaint from the game is the referee's. The rules changes in college basketball were supposed to be enforced the whole season and teams would have to adjust. I can say with certainty that the points of emphasis were lost on this officiating crew. Albany plays a very physical style of defense and under the old rules that was allowable. In the game today many of the rule changes that are supposed to be allowing for freedom of movement were not called. This is a frustrating as a fan because it seems as though once again the officials are bowing to the coaches wishes and calling the game dictated by how the coaches want. There has to be clarity because right now their are significant inconsistencies game to game. That inconsistency is not fair to the players and game to game they need to know what type of basketball is going to be played. Rant over. In this game today you could again see how much Vermont misses Dre Wills. He brings the toughness, physicality, and tenacity that every team needs in games against top teams. One more game without Wills. Nate Rohrer re-injured his knee and if he goes down it is going to be a significant loss. He has really solidified the frontcourt and does all the dirty work for Vermont. The one positive from the game was in the second half, Kurt Steidl attacked the basket very well. He showed some toughness and grit after struggling in the first half and had a nice game. Thankfully this game is early in the season and Vermont has time to sort things out and get better. There was nothing in the game today that can't be fixed for Vermont and Albany is not so far above Vermont that they can't be beat. Albany won this game and Vermont has to learn from their mistakes and be ready to get after Albany on the road.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Vermont at Maine 1/6/16
Vermont 90 Maine 72
Vermont used a strong second half to put Maine away in their conference opener. In the first half the Cats played lackluster defense which gave Maine too many easy looks. In the second half Vermont clamped down on defense and forced Maine into turnovers and bad shots. Vermont scored at will for the entire game as Maine played little to no defense. Bob Walsh is installing a fast paced style with a lot of trapping on defense and it will be interesting to see when he gets a full team of "his" players what they can do. With the current Maine team they end up giving the opposing team too many wide open shots because once the pressure is broken there is no back line to defend the rim. I was surprised at how poor Maine looked, especially on defense. Vermont took advantage and never took their foot off the gas. A big shout out to Ethan O'Day for scoring his 1000th point in the game. That is a testament to his impact on the program from the moment he stepped on the floor. O'Day finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in what was a very strong all around game. Trae Bell-Haynes has been great all year and many superlatives have been thrown his way. Tonight he was literally unstoppable and it felt like he could have scored 40. Bell-Haynes finished with 27 points as he was able to blow by any defender that Maine could throw at him. I thought the key to the improved defense was Nate Rohrer. He played most of the second half because once again Darren Payen was getting taken advantage of on the defensive end. Rohrer missed a few bunnies at the rim but did all the little things well throughout the second half. Most everyone who played for Vermont contributed positively and now it is on to a big game with Albany on Saturday in the conference home opener. The Albany games are always big in what is a very intense rivalry and this one will be no different. In order to Vermont to compete for the title they have to win at home. It also serves as a great early season measuring stick for the Cats. Both teams are playing their best basketball of the season and it will no doubt be a tough, physical affair.
Vermont used a strong second half to put Maine away in their conference opener. In the first half the Cats played lackluster defense which gave Maine too many easy looks. In the second half Vermont clamped down on defense and forced Maine into turnovers and bad shots. Vermont scored at will for the entire game as Maine played little to no defense. Bob Walsh is installing a fast paced style with a lot of trapping on defense and it will be interesting to see when he gets a full team of "his" players what they can do. With the current Maine team they end up giving the opposing team too many wide open shots because once the pressure is broken there is no back line to defend the rim. I was surprised at how poor Maine looked, especially on defense. Vermont took advantage and never took their foot off the gas. A big shout out to Ethan O'Day for scoring his 1000th point in the game. That is a testament to his impact on the program from the moment he stepped on the floor. O'Day finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in what was a very strong all around game. Trae Bell-Haynes has been great all year and many superlatives have been thrown his way. Tonight he was literally unstoppable and it felt like he could have scored 40. Bell-Haynes finished with 27 points as he was able to blow by any defender that Maine could throw at him. I thought the key to the improved defense was Nate Rohrer. He played most of the second half because once again Darren Payen was getting taken advantage of on the defensive end. Rohrer missed a few bunnies at the rim but did all the little things well throughout the second half. Most everyone who played for Vermont contributed positively and now it is on to a big game with Albany on Saturday in the conference home opener. The Albany games are always big in what is a very intense rivalry and this one will be no different. In order to Vermont to compete for the title they have to win at home. It also serves as a great early season measuring stick for the Cats. Both teams are playing their best basketball of the season and it will no doubt be a tough, physical affair.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Vermont at Harvard 1/3/16
Vermont 65 Harvard 62
Vermont opens 2016 with their most complete effort of the season. Harvard and Vermont are two of the most consistent programs in New England. Winning on the road at Harvard is exceptionally difficult. Anytime the Cats can beat a team and program of this caliber is a great game. Couple that with the fact that the on court performance was very sharp for the second consecutive game and Vermont is a team heading in the right direction. Consider that Vermont committed a season low 9 turnovers and put together their best defensive effort of the season on the road where they had been struggling mightily this season. The Cats fought off every Harvard rally and battled until the end to secure the victory. Vermont's defense looked tight and the rotations were as sharp as they have been this season. At the center of it all, Ethan O'Day is finally asserting himself on both ends of the floor. O'Day looked good on the offensive end and showed off his full repertoire of offensive skills. He has been and will be the key to the Cats success. Helping solidify the frontcourt, Drew Urquhart continued his strong play finishing with 6 points and 10 rebounds. Drew U's emergence has allowed Becker to hide Darren Payen's defensive deficiencies. Being able to insert Payen in small spurts maximizes his offensive abilities and keeps the opposing team from taking advantage of the match up. Drew U finally looks confident and understands where he needs to be on the floor. Many of the big shots today were made by Ernie Duncan, who has slowly been expanding his game inside of the three point line. He is starting to get more comfortable going to the rim as he trusts his body more and more coming off the back injury. Trae Bell-Haynes hit another crucial three pointer and is making teams pay for leaving him open. He is getting harder and harder to stop as he gains confidence in his jumper. After all of the negativity surrounding this team in the early going, Vermont finished a strong 8-7 in the non-conference and is showing signs of improvement in each game. When a team is incorporating new pieces and relying on young players, it takes time for everyone to find their footing. Vermont has the look of a team that will be a tough match up in a much improved conference. There are going to be less cupcakes in the America East schedule this year and every team is going to have to come out focused each night in order to win games. Now the season really begins and it is going to be exciting to see which team can survive and come out on top.
Vermont opens 2016 with their most complete effort of the season. Harvard and Vermont are two of the most consistent programs in New England. Winning on the road at Harvard is exceptionally difficult. Anytime the Cats can beat a team and program of this caliber is a great game. Couple that with the fact that the on court performance was very sharp for the second consecutive game and Vermont is a team heading in the right direction. Consider that Vermont committed a season low 9 turnovers and put together their best defensive effort of the season on the road where they had been struggling mightily this season. The Cats fought off every Harvard rally and battled until the end to secure the victory. Vermont's defense looked tight and the rotations were as sharp as they have been this season. At the center of it all, Ethan O'Day is finally asserting himself on both ends of the floor. O'Day looked good on the offensive end and showed off his full repertoire of offensive skills. He has been and will be the key to the Cats success. Helping solidify the frontcourt, Drew Urquhart continued his strong play finishing with 6 points and 10 rebounds. Drew U's emergence has allowed Becker to hide Darren Payen's defensive deficiencies. Being able to insert Payen in small spurts maximizes his offensive abilities and keeps the opposing team from taking advantage of the match up. Drew U finally looks confident and understands where he needs to be on the floor. Many of the big shots today were made by Ernie Duncan, who has slowly been expanding his game inside of the three point line. He is starting to get more comfortable going to the rim as he trusts his body more and more coming off the back injury. Trae Bell-Haynes hit another crucial three pointer and is making teams pay for leaving him open. He is getting harder and harder to stop as he gains confidence in his jumper. After all of the negativity surrounding this team in the early going, Vermont finished a strong 8-7 in the non-conference and is showing signs of improvement in each game. When a team is incorporating new pieces and relying on young players, it takes time for everyone to find their footing. Vermont has the look of a team that will be a tough match up in a much improved conference. There are going to be less cupcakes in the America East schedule this year and every team is going to have to come out focused each night in order to win games. Now the season really begins and it is going to be exciting to see which team can survive and come out on top.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
100th post!! (Siena at Vermont) 12/29/15
It is cool to have reached the 100th post mark and I want to thank everyone who reads the blog. Each time I see the number of page views go up it feeds my motivation to keep going. It has been a busy holiday for me and as a result I did not write up the Northeastern game or any reaction to the Dre Wills situation. Here are a few quick thoughts. Northeastern is a very good team and even though there were some concerning things about that game, I think it was a step in the right direction. Vermont only played 7 guys and still hung around for 75% percent of a tough road match up. If (and this is a big if) Vermont does have a full squad at some point, they will execute better on the court and thus win more games. Speaking of not having a full squad, eight games for selling books? That is complete garbage. Wills should have known better but it is not like it was a criminal act. A poor college kid trying to make a few extra bucks, oh no!!! The integrity of the game is at risk. Coaches who breaks rules for years and years get lesser or equal suspensions. Eight games is a ludicrous number. He should have received somewhere in the 2-4 range and learned his lesson. Anyway, I cant wait to have him back. That is all the ranting for today....now on to the game...
Vermont 73 Siena 64
Vermont continued their recent dominance over Siena winning their sixth straight over the Saints. The Cats struggled in the first half letting Siena push them around and getting crushed on the boards. Then after a back and forth beginning to the second half, Trae Bell-Haynes took over. Bell-Haynes scored 7 straight points to stretch the Vermont lead and ultimately put the game away. He finished with 19 points and 5 assists while running the Cats offense efficiently and effectively. Vermont made timely shots in the second half and cashed in at the free throw line. Siena struggled from the free throw line throughout the game and it allowed Vermont to hang around. The Saints were without their best player Marquis Wright, who may be out for the season with a foot injury. There were times when it was apparent that the Saints were lacking a go to scorer on the offensive end. This made it even more important for Vermont to take advantage, get the win, and push their record to 7-7. Ethan O'Day played tough and gritty in this one and it was nice to see him assert himself on the defensive end. O'Day struggled to score but finished with 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. Those are the type of contributions Vermont needs from him night in and night out. Kurt Steidl scored an efficient 15 points by shooting 4-5 from the field (3-4 from three) and 4-4 from the free throw line. He really has been the steady hand for Vermont this year. Don't look know but Drew Urquhart has put together quite a nice string of games. He has scored in double figures in three straight and here are his numbers over the last 5 games: 27 mpg, 48% shooting, 9.6 ppg, and 6.4 rpg. Those are big contributions and he may have finally worked himself out of Becker's doghouse. This is the Drew U that Vermont saw down the stretch last year. If Vermont can continue to get that type of production from him, their frontcourt will get a little bit tougher. A great win and a total team effort. One more road contest before conference play at Harvard on Sunday. It would be great to get a road win before diving into conference play. Vermont has struggled mightily on the road and predicting their performance up to this point has been a difficult task. Harvard is always a tough match up and Vermont will have to bottle up some of the toughness and grit they showed in the win today and take it down the highway. I wish everyone a Happy New Year and again, thanks for reading.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Fisher at Vermont 12/19/15
Vermont 84 Fisher 37
In a game where the result was never in doubt, it is how Vermont played that matters. In the past I have personally watched Vermont teams slog through these match ups with no energy and poor play. In today's game the Cats did several positive things and played with energy. In a season where they have faced a fair amount of adversity it is important to feel some success. For players who are struggling it is important to see some shots fall through the net and start to build momentum. It is also an opportunity for Becker to evaluate every player. Already this season Vermont has been forced to juggle lineups due to injury (and a suspension). As the season wears on there are going to be times where some of the other guys on the bench need to be ready to play minutes. Today Dylan Sinnickson certainly was able to showcase what he can bring to the Cats. It was no coincidence that with the lower level of opponent, Dylan was able to log more successful minutes. However, if he can learn the offense and some of the finer points of the game, he could find some positive minutes later in the season. Dylan is an exceptional athlete and a very strong rebounder. Those are two aspects of his game that can definitely get him on the court. He also showcased a very nice shooting touch and I think most importantly showed that in the right situation he could be valuable. I am by no means saying he is going to start playing every game, but in a pinch due to foul trouble or injury he may be able to contribute. Either way what a great game for him to get a double double (11 points, 12 rebounds) for the Cats. I will also say that during this stretch of tough games and turmoil, Cam Ward has quietly been Vermont's most consistent player. He has scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games and still has a knack for hitting big shots. He is the young player this year who seems to be stepping up and becoming a bit of a leader on the team. Now it is off to Northeastern which will be a very tough game on the road. Hopefully Vermont can use some of the positive momentum to put together a full effort away from Patrick Gym.
In a game where the result was never in doubt, it is how Vermont played that matters. In the past I have personally watched Vermont teams slog through these match ups with no energy and poor play. In today's game the Cats did several positive things and played with energy. In a season where they have faced a fair amount of adversity it is important to feel some success. For players who are struggling it is important to see some shots fall through the net and start to build momentum. It is also an opportunity for Becker to evaluate every player. Already this season Vermont has been forced to juggle lineups due to injury (and a suspension). As the season wears on there are going to be times where some of the other guys on the bench need to be ready to play minutes. Today Dylan Sinnickson certainly was able to showcase what he can bring to the Cats. It was no coincidence that with the lower level of opponent, Dylan was able to log more successful minutes. However, if he can learn the offense and some of the finer points of the game, he could find some positive minutes later in the season. Dylan is an exceptional athlete and a very strong rebounder. Those are two aspects of his game that can definitely get him on the court. He also showcased a very nice shooting touch and I think most importantly showed that in the right situation he could be valuable. I am by no means saying he is going to start playing every game, but in a pinch due to foul trouble or injury he may be able to contribute. Either way what a great game for him to get a double double (11 points, 12 rebounds) for the Cats. I will also say that during this stretch of tough games and turmoil, Cam Ward has quietly been Vermont's most consistent player. He has scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games and still has a knack for hitting big shots. He is the young player this year who seems to be stepping up and becoming a bit of a leader on the team. Now it is off to Northeastern which will be a very tough game on the road. Hopefully Vermont can use some of the positive momentum to put together a full effort away from Patrick Gym.
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