Something in the water

Vermont 113 Plattsburgh 62

Apparently the lids are off at Patrick over the last two days. 

After the Vermont women's team scored 137 points last night, the Vermont men came out and scored 113 of their own. Epic back to back nights of shotmaking in Patrick. In the early going, it looked like the struggles were going to continue for the Cats. More missed defensive assignments and miscommunications. I don't know who gave the halftime speech but kudos to them because the Cats came out an entirely different team in the second half. Engaged on both ends, playing connected, and getting out into the open floor. Vermont exploded for 69 second half points and everyone who was dressed got in on the action. The Cats definitely exorcised some of the early season demons and it was great to see the players having fun playing basketball. With the slightly extended "exhibition" season finished, Vermont couldn't have picked a better time to find a little energy, chemistry, and excitement. 

Lucas Mari got his first career start and stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. His performance included an electrifying 4/5 shooting from three. He was able to get out and run in the open floor where he is most comfortable. He loves slinging passes to open shooters and plays with tremendous energy. The coaching staff even got to experiment with Mari at the four and playing him and Sean Blake at the same time. The sky is the limit as he continues his adjustment to the program. Tonight was validation for my initial "Lightning & Thunder" Blake & Mari dynamic point guard duo (although Blake did bring the thunder with a huge dunk to close the first half). Blake came off the bench and stuffed the stat sheet as well with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. He also did a great job finding cutters and getting good looks for his teammates., His free throw shooting also looks much improved. The TJs did their thing, making tough shots look easy and getting physical on defense. Long led the Cats with 18 points and Hurley finished with 13. Noah Barnett and Momo Nkugwa chipped in 9 points apiece. Ben Michaels looked the most inspired after the halftime speech, shaking off a sluggish first half to finish with 4 points and 6 rebounds. He was far more engaged and energetic in the second half. Drew Bessette and Ben Wesson scored their first ever Catamount points and Wesson exploded for a crazy 13 points in only 6 minutes of action.

A great way to go into the weekend and get ready for Brown on Sunday. They are going to have to replace the nets at Patrick after these last two games!

Season Opener

Vermont 75 Western New England 68

The Cats held off a pesky Western New England squad and opened their season with a win. It was another mixed bag with stretches of good play and tough stretches playing through mistakes. In the first half, the Golden Bears came out firing and took an early lead thanks to strong three point shooting. The Cats responded with some shooting of their own and took a ten point lead into the half. In the second half. The Cats were locked in for a stretch and began to expand the lead. Late in the game the physicality got a bit out of hand and the free throw parade began for both teams. This created quite a choppy end of game and the Cats struggled to make their free throws. With Gus Yalden, Trey Woodyard, and Chris Kuzemka in street clothes on the bench, Vermont is still trying to find time playing as a healthy unit to build chemistry. It is clear on the court when combinations are just not clicking yet due to inexperience and a lack of time playing as a single unit. Hopefully this slow ramp up to the Division I opener against Brown this weekend will give the Cats the reps they need. 

TJ Long led the Cats with 18 points in a team high 32 minutes. He looks decisive and quick with his release from the outside. TJ Hurley chipped in 14 points and played tough on the defensive end. David Simon was the other Catamount in double figures with 10 points, including a massive dunk. He also blocked 4 shots on defense and looks like a solid rim protector. The unsung hero as usual was Noah Barnett. He continues to be an endless source of energy and momentum. Barnett finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He is one of those players that charges up his teammates when he is on the court. Lucas Mari flashed some potential with a team high 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and finished with 6 points. His court vision is very good and he has great size and athleticism. It was a bit of an uneven performance with 4 turnovers but his energy was good on defense and he was more comfortable running the offense. Jackson Skipper chipped in 9 points and Ben Johnson knocked down his first two threes as a Catamount. Sean Blake dished out 4 assists but struggled on the defensive end. 

A quick turnaround for their final tune-up on Wednesday before diving into the season proper. With the Women's opener tomorrow as well it will be a Patrick Gym heavy start to my week. Basketball is life!!

Vermont season preview 25-26

Time to dive into some thoughts about the season with college basketball returning tomorrow. Let's get the first part out of the way. The exhibition games were tough games that shed some light on some concerns for Vermont to start the season. With the offensive struggles from last season, the coaching staff has made a shift in their approach and are relying on their track record of teaching defensive principles. With that much flux in personnel and skill set there are going to be some challenges to the beginning of the season, particularly with injury concerns once again rearing their ugly head. This season more than ever, making predictions about performance across college basketball is going to be a challenge early in the season. Lets dive in to some thoughts.

Making predictions

One of my typical processes when getting ready for the college basketball season is to check out the computer predictions on kenpom, t-rank, evanmiya, etc. This year that is honestly pointless for most mid major teams. There are errors all over and with so many teams completely overhauling rosters, those predictive systems are out of whack for the lower tier conferences like the America East. Honestly neither humans nor computers have much of an idea how these teams will perform. As a result, this year I am not going to make a specific prediction on record and more talk about factors that will influence the outcomes of the season. This will result in some absolutely crazy early season results with what I think will be a large performance variance from game to game. I know the saying is always that conference play is what really matters in the one bid leagues, but this year I think that is more present than ever. Teams performance in the non conference and performance in conference are going to likely seem unrelated. 

Team rosters

Just to illustrate that point a bit further, it is hard to know who is even going to be playing for the the teams in the America East. Lets take UMass Lowell as a case study. The River Hawks have been a top tier program for quite a long time but return ZERO of everything. Zero minutes played. How can anyone make a realistic prediction about that team? There are many teams in a very similar situation. The only teams that can say they are returning significant pieces are Vermont and UMBC. Time will tell.

Shooting

Now I can understand how the first two exhibition games may not have highlighted all of the best qualities of the Cats, but they have much, much more shooting than last season. Last year once TJ Long was basically out for the season (so minus his career makes), there were roughly 272 made threes in college on the roster. That is abominably low and it played out that way during the season. Spacing was tough and shots were hard to come by. This season to start with (fully healthy of course), there are 716 made threes in college on the roster. So regardless of whatever initial struggles are ahead, there should be significantly more spacing and shot making ability on this years roster. 

The TJ and TJ show

One thing that was clear during the exhibitions is both TJs are going to give it all they have. Both in their final season and both with something to prove. The revenge tour is going to be a fun ride. TJ Long looks to overcome health challenges that stole his season away and TJ Hurley wants to erase the memory of the America East semifinal. They are as dynamic of a scoring backcourt as there is in mid major basketball. I am crossing every finger, knocking on every piece of wood, praying to every god, for good health for the two of them this season. Watching them out there together is going to be so fun. They give the Cats incredible shot making potential and multiple players to go to when they need a bucket. 

Defense

Through the exhibitions, the defense has been the most glaring difference between this years team and Becker teams of the past. I do think there is some room for hope long term. Most of the errors were with understanding coverages and being out of position. Those are things that can be corrected with time and practice. Long and Hurley are both good defenders with positional size and David Simon has some potential as a rim protector from an off ball position. Without Gus Yalden they are thin in the post, but his return could give them some more physicality.  The rest of the lineup is in a "play defense or don't play" scenario and once there is a consistent rotation of guys that understand the system the defense will improve. Not to the level of the past few seasons, but likely to a serviceable level. 

Betting on talent

This group does involve some big swings on unproven players. Gus Yalden, David Simon, and Lucas Mari are all players that have sky high ceilings but are looking for an opportunity to prove themselves. Yalden's absence with no information is concerning, but when he gets to the court, he will be a big time swing player for the Cats. His ability as a screener and passer out of the high post is what will ultimately unlock this offense. That is still all speculation as he has not had a featured role yet at the college level. Simon is in a similar boat and he did have stretches across the two exhibitions where he flashed the potential. With him the key will be if can he consistently be engaged on both ends of the floor. 

Lucas Mari

Understandably, Mari was the most interesting addition in the offseason and fans have been excited to see the on court performance. After the two games there was a lot of confusion on his lack of impact. It bears repeating that he missed the entire summer program, arrived two months ago with a significant language barrier, and add in the massive adjustment to the college game, which for any young player can be challenging, and you have a recipe for difficulty. Another factor is he is a pass first player whose impact relies significantly on chemistry and comfort within a system. Robin Duncan is a good comparison in the sense that his shooting ability is much further behind his other skills. I watched several international games and he is a guy that impacts the game by trusting his teammates and creating plays off the dribble. Missing that time over the summer to get up to speed on the system is a huge obstacle. Not to mention that defense, unrelated to his offense impact, was going to be a big learning curve. I still think with a few more months the talent will show through but despite his international success, he is still an unproven player at the college level. 

Defining roles

I know I am a broken record and I talk about this every year at the beginning of the season but it is that important, especially with the significant roster turnover. It was clear in the second half of Saint Anselm that when Becker shortened the rotation and there were more defined roles, the overall play improved. Like I mentioned at the begin of the post, everything is in flux on every team. There is going to be a never ending process of finding the pieces that fit. For Vermont, the frontcourt minutes and the point guard role and going to be the most interesting playing time battles throughout the season. 

What does it mean?

I still think that Vermont will be fighting for the top spot in the America East come March. Time and time again, the Cats figure it out, and the coaching staff finds the right roles for the right players. Why bet against it now? Even last year with a rag tag, never fully healthy roster, they gutted it out and put themselves in a position to win. The rest of the America East is dealing with similar challenges and I will take the team that has been able to consistently create an all in, winning culture. 

So there you have it. A few thoughts on the upcoming season and my favorite time of year just around the corner. I started this blog 12 years ago and it has grown into something I never thought it would. That is thanks to you readers. I will never be able to thank you enough. With graduate school, my children's sports schedules, and potential career transitions on the horizon, I am not sure how many more seasons I have in me, but at the very least I am ready for this upcoming season. I will be turning off the comment section as the season gets going becasue I struggle to read and respond and it weighs on my mind to leave questions unanswered. I truly apologize if that is going to affect your experience as a reader but it is the only way I can continue to manage the time in my schedule for all of the things life is throwing my way. I can't wait for the season to get going!! See you at Patrick!! Let's go Cats!!

Exhibition: Vermont vs Saint Anselm

Vermont 80 Saint Anselm 78

Vermont used a much improved second half to steal a victory in their second exhibition. Coach Santo must be pulling his hair out with two straight narrow losses to his old crew. The game started with a flurry and the Cats looked motivated to put the tough game behind them. Then it looked like the cord was unplugged from the wall and the Cats energy disappeared. Saint Anselm took advantage and pulled ahead. Becker was particularly heated, calling 3 timeouts early and really getting after guys. The Hawks continued to roll and took a lead into the half. The second half was back and forth with each team pulling ahead and responding to every run. The Cats became more physical down the stretch and were able to assert themselves enough to pull out the win. The lack of chemistry and inexperience with the system continued to show as Vermont tries to jump start their season. It is particularly strange to see a Becker team still struggling to make the right reads on the defensive end. There are some real concerns on that side of the ball to start this season. The second half was far more engaged and the Cats showed more grit and toughness. It was that step in the right direction that ultimately made the difference. After the heated first half, Becker shrunk the rotation and it improved in the connectivity of the group. 

TJ Hurley returned with a bang as he poured in 34 points to will the Cats to victory. It was the most impressive Hurley performance I have seen as he dominated by relentlessly attacking the basket. He looked so calm and totally in command. On the defensive end he was spectacular as well. TJ Long chipped in 15 points and also played very tough, physical defense. The TJ squared show is going to have some big moments this season. Noah Barnett really energized the team with some hustle plays and big rebounds in the second half. Sean Blake continues to play with more assertiveness and finished with 8 points. Freshman Momo Nkugwa had another impressive performance, knocking down 2 threes to go along with a massive dunk. He is playing his way into a role this season. He is very smooth and effortless with his movements on the court. David Simon started fast and finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He has a lot of potential if he can continue to get engaged in the system. Ben Michaels played the second most minutes for Vermont and chipped in 7 points. 

Time for the real thing next week and it is a good year to have basically two more exhibitions as this group needs more reps together. I think patience is going to be the name of the game early in the season as this group builds chemistry. 

Basketball is back!!!!!

St. Michael's 79 Vermont 74

Basketball is back and so am I! 

After a wonderful summer full of travel and a beginning of fall full of quite a significant grad school workload, it is time for another year of blogging. While I am in the middle of quite a few life changes, I am still ready to give my thoughts on the Cats for as long as humanly possible. So lets get to it!

The result was not on the side of the Cats but it was an excellent game to welcome basketball back. To start with, a tip of the cap to St. Mike's who played a great game and was probably to most well rounded Purple Knights team I have seen. One of the trickle down effects of the player movement era is Division II teams have the ability to get a significant amount of Division I talent to fill out their rosters. The zone defense was very good and there was some big time shot making in the second half. Becker has reiterated in every preseason interview that they are behind the eight ball due to injuries and that the beginning of the season was going to be a bit of a grind. It was clear in tonight's game that the group had not played together very much with lots of miscommunications that resulted in turnovers on offense and missed assignments on defense. The defense is going to be a work in progress as they try to get replace some very strong defenders from a year ago. In a very similar situation to last year, injuries are rearing their ugly head early in the season. TJ Hurley was out with a toe injury and Gus Yalden was not in the building. It has been quite a long time since a fully healthy Cats team has taken the court. 

On the positive side, what a wonderful moment to see TJ Long back on the court. It was a long road back and I am sure at times he didn't know if he was going to make it, but Catamount country is thankful to have him back. He wasted no time in putting on a show and reminding everyone just how electric he can be. Long exploded for 29 points and 8 three pointers as he tried to single-handedly will Vermont back into the game. All I want for Christmas is to see TJ and TJ play together. Sean Blake had some nice moments looking stronger and more decisive. David Simon had a roller-coaster debut with big dunks and some tough buckets but struggled with ball security and missed some bunnies at the rim. Freshman Momo Nkugwa really impressed with speed, finishing around the rim, and even knocked down a three for good measure. I don't know what his opportunities will look like with a fully healthy roster but he certainly showed some potential in this game. Lucas Mari played hard but you could see the effects of missing the summer session in getting up to speed with the system and missing time to create chemistry with teammates. His passing will be a huge asset once he makes the transition to the college game. Ben Michaels and Noah Barnett struggled to make an impact as they too are playing catch-up after missing time due to injury. 

A tough way to start the season, especially for a team looking to get a fresh start after a tough finish last year. With the exhibitions and then two non-DI games to start the season, hopefully they have the slow ramp they need to get healthy, work out the kinks, and build chemistry. 

I am not going to do an America East preview this year as my time is limited and honestly with all of the player movement in the league, it is basically impossible to make a real prediction. I will try to put out my Vermont season preview right before the first game of the season. Welcome back!

Open practice....and so much more!

Hello all!!!

       As you may have heard, the Cats will be hosting an open practice on July 17th from 5-7. In an exciting turn of events..... it will be so much more!! Instead of a regular open practice, it will actually be a formal game between the current Catamount squad and the Green Mountain Men, the Vermont alumni team that will be playing in TBT the following week in Syracuse, NY. It should be a fun and exciting atmosphere and a great chance to see Catamounts old and new. The cost will be 10 dollars per person and it will be CASH ONLY. One half of the entry fee goes directly to the NIL fund, which is the best way to directly support the Catamount program. The other half goes to cover the travel expenses for the Green Mountain Men in their quest for a TBT championship. This is a really fun and unique opportunity to see a high level basketball game in the summer and support past and current Catamounts at the same time. I highly encourage everyone to spread the word and lets try to pack Patrick as much as possible for this event. If you are a super basketball junkie you may also be excited to see a game using the Elam Ending (TBT uses this end of game format). If you are unfamiliar with the Elam Ending, it is a end game method developed to get rid of the late game fouling that is the scourge of many a game's final minutes. Check out an explanation here. I will be traveling and will be unable to attend but I am hoping that this basketball community can spread the word, drum up interest, and get butts in the seats! Lets go Cats!

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.