Season reflections

Another season in the books for the Catamounts and as March comes to a close, it is time to reflect on the journey. There were quite a few highs and lows as Vermont continues to adapt to the changing landscape of college basketball. When all was said and done, The Cats checked off several boxes before falling just short of their ultimate goal. It was another 20 win season and that continues to highlight the consistency and program standard that Becker and his staff has set. New players and changing environments across college basketball and the Vermont program continues to find ways to compete at a high level. Falling short the last two seasons has been hard but only because the standard has been set so high. Those high standards make the Vermont program special and it is important to recognize just how rare it is to be able to pencil in 20 wins, a top two seed, and a spot in the championship year in and year out in a very chaotic and ever-changing sport.

The individual player development still showed through and continues to be the bread and butter of the Vermont program. Even with less times and years with players, there are steady improvements and buy in. TJ Hurley transitioned from shooter to scorer, Sean Blake became an all around contributor, Gus Yalden improved exponentially on defense (and from three), Noah Barnett went from energy guy to crucial starter, Lucas Mari became a defensive disruptor, and Momo Nkugwa a calming presence at the point guard position. If you rewind to the beginning of the season, these evolutions did not seem likely. Year to year continuity might be a thing of the past but even within a single season, there is tremendous room for growth. The most difficult part of the new era is the never knowing what the next year will bring and the inability to project a roster for the next season. This year the team cohesiveness took a bit longer than usual but it still had the Cats playing good basketball in March and had players making progress throughout the season. It is worth mentioning that overall this was a very young team with a significant part of the rotation in their first or second full college season. That inexperience was a big contributor to the in game swings in effectiveness. 

I am really going to miss the TJ's. They never really got to play together at their full potential but the excitement and shotmaking they brought over their time was really fun. They both gave us so many exciting moments and played their hearts out. Despite this group's struggles this season there was a bit of extra energy to the team. A lot of that credit goes to Yalden for bringing personality and fan engagement but guys like Barnett, and Nkugwa, and Blake also brought highlight plays and energy. The big swings in effectiveness during games resulted in huge runs and as a result this group of Cats almost always made the game interesting right up until the final buzzer. 

Two seasons ago, the defense was strong and the offense struggled. That put the emphasis this past offseason on improving the offense, potentially at the expense of the defense. During the non-conference portion of the season, it looked like that goal had been achieved as the offense hummed along and the defense struggled to get stops. It looked like a different style of Vermont team was going to be on the menu. Then as conference play approached, suddenly the defense began to catch up and the offense began to stall. That would foreshadow the rest of the season as Vermont again became a defensive minded team trying to survive scoring droughts. It was a genuinely weird season as the offensive talent and shotmaking was there but never seemed to fire on all cylinders. So I did what I love to do and go look at the numbers.

On barttorvik.com, there is a great table that takes a year over year look at a team's numbers. It is a great way to dig in a double check what you saw and felt during the year and to get at what the real difference was between a successful year and a year that fell short. The post COVID seasons are a great data set as the Cats have won three titles and fell short twice. The overall efficiency numbers have declined over the last several seasons but many of the underlying numbers are the same between the title and non-title seasons. They struggled to defend the three this year but that was also showed up in the 21-22 season. The defense not forcing a lot of turnovers is consistent year over year etc. This years team continued the staples of the Vermont program with efficient two point shooting, low turnovers, great defensive rebounding, and strong two point defense. So what was appreciably different? The three point shooting is an area of concern as over the last three seasons the percentage has been at its lowest during the Becker years. The big outlier for this years squad was how much they fouled on defense. Playing defense without fouling has long been a hallmark of Vermont teams and this year they put their opponents on the line significantly more than any of the post COVID teams. That is a backbreaker for a defensive minded a team and there were many times this year where it cost them games. Cleaning up that single area would have added several wins to this years squad. 

Now it is time to look ahead. With the transfer portal opening later and for less time, it will be interesting to see if that changes how the college basketball offseason looks once again. If the Cats can retain some of their core pieces they will be able to be more selective in how the coaching staff wants to roster build. If it is going to be another big roster overhaul, there will be more uncertainty. Last season they were forced to take big swings on unproven young players that yielded inconsistent results (much like the bygone era of high school recruiting). So far only Ben Wesson has entered the portal but it doesn't technically open until after the national title game so it will be through April until the roster becomes clearer. It will also be interesting to see who the coaching staff targets. The "add shooting and offense" mission had mixed results and ultimately did not have the effect that they were hoping. I think shooting will still be a priority but I think a creator off the dribble and reemphasizing defense will likely be an area they will look at. 

Look out for posts from all angles once portal season is in full swing as next year's roster takes shape!

Lastly, as always I appreciate everyone that still reads along and goes on this ride with me. I know that shutting off the comments reduced the interactive experience and that was a tough decision, but ultimately it allowed me to balance things in a better way. I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for sharing this journey of college basketball fandom with me. 

Vermont falls in the America East title game

UMBC 74 Vermont 59 

UMBC continued their incredible play down the stretch and DJ Armstrong Jr. put together an all time championship game performance to lead the Retrievers to the tournament berth. The final score (and box score) will not do this game justice and don't tell the whole story. It will be easy to nitpick the poor Vermont shooting or look at the free throw disparity and if you didn't watch the game think same old problems. It was a closely contested game throughout with both teams responding to runs each way. Vermont's defense was really good and they made every shot tough for UMBC. DJ Armstrong Jr. single-handedly won this game with an insane performance, hitting tough contested shots, and scoring 13 points in a 4 minute stretch after Vermont took a three point lead. It was insane to watch and an incredible clutch performance. Armstrong Jr finished with with 33 points and almost all of his makes were deep, off balance looks, with hands in his face. Tip of the cap to him. To illustrate the point of how incredible his performance was, the rest of the Retrievers shot 12-40 (30%) and their leading scorer Jah'likai King was held scoreless. Great performance by UMBC and they will continue their hot streak into the NCAA tournament. 

TJ Long led the way for the Cats with a vintage 17 point performance in his final game. TJ Hurley struggled to make shots against a UMBC team determined to take him out of the offense and finished with 11 points. It is too bad the injuries never allowed the TJ & TJ experience to be fully realized. Gus Yalden chipped in 11 points and 5 rebounds (4 offensive) but battled foul trouble in the second half. Lucas Mari willed the Cats into the lead with his energy on both ends of the floor before getting hit with a elbow to the head and not returning down the stretch. He finished with 6 points and 8 rebounds. He was really incredible getting the Cats back into the game. Sean Blake finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds.

I will post a season review sometime in the coming weeks but in the meantime it is time to turn our attention to the Vermont women's basketball team following their incredible performance in the championship game last night. There are Catamounts in the postseason!

ON TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!

Vermont 63 NJIT 54

Vermont continued their strong defensive play late in the season and booked a trip to the title game at UMBC on Saturday.  That was a magnificent team win. The cohesiveness that this group has found since the UMBC loss is an incredible accomplishment. Four players in double figures, six players with at least 4 rebounds, seven players with at least 1 assist, and a stingy, physical defensive effort. Tonight was the "next man up" Vermont mantra at its finest. The right plays at the right time. With all the challenges that Vermont faced this year, they are playing their best basketball of the season in March and avenged last year's semifinal loss to make it back to the title game for the 4th time in the last 5 years. Now they get to go on the road and I hope they get to play loose and free as the underdogs. Vermont has always been the hunted so I hope this group gets to come out as the hunters. UMBC has been on fire, winning 11 in a row since the loss to Vermont on January 29th. The Cats have nothing to lose and earned the opportunity to play for the championship. 

Sean Blake and TJ Hurley led the balanced attack with 14 points and 5 rebounds apiece. Both played with force and toughness in the face of the physical ball pressure from the Highlanders. TJ Long stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 (!) steals. His defensive intensity over the last two games has been incredible. His back to back threes in the second half gave the Cats a huge lift when the offense was struggling. Noah Barnett also had 11 points and hauled in 4 rebounds. He also made his first career three at the most clutch moment possible. It is hard to say a three with 9 minutes to go is a game winner, but that is exactly what it felt like. He has been playing incredible basketball over the last few weeks. Momo Nkugwa once again made a driving layup in a clutch spot. Lucas Mari finished with 4 points and 5 rebounds. Gus Yalden struggled to get it going and finished with 6 points and 4 rebounds but continues to show major improvement on the defensive end. 

 

Nothing better than playing on championship Saturday!

HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE COLLEGE BASKETBALL!!!!!

Vermont 77 Bryant 57

College basketball is the best.

Fresh off his player of the year award, TJ Hurley exploded in the second half and carried Vermont to the America East semifinals. What a game, what an atmosphere. Patrick was electric and the Cats showed out in one of their most well played games of the season. Vermont had Bryant at arms length for much of the game until the Bulldogs cut the lead to just four with 8:30 to go. The Cats responded with a 12-0 run and never looked back. Throughout the game, Vermont had the intensity, effort, and swagger that they have shown in spurts this season. The defense was once again really good and it goes beyond the box score. On paper Bryant shot a high percentage and took a lot of free throws, but they only attempted 38 shots for the entire game. That is an absurd number even for a slow paced game. Vermont gave up TWO offensive rebounds (they once again this season are second in all DI in defensive rebound percentage) and forced 12 Bryant turnovers. They were physical and in the Bulldogs grill from the opening tip. Offensively the Cats shot 57% (28-49) from the field and 45% (9-20) from three. Everybody that stepped on the on the floor made plays that helped contribute to the win. 

What more can you say about TJ Hurley? An all time playoff performance from an all time Catamount. Talk about a guy that earned it. Four years of hard work, battling through injuries, improving and expanding his game, and now player of the year. He absolutely put the team on his back and scored 24 of his game high 29 points in the second half. Hurley finished 9/12 from the field and 5/7 from three. The first of the back to back and-one drives was a thing of absolute beauty. Not to mention fouling out Bryant's best player in the process. Gus Yalden and Sean Blake both chipped in 12 points and got the Cats going with strong first halves. Noah Barnett was incredible as usual with his energy and hustle, finishing with 8 points and 7 rebounds. He had a big block and a clutch, full extension, diving on the floor steal in a big moment. Momo Nkugwa continues to defy logic with his calm, under control and yet explosive play down the stretch. His dunk in the first half was vicious and thankfully he survived the scary fall. He had one of the most clutch buckets of the game, driving to the rim right after Bryant cut the lead to four to give the Cats some breathing room. Over the last 5 games he has played 86 minutes and has committed ONE turnover. (he has not turned the ball over in the last 4 games at all). Just incredible for anyone, much less a young player in the most important games of the season. TJ Long's defensive intensity set the tone from his first minutes on the court and he finished with 3 steals.

What a great college basketball game in an incredible atmosphere. There is nothing better than basketball in March. Tuesday can't come soon enough. 

Another 20 win season

Vermont 69 Albany 56

Vermont used a strong defensive effort to secure another 20 win season for the program. It continues to impress that the coaching staff has been able to take different groups of players with different skillsets and still find ways to win at a consistent level year in and year out. This year may have taken a bit more of a circuitous route than in years past, but the player development and team cohesion still shines through. Great win to honor the seniors and secure the two seed for the America East playoffs. The key to this game was the incredible double teams that forced Albany big man Okechukwu Okeke into SEVEN turnovers. The defense was connected all night and forced Albany into really tough shots in the second half. This game also has the distinction of the most banked in shots I have ever seen. Offensively the Cats really attacked the rim in the second half and got to the free throw line, which wore down the Great Danes. 

Gus Yalden led the way with 19 points and stayed red hot from three with a 4/6 effort from distance. Watching him play this year has been pure joy and he has brought an energy to Patrick that is unlike anything I have seen from a player in the past. The crowd really responds to him and he just looks like he is having so much fun. Airplane celebration was top notch today. TJ Long finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds. His rebounding continues to be huge and I thought he made a great adjustment in the second half to drive the ball instead of setting for threes. Noah Barnett chipped in 9 points and 5 rebounds and is starting to benefit from the extra defensive attention given to everyone else. TJ Hurley had 9 points and 5 rebounds as well and continues to impress in a big way on the defensive end. He is a brick wall.  Sean Blake had a really rough stretch in the second half but finished with 9 points and 5 assists. Ben Johnson added 5 points on his senior day. Momo Nkugwa stepped in for Blake and was really good. He played tough defense and handled point guard duties with ease. He plays with a poise beyond his years. 

Its the most wonderful time of the year. Saturday can't come soon enough. 

SUPERNOAH SAVES THE DAY!!

Vermont 66 UMass Lowell 64

Noah Barnett putback a TJ Hurley miss with 11 seconds left to lift the Catamounts to victory. A huge play in a huge spot as Vermont continues to fight for playoff seeding. The game was intense and physical from the start with both teams crashing the offensive glass and a playoff atmosphere in the building. It was a back and forth affair with six points as the largest lead of the night for either team. The key moment in the game came with two minutes to go. After a steal and layup by Lowell to pull ahead 63-58, TJ Hurley rose up and connected from deep while getting fouled for a chance at a four point play. Ninety percent from the line? This one is in the books. Except is wasn't...... and it was the best missed free throw ever. Lowell couldn't control the rebound and Vermont got another chance. Gus Yalden hit a huge three, as he has done many times in clutch moments this season, and gave the Cats a six point possession to turn a five point deficit into a 64-63 lead. A free throw, a great steal by Jackson Skipper and then the set up for the Barnett heroics. Incredible moment for this crew. The defense was good tonight for the Cats, holding Lowell to 3-16 shooting from three and making just about every shot difficult. The battle on the boards was interesting as both teams were good on the offensive glass and it was a back and forth affair with each team having stretches of dominance in the battle underneath. One more regular season game to go. 

Gus Yalden led the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds. His three point shooting has really come on strong down the stretch as he is shooting 12/25 (48%) from three over the last 6 games. He also played a season high 33 minutes and continues to improve on the defensive end. His growth and progression this season has been fun to watch. TJ Hurley finished close behind with 19 points and he made life miserable for conference leading scorer Angel Montas Jr, holding him to 5-19 shooting from the field. Noah Barnett finished with 7 points and 5 rebounds and his aforementioned putback electrified Patrick Gym. Sean Blake had an uneven game with 6 points and 4 turnovers, but he also had 3 steals and 2 incredible blocked shots. Momo Nkugwa continues to make plays when called upon and finished with 5 points and 3 rebounds. Ben Johnson knocked in a three but teams are relentlessly targeting him on defense and he is struggling on that side of the ball. TJ Long struggled mightily, finishing 0-8 from the field and committing some key turnovers late. He had been tracking in the right direction so hopefully this is just a blip as he gets ready for March. Lucas Mari suffered another lower leg injury, which could be a huge blow as he has become such an integral part of the rotation. 

The crowd was great tonight and hopefully it is a similar atmosphere for senior night on Tuesday. March basketball is finally here. 

A HUGE shoutout to the Vermont women's team for securing their first outright regular season title in 24 years! 

Stayin' Alive

Vermont 70 NJIT 64

Vermont responded in an absolute must win game with a strong second half to take down NJIT. The Cats fell behind early once again and it looked like it was going to be another first half dud. Instead, Vermont shook off the slow start and went into the locker room tied. They came out hot to start the second half before NJIT responded with a run of their own. Then it was nip and tuck the rest of the way and Vermont made enough plays to pull off the big road win. To get the big road win on a night where neither the threes (4/20) or frees (had to do it 12/21) were falling is a testament to this team not giving up despite the challenges they have been facing. The Cats accomplished this by relentlessly attacking the rim and outscoring NJIT 44-26 in the paint. They were 23-32 (72%) from inside the arc in a strong second half of passing, cutting, and getting to the rim. Vermont had no other choice but to dig deep and find themselves and they did so in gutsy fashion. 

Gus Yalden scored 21 points on 10-15 shooting from the field. Every time the offense needed a bucket, he made a great play. Sean Blake bounced back from a very tough game on Thursday with a tremendous performance. Blake stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists and his attacking mindset drove the offensive engine in the second half. Big time response from Blake. TJ Hurley finished with 13 points and was strong on the defensive end. TJ Long chipped in 7 points and 6 rebounds. His rebounding is huge for the Cats and he made some tough buckets in clutch spots down the stretch. Momo Nkugwa has come alive lately and made so many big plays tonight. Nkugwa finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds, including a big time rebound in an important moment late. He gets a pass for the free throw shooting this time. 

Two home games to go for the Cats to find some consistency going into March. They welcome a red hot UMass Lowell team to Patrick on Thursday. Playoff atmosphere arrives early.