Season Preview

The 2013-2014 season should be a special one for the Catamounts. With 6 seniors and a wealth of postseason experience this team has their sights on a championship. With that said here are a few observations and thoughts about the upcoming season.

The seniors: For the most part it is clear what each of these players bring to the table. Brian Voelkel is one of the most underrated players in college basketball and anchors this team on both sides of the ball. Sandro Carissimo is the guy you want with the ball when the game is on the line and has a knack for making the right play at the right time.  Clancy Rugg and Luke Apfeld will battle down low all year and do the little things that make this team go.When Candon Rusin is on he is one of the best shooters in the conference but was plagued by inconsistency last season. Josh Elbaum continues to be a great defender and seems to be a leader on this team. His offensive struggles may cause him to lose minutes to the newcomers Through the two exhibition games everyone seems to be on track except Rusin continued to struggle with inconsistency and Apfeld looked a step slow.

The juniors: Ryan Pierson is sidelined until January with a broken leg so we will have to wait for his Catamount debut. Pepperdine transfer Hector Harold has a chance to contribute to this team immediately. Harold has a quick first step and a soft shooting touch, qualities that this team was missing last year.  In the exhibition games Harold showed some promise but struggled at times with his decision making. Hopefully he is just shaking off the rust as the team needs his shooting and athleticism on the floor.

The sophomores: The injury bug hits again as Brendan Kilpatrick will miss the first part of the season while recovering from foot surgery. After watching the exhibition games, the most improved player on the Catamounts is Ethan O’Day. He looks bigger, stronger and more decisive with the basketball. At times last year when O'Day caught the ball in the post his moves took too long to develop which hurt his ability to get by his defender. If he stays out of foul trouble he could very well lead the team in scoring.

The freshman: Harrison Taggart red-shirted a year ago and will see his first action as a Catamount this season. Taggart will never wow anyone with speed or athleticism but may find a role as a shooter off the bench. Nas Williams is a walk on point guard from New York City who plays hard and handles the ball well. He needs to improve his decision making in order to get minutes on a deep and talented team. The real gems of this freshman class are Dre Wills and Kurt Steidl. Wills is a lockdown defender on the perimeter and one of the most athletic players on the team. Wills is offensively raw but is creative around the hoop and has a nose for the ball. In the exhibition games he showed a strong rebounding ability and created havoc on the defensive end. He will get minutes this season. Steidl has a beautiful jumper and can stretch the floor from the SF position.  Shooting was the Catamounts biggest weakness last year and Steidl can contribute immediately on the offensive end. In the preseason contests Steidl demonstrated a high basketball IQ and a knack for putting the ball in the basket. He too should compete for minutes.

Team Strengths: An all-around solid team with a high basketball IQ, senior leadership, and a deep, talented roster.  This team will defend for 35 seconds and rebound with anyone.

Team Weaknesses: The Catamounts will still struggle to shoot from the perimeter with consistency and as a result teams will clog the lane on the defensive end.  The greatest concern however, will be the continued difficulties with giving up open shots from three. In the preseason, the Catamounts still struggled to close out shooters consistently. Multiple losses last year were a direct result of giving up too many open three point shots and this must improve for UVM to secure a championship.

Vermont is poised for a great season and anything less than a tournament berth would certainly be a disappointment. It is difficult to play in a season with such high expectations but this senior class has worked too long and hard to let the pressure get to them. This group will leave everything out on the court as they close out one of the great senior classes of all time.