Season reflections

It has be a little less than two weeks since the Vermont season ended and it is as good a time as any to reflect on this winter in Catamount country. 

This years Catamount team was one of the biggest surprises of Becker's coaching tenure. The season started with a lot of questions about how so many different pieces were going to fit together. Then the Tomas Murphy injury removed one of those pieces from the equation. Vermont was not picked to win the league for the first time in a while and there was certainly a narrative that the Cats were vulnerable. Then came the non conference with some early shooting struggles and several key roles were still undefined. It looked as though it was going to be a season where Vermont was not their dominant selves. Then everything changed in mid December and Vermont went on its most dominant stretch ever. It is easy to forget how different this team was at the beginning of the season and how much they coalesced by the end. Now that the dust as settled this year's team certainly has a great case as the best Vermont team ever (outside of the legendary 2005 crew of course). 

What made this team so incredible this season was their mentality and their intangibles. The consistency with which the team performed game in and game out was something I don't think I have ever seen. They truly played as a unit for a full 40 minutes every game. No matter the opponent or the stage. That is a rare thing to see in a team and is what made this team so fun to watch as they willed themselves to win after win. This was most strikingly evidenced by the sheer amount of different players that stepped up each game. Anyone who was in the rotation could come in a change the flow of the game at any time. It was truly a team who's one and only goal was to win. It is hard to fathom just how unbelievable their conference tournament run was. That was a historic level of domination. 

Ryan Davis and Ben Shungu were certainly the stars and the leaders of this Cats crew. Each of them performed at a incredibly high level and gave Vermont quite the one two punch. Davis won his second straight player of the year by continuing to grow his game. Lethal on the block and deadly from the outside, Davis was a nightmare matchup all season. Shungu's meteoric rise has been well chronicled but there are still not enough words to describe how inspiring and incredible his performance was. He molded himself into a go to scorer and added a deadly three point shot to compliment his physicality driving to the hoop. It will be weird without him next season. Isaiah Powell and Justin Mazzulla were the unsung heroes who brought the grit and toughness on every play. Steady and consistent they made sure that nothing slipped through the cracks. Bailey Patella's role took a step back this season but there has never been a more beloved role player. This crew gave us fans a great sendoff in their final season and the team will have quite a different feel next season. 

This season did offer a window into what the future holds at Vermont. Aaron Deloney and Nick Fiorillo displayed strong chemistry as part of the second unit and flashed the potential that could be realized in a larger role next season. Deloney has a knack for not only scoring but playmaking as well. He often infused the game with energy whenever he was on the floor and looked equally comfortable setting up his teammates and putting points on the board himself. He showed flashes of being ready for a larger role next season. Fiorillo settled into a perfect complimentary role backing up Davis. He was able to provide a threat from the perimeter, strong passing out of the high post, and worked hard to develop into a serviceable defender by the end of the season. He looks primed for a big jump in the offseason. With Robin Duncan, Kam Gibson, and Finn Sullivan also primed to return, next years team will still have a strong veteran presence. Sullivan in particular has a very high ceiling because he can affect the game in so many ways. He was so integral to what the Cats did this season and yet he never really found a consistent role in the offense. With another offseason and a new leadership role, he has the potential to build on what was a strong first season at Vermont. The wild cards for next season will be what kind of roles do the young players grow into. Will Evan Guillory and Sam Alamutu step in and play bigger roles? Does Georges Lefebvre help shore up a thin frontcourt? There will be more additions either through new recruits or the transfer portal as the Cats try to round out their roster. 

I personally tried to soak up every minute of this incredible season because this type of success is never guaranteed. There is just no way to know year to year how a team is going to grow and change. The transfer portal is always out there as a possible roster shakeup. Becker's success will continue to put his name out there for coaching vacancies. What the Cats have accomplished in bringing this program to where it currently stands is something to be appreciated for sure. Winning a tournament game is certainly a goal that this program has every year but to me the most important and more immediate goal is to make the NCAA tournament in back to back seasons. That is something that the program has not accomplished during Becker's tenure and checking off that box will continue to push the program forward. 

When the season begins again the league could have a very new look. I would expect that the America East will siphon off a few northeast teams from other leagues and I think that will be a good thing. The most important thing the next members of the America East need is invested fanbases. The lower half of the league currently has poor attendance numbers and what will inject some life into the league is adding schools who have a good sports atmosphere. 

The offseason always feels too long and us fans are left chomping at the bit for information about what we can look forward to for next season. This year there should be the perfect blend of reflection on a incredible season full of great moments and excitement about what the future holds. 

Last but not least, I wanted to thank everyone who reads the blog, follows on twitter, or stops to talk basketball with me. I have been blown away by the community that has developed from this blog and appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts.