Vermont at Miami (OH) 12/22/23

Miami (OH) 70 Vermont 69

Darweshi Hunter banked in a half court three at the buzzer to shock the Cats. The basketball gods finally shined for one of the Cats opponents after some close victories to start the season. The game was sloppy throughout with the Cats looking sluggish and the poor free throw shooting finally cost the Cats a game. It has been clear for a while that free throw shooting has become a problem for the Cats and there were several opportunities where Vermont could have pulled away in both halves that was stalled by poor free throw shooting. It is too bad to have the game slip away because up until the last 20 seconds, Vermont's defense had really locked up the Redhawks in the second half. The Cats have 10 days off to chew on this one before finishing the non-conference at Brown. Hopefully the Cats cat get healthy during that time. 

Aaron Deloney led the Cats with 13 points, but only scored 2 in the second half. Nick Fiorillo came off the bench for 11 points and 6 rebounds but was one of the players who had a tough time from the line going 5-9. Matt Veretto scored 12 points in a 3-3 effort from the field but really struggled at the line, shooting 4-9. Ileri Ayo-Faleye scored 9 points and hit some big threes for the Cats. TJ Long struggled from the field but finished with 9 points as well. Brenton Mills played very well off the bench scoring 7 points.

A rollercoaster road trip for the Cats with some high highs and some low lows. Time to say goodbye to a very successful 2023 for the Cats where they went 26-8 and took home another title. Not the way the Cats wanted the final game to go but a well deserved break to get healthy and enjoy the holidays. 

Happy Holidays!!

Vermont at Toledo 12/20/23

Vermont 86 Toledo 60

The Cats absolutely dominated Toledo on the road in an impressive bounce back win. I said in my previous post that this would be the game where we would learn alot about this team and oh boy did they deliver. A complete win on both sides of the ball and an impressive team win with several players stepping up in the absence of Shamir Bogues. Vermont was physical on the defensive end, making every single shot difficult for Toledo. The Cats also forced 15 Toledo turnovers and held the Rockets 20 points under their season average. Vermont imposed their will and made Toledo play their type of game. The stretch that got me really charged up was back to back possessions where they stole the ball from a Toledo player off a rebound for an easy two. Gutsy plays. On the offensive side of the ball, the perimeter shots fell in the first half and Vermont was moving the ball with ease. In the second half the Cats attacked the basket relentlessly, attacking the Rockets hard closeouts. Just a textbook slashing of the Toledo's defense. Big time performance in a big time spot. 

TJ Long led the Cats with 19 points and this time it was from relentlessly attacking the rim and finishing through contact. He showed some real offensive versatility today and and it was a sigh of relief to see him get back on the court after a nasty fall slipping on some cheerleading signs under the basket. Matt Veretto is back as he finally shook off the effects of his eye injury and chipped in 16 points on 5-6 shooting from the field to go along with 5 rebounds. It was great to see him back in action and he even got a "from the parking lot" shoutout for a deep three in the first half. TJ Hurley battled through foul trouble and finished with 14 points in a perfectly efficient offensive night. Hurley plays with such great poise and is never in a rush. Aaron Deloney rounded out the double digit scorers with 11 points and pulled down a team high 7 rebounds. He had a strong game leading the Cats and stepping up at the point in Bogues' absence. Sam Alamutu really looked for his offense in this one and finished with 8 points off the bench. It is great to see him continue to grow and work to improve his game. Brenton Mills played great, stepping into big minutes. Mills finished with 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in a really nice all a round game. Nick Fiorillo chipped in 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. Ileri Ayo-Faleye continues to give opponents nightmares at the defensive end, challenging every shot in his sphere. He also had a nice dunk in the second half as well. 

A great way to start the Ohio swing before finishing the road trip at Miami (OH) on Friday. This team continues to impress with their ability to stay mentally tough and respond to adversity. 

Vermont at Virginia Tech 12/16/23

Virginia Tech 73 Vermont 51

Vermont got off to a nightmare start and never recovered, getting steamrolled by Virginia Tech on the road. Nothing was falling for Cats and everything was falling to the Hokies in the first half as Vermont got down 28-4 to start the game. The nightmare was worsened by the fact the Shamir Bogues re-aggravated his foot injury, tried to play through it, and then sat for the rest of the game. The Cats have looked sluggish in back to back games and are missing that toughness and spark they were playing with during the first month off the season. This game was going to be a tall task no matter what, but became a near impossible one with such a disastrous opening 10 minutes. The coaching staff did a nice job using the rest of the game as an opportunity to both get some messages across to the regulars and give some playign time to the bench. It was a good opportunity to let the young guys play through mistakes in a highly competitive but low stakes situation. 

Nick Fiorillo led the Cats with 13 points and continues to provide a nice spark off the bench for the Cats. TJ Hurley had some nice buckets in the second half and finished with 9 points. Seth Joba finally got a perimeter shot to fall and Jackson Skipper got his first shot at extended minutes in a Catamount uniform. Matt Veretto looks like a completely different player following his eye injury and it is certainly a concern for the Cats. Bogues was hobbled in the first half and does not have the same burst as he is very obviously not at 100%. 

Not the best way to start the road trip and there is no time to wallow as they face a very tough Toledo squad on Wednesday. The Rockets are a high flying, high scoring team that likes to get up and down so it will be a very different type of game than the one they played in this evening. Every non-conference slate there is a game where you learn a lot about a teams mentality and I think this next game at Toledo is the one on this year's schedule. The Cats have to regroup and recapture that spark. 

Vermont vs Colgate 12/9/23

Colgate 77 Vermont 71

Colgate used an 11-0 run at the start of second half to knock the Cats back on their heels and then made timely buckets the rest of the way to hand Vermont their first home loss of the season. The Raiders had a response for every single Catamounts run and executed their famously efficient offense to perfection. Preseason Patriot League offensive and defensive player of the year Keegan Records dominated the Cats down low en route to a game high 22 points. Colgate also executed their defensive game plan extremely well, selling out to make every perimeter shot tough and daring Vermont to try and finish inside against their physical frontcourt. The Raiders played a near perfect game and responded to every challenge the Cats threw at them. Outside of the interior defensive struggles Vermont played fairly well and just came up short against another mechanically efficient, experienced, mid major conference dominating program. 

Shamir Bogues returned from his one game absence to lead the Cats with 13 points. His relentless energy was on display once again, finishing with 7 rebounds and 4 steals. He didn't look quite 100% but continues to make jaw dropping plays of both sides of the ball. Hopefully he can get fully healthy with only two games over the next 2 weeks. TJ Long made some tough shots in this one and finished with 11 points. It was clear that Colgate was locked in on making life tough for Long in this one. Aaron Deloney scored 10 points back in his 6th man role. Ileri Ayo-Faleye had a nice game at the offensive end, finishing with 9 points. TJ Hurley chipped in 9 points as well. Nick Fiorillo had another strong game finishing with 8 points and 3 assists. Matt Veretto donned the sports goggles and still looked a little out of sorts from his injury, finishing with 3 points on 1-5 shooting. 

Sometimes the other team just has all the answers. Now a week off before heading down to Virginia Tech. That game kicks off four straight road matchups to finish out the non-conference schedule. It will be interesting to see the continued tweaks and changes as the Cats get prepared for conference play. 

Vermont at Northeastern 12/6/23

Vermont 73 Northeastern 71

Vermont's defense locked in late in the second half and the Cats got a big win on the road. Winning on the road is always a challenge but winning on the road down two starters is really tough. That was a great, hard fought win, putting the Cats "next man up" mantra on full display. In the first half both teams were shooting the lights out. Vermont was uncharacteristically loose with ball leading to too many turnovers and easy buckets for the Huskies. The three point shot kept them in the game and they battled back from a double digit deficit to only be down three at the half. The Cats snuck into the lead for a moment early on in the second half, only to go through a cold spell offensively with a few more turnovers. With about 10 minutes to go in the game, Vermont once again found themselves down by 9 points. The defense showed up big and the Cats went on a 16-4 run to take the lead for good. It was a great display of mental toughness without Matt Veretto and Shamir Bogues. Getting down early without two starters, it would have been easy to lose focus. Guys stepped up and showed great poise in winning a game where they were not at their best. The 18 assists are especially telling as it was a real team effort to pull out the win. The game was also a good demonstration of how dangerous Vermont's perimeter weapons can be with the Cats finishing a scorching 15-29 (52%) from three. 

TJ Long once again was the hero. Long scored 13 of his game high 23 points during that crucial final 10 minutes, including back to back threes to put the Cats in the lead. What more can you say about his start to the season? He has been everything the Cats have needed and more. It is also worth noting that this hot streak comes directly after a very tough game at Bradley where he did not make a shot. In the three games since he is averaging 20 points on 14/24 (58%) shooting from three. That demonstrates some real mental toughness. Nick Fiorillo stepped right into the starting lineup and did his best Matt Veretto impression, scoring 14 points on 3/6 shooting from three while dishing out 5 assists. He did a great job running the offense from the top and his early threes really got the Cats going. Aaron Deloney played tough defense and finished with 15 points, 8 assists (career high), 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. He stepped up big time in place of Shamir Bogues and had his best game of the season. TJ Hurley finished with 9 points, hitting timely shots, including a big four point play in the first half. Ileri Ayo-Faleye hit a big three early in the second half and calmly knocked down big free throws to keep the Cats in front late. 

Now on to another big home game against Colgate. The atmosphere should be great and sending good vibes to Bogues and Veretto in hopes they make a speedy recovery. 

TJ LONG RESURRECTS THE CATS!!!!!

Vermont 66 Yale 65

The basketball gods giveth and taketh away.

Then they giveth again.

TJ 

Must be something about that name in Catamount green and gold. 

In the most insane, unbelievable, exciting, unlikely, incredible way possible, Vermont gets the win over Yale. Basketball is the best. What a moment at Patrick. This team has guts. 

The Yale game is always a rock fight with physical play, exciting action, and great coaching adjustments. Vermont jumped out to an early lead before Yale came roaring back. The game was never further apart than 5 points after that in an incredibly hard fought and well played game by both teams. Vermont's defense was really dug in all night making things hard for Yale at the offensive end. Yale swallowed up the Cats at the rim time and time again. In the second half Yale got to the line at will and made their trips count. Vermont continued to make timely buckets as both teams responded to every challenge. Then the late game execution faltered once again, Shamir Bogues went down with an injury, and things looked grim in Patrick. With the Cats down 5 and people headed for the exits, Aaron Deloney dropped in an innocuous and meaningless layup with .6 seconds left. Then the basketball gods went crazy. TJ Hurley drew a foul on the ensuing inbounds play as August Mahoney pushed off trying to get open. Cats ball. Now .6 seconds is really only enough time for a tip in or immediate release but TJ Long got fouled, time stopped at .3 seconds, and he essentially had free play so he double clutched and let it fly. High arcing, off the backboard, aaaaaaaaaaaaand IN. And one. Pandemonium ensues. Call is confirmed and Long goes to the line for the winning free throw. Patrick goes silent. Shot goes up. Buckets. Game. Set. Match. Unbelievable. 

Long came up with big shot after big shot in this one, leading the Cats with 23 points on 6-10 shooting from three. I love the edge that he plays with and he has now etched his name in Catamount lore. Shamir Bogues was great in this one as well, battling through foul trouble and finishing with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. He had a huge dunk and then went for an absolute poster on Yale's 7 footer that just missed, really showing off his athleticism and speed. Unfortunately the only cold water on this game is he looked like he rolled his ankle pretty bad at the end of the game and had to be helped off the court. Sending positive vibes for a speedy recovery. Aaron Deloney came off the bench for the first time this season and finished with 10 points. You know AD made that decision on his own becasue he would do anything to help his team and teammates. A tremendous leader. It will be interesting to see if going back to his bread and butter role will jump start his season. And lets not forget he delivered the pass to Long for the shot. TJ Hurley got his first career start in his place and was held scoreless but drew the foul that was the catalyst for the insanity. Nick Fiorillo shook off a terrible first half and hit some big buckets in the second half, finishing with 8 points. Sam Alamutu hit two big free throws and continued his strong defensive play. Ileri Ayo-Faleye was really tough and physical underneath dealing with Yale's formidable frontcourt. Matt Veretto struggled with Yale's size and finished 1-9 from the field.

What a huge win and incredible moment for the entirety of the program and the fans. Getting to be a part of moments like that is why basketball is such an incredible sport. This is one to celebrate, savor, and enjoy. 

Vermont vs Dartmouth 11/29/23

Vermont 64 Dartmouth 53

Just win baby.

Vermont clamped down on the defensive end after a sluggish first half and the offense finally broke through with a 15-0 run to push past Dartmouth. The Cats held Dartmouth without a basket for 8 minutes in the second half and held Dusan Neskovic scoreless after he came out red hot with 17 first half points. Coach Becker was hot from the start in this one, getting after guys left and right during the lackluster play in the first half. The halftime speech clearly had an effect as the effort and intensity was up a few notches in the second half. The defense continues to impress with its physicality and strong rim protection. So far this season the Cats have done a really good job at making things hard for opposing teams at the rim. That is crucial in keeping games within reach when the offense is struggling. The offense was choppy and a bit discombobulated in this one, looking like an early season game with guys seemingly not on the same page. They are still searching for consistency in getting to the rim and breaking down defenses off the dribble. The wealth of shotmaking continues to impress and is helping to dig the Cats out of some tough holes. 

It was the TJ show during the big second half run as TJ Long made three consecutive threes before passing the baton to TJ Hurley for a quick five straight points. They both played tough physical defense in the second half as well in a clutch performance all around. They were the only Cats in double figures with Long finishing with 14 points and Hurley finishing with 12 points and 6 rebounds. It was great to see Long bounce back after a tough game and Hurley has looked better and better with each game. Hurley also had the highlight of the night with a huge three and the foul to really seal the game. Sam Alamutu continues to come up with big plays and led the Cats once again with 7 rebounds. He had a huge offensive rebound and bucket during the big run that ignited the crowd. Ileri Ayo-Faleye continues to make game changing plays with two big second half blocks. The first one could have blown a hole in the floor it was spiked down so hard. Nick Fiorillo finished with 5 points and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes. He played tough on both ends of the floor and adds an important dimension to the Cats rotation. Tonight was the first real tough game for Shamir Bogues as he looked out of sorts and finished with 5 turnovers. Aaron Deloney gutted through another tough shooting night but finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in a team high 31 minutes. He still doesn't look comfortable on the offensive end but is working hard to contribute to winning in other ways. 

Now on to a big game Saturday night. Yale has looked very good in the early going this season and really took it to Vermont last season in a 73-44 loss for the Cats. The returners will be looking for a bit of revenge at Patrick in what should be a great game. 

Vermont at Bradley 11/25/23

Bradley 79 Vermont 70

Bradley used their defense to overwhelm the Catamounts in the second half continuing the Braves undefeated start to the season. The defensive rotations from Bradley were impressive as they really pushed Vermont around and challenged every shot. It was a back and forth affair to start with each team making runs after making adjustments during a timeout. The Cats were down big in the second half before some incredible late game shooting made it interesting. This is the game that will give Vermont some things to take back and work on. Bradley really took it to them and it was their first game in a tough road environment. The defense was a step slow in the second half and the Cats put Bradley on the line too often. Vermont is still looking for more consistency in generating shots at the rim and breaking down defenses with dribble drives. The free throw shooting also continues to be a struggle this season and that is always such a backbreaker in a tough games. Playing two very strong undefeated teams back to back is a challenge and provided the Cats an opportunity to see where they needed to improve. On the plus side they didn't give up and in both games showed some grit.

It was great to see Nick Fiorillo back out on the court. I love his passing and think it will be a valuable skill for this group. Matt Veretto went nuts over the last several minutes and made 6 threes for the second consecutive game. He finished with 23 points to lead the Cats. Shamir Bogues again impressed with his all around play. Bogues finished with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He has such a outsized effect on the game it is very hard to take him off the court. Unfortunately he is really struggling at the line and hopefully he can improve in that area. It feels like this has been every game thus fat but Sam Alamutu impressed once again. He finished with 8 points and 11 rebounds and continues to be an absolute monster on the boards. TJ Hurley looked great off the bench, finishing with 13 points hitting 3/4 from three. TJ Long had his first tough game in a Catamount uniform going 0-7 from the field. He certainly has some streakiness to his game and it just wasn't his night. Aaron Deloney struggled with the size and physicality of the Bradley team, finishing with 3 points on 1-5 shooting. He is still searching for that spark so far this season. 

The Cats will look to rebound Wednesday night with a home contest against Dartmouth and then Yale at home as well on Saturday. The Patrick Gym faithful will be rocking and ready. 

Vermont vs VSU-Johnson 11/22/23

Vermont 106 VSU-Johnson 57

Vermont took care of business against VSU-Johnson with everyone who played scoring and the Cats knocking down 17 threes. Despite the wide margin it was actually a pretty enjoyable game to watch considering the talent gap. Nazir Gossette came off the bench red hot in the first half for the Badgers and made the game competitive for a stretch. Vermont stayed mostly engaged and it was nice to see some players get some perimeter shots to fall. 

Matt Veretto led Vermont with 23 points on 6-8 shooting from three. It was crucial for him to see a few go through the net after an inconsistent start to the year from the perimeter. Aaron Deloney finished with 15 points and similarly I think it was good for him to get a few to go down. With Ileri Ayo-Faleye sitting out, Sam Alamutu earned a much deserved first career start and continues to impress on the boards. Brenton Mills finished with 14 points and has worked himself into a nice role after a few tough seasons at Bowling Green. This was a good opportunity for Seth Joba to get a some extended minutes and continue to work through mistakes as he adjusts to the college game. 

Now onto to a really fun stretch in the schedule with some great home games and tough opponents. First up is a very tough road game against Bradley. It will be really interesting to see how the Cats respond following their first lost last time out. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Myrtle Beach Invitational Championship: Vermont vs Liberty

Liberty 71 Vermont 61

In a back and forth affair Liberty executed down the stretch and handed Vermont their first loss in the championship game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. It was another exciting game with both teams executing and making adjustments throughout. Vermont jumped out to a big lead early but Liberty composed themselves and battled back. From then on everytime it looked like someone was going to pull away the other team battled back. Then Vermont went through a tough stretch with some sloppy play right at the end of the game and Liberty seized control for the win. With two good defensive teams battling it was interesting to see both the Cats and the Flames take away main scoring options with Liberty shutting down Matt Veretto and Vermont stifling Kyle Rode. Both teams had other players step up and share the load. The game capped off a really impressive tournament for Vermont with lots of positives to take away and good early season chemistry. The struggles at the end of the game looked very much like a team who still isn't quite sure who is the guy at the end of games when the pressures on. It was the first time the Cats looked a little rushed. What a great showing in this early season tournament and it looks like a great jumping off point for these Cats. 

Shamir Bogues led Vermont with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Bogues wowed once again with his energy and intensity. There was a sequence at the beginning of the second half that included a block, missed layup, recovery all the way back for a steal, and then pushing the ball ahead for a layup. Just absolute end to end energy. He struggled a little but with finishing at the rim and forced a few shots down the stretch but those are the growing pains early in the season on a new team. Aaron Deloney scored 13 points and also had a few tough possessions down the stretch. He finished 1-6 from three and has still not quite gotten himself in rhythm on the offensive end. TJ Hurley came off the bench and scored 11 points. He had some timely buckets but struggled a bit defensively against the quick Liberty guards. TJ Long scored 10 points on 3/6 shooting from three. Liberty did a nice job taking away his drives to the rim. Sam Alamutu continued his strong start to the season, hitting a few clutch threes and finishing with 8 points. He is playing with great confidence right now and looks to be making a leap in his third year with the Cats. Both Ileri Ayo-Faleye and Matt Veretto struggled, going a combined 1-10 from the field finishing with more combined fouls (6) than points (3). Once again Liberty did a great job executing their game plan to neutralize Veretto. 

Vermont competed hard in all three games and came away looking like a team that is ahead of schedule. The Cats learned a lot about themselves and will come back with a wealth of information about their strengths and weakness that they can apply to their game prep for the rest of the season. One more non DI game and then a fun stretch against some very strong mid major teams. 

Myrtle Beach Invitational: Vermont vs Saint Louis

Vermont 78 Saint Louis 68

Vermont dominated an undermanned Saint Louis squad to punch their ticket to the championship game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational Tournament on Sunday at 5:30pm. The Billikens were without their leading scorer Sincere Parker due to a broken foot and the Cats pounced early and gained the advantage. This time the offense flowed early on and kept Vermont in rhythm. Saint Louis was hot from three to start but Vermont's stout interior defense made things tough at the rim. In the second half the Cats survived each Saint Louis run and kept the lead at double digits for most of the half. One of the early takeaway is that Vermont has legitimate shot blocking at multiple positions for the first time in a long time. They are making life difficult for opposing teams at the rim and are using their size and strength to wear down opponents. Today's game was also a good demonstration of the multiple shooting weapons and how that creates so much space on the floor. Opposing defenses have to mark so many different players on the perimeter that Vermont can get good perimeter shots up regularly. It was great for this team to experience both ends of the spectrum through the first two games, clawing back from a deficit and maintaining a lead. Those experiences are invaluable for a team that is in the process of building continuity. Now onto the championship game which is all the Cats could ask for in a tournament like this, a chance at a title. 

It was a very balanced Vermont attack but TJ Long led the Cats with 16 points. He has really shown some offensive versatility over the past two days with some nice finishes at the rim to complement the deadly perimeter shooting. He iced the game today with a mini five point run late. Matt Veretto is also showcasing a new dimension with some nifty back to the basket hooks and spins to complement his outside shooting, finishing with 14 points. Veretto also blocked 3 shots and walled up at the rim well. Aaron Deloney shook off his early season shooting struggles and set the tone today with some early threes. AD finished with 12 points on 4-6 shooting from three. Shamir Bogues was a game changer once again finishing with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. His ability to break down the defense and get to the rim was crucial for Vermont to avoid long dry spells when the perimeter shot wasn't falling. It is also great to see how his energy helps the Cats push the pace and get out in the open floor. Ileri Ayo-Faleye continues to impress on the boards pulling down 8 rebounds (3 offensive) to go along with 6 points. Brenton Mills hit two key threes in the second half, finishing with 6 points in 21 minutes. Mills has clearly worked hard on learning the defense and is providing a nice spark off the bench. TJ Hurley finished with 8 points and 4 rebounds, providing physical defense and timely buckets. Sam Alamutu again provided valuable minutes as well. Vermont has some really nice versatility and lineup combinations because of their size and shooting at the guard positions. 

On to the winner of the Wichita State/Liberty game for the title on Sunday. It should be a fun atmosphere as the Vermont crowd has been great over the last two days. This team is so fun to watch and I can't believe I have to go a whole day without watching a game!

Myrtle Beach Invitational: Vermont vs Charleston

Vermont 73 Charleston 64

WHAT A GAME!!!

Vermont dug deep and battled all the way back to grab a huge win in the opening game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. That was an unbelievably exciting game of college basketball and a HUGE win for the Cats. Vermont hit a cold spell offensively in the first half and got themselves in a deep 15 point hole. Following a time out the Cats continued to be a little disjointed but cut the deficit to 9 at the half. The defense came out roaring in the second half and Vermont started to physically impose themselves. Vermont was challenging every shot, diving on every loose ball, and hitting the boards hard. Slowly but surely their own shots began to fall and then everything clicked over the last 5 minutes. It is hard not to overstate how much grit and determination this group showed today. Vermont was not at their best for much of the game and never put their heads down, never let up on the defensive end, and willed themselves to victory. To see that type of mentality this early in the season with a new group of guys is very encouraging. 

Shamir Bogues is an absolute all court wrecker. He just never stops. So many times in the game he made momentum changing plays. Bogues finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds (3 offensive), 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Incredible. The stat of the day is that Vermont outscored Charleston 20-0 on fast break points. That is due in no small part to the relentless energy Bogues brings on the court. There was talk this offseason about this group being able to force more turnovers and potentially quicken the pace a bit and that came to fruition in this game. Bogues is a key piece in that new stylistic wrinkle. Matt Veretto led the Cats with 18 points and was huge in the second half. He was getting pushed around in the first half but responded in a big way and was much more physical in the second half. TJ Long continued his hot start in a Catamount uniform with 15 points and tied for the team lead with 7 rebounds. He also chipped in a couple of steals and was a big part of the physical play in the second half. Long started hot and then forced things a bit in the middle but came back strong down the stretch. The player that really turned the tides in the second half was Ileri Ayo-Faleye. His energy, blocked shots, physicality, and hustle were huge. He finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks and had the huge offensive rebound put back and one that gave Vermont the lead. He also hit a big three a few plays earlier, showcasing his versatility. His growth from last season is great to see. I was excited to see how Sam Alamutu's minutes would translate against a bigger team and he played a great "won't show up in the box score" game. Alamutu played 19 minutes and contributed to the Cats imposing their physicality on the game. Brenton Mills played some great minutes, finally getting a three to fall and grabbing a couple offensive rebounds. TJ Hurley finished with 7 points and hit a big three down the stretch. Aaron Deloney gutted out another game as the leader of these Cats. He hit a couple huge threes late and finished with 8 points. AD is still finding his way in his new role but is providing tremendous leadership for this group. 

These tournaments always provide such a great atmosphere and are such a great way to test a teams mettle early in the season. No time to rest on the laurels as the Cats turn around and play Saint Louis tomorrow at noon. Once again I will likely have to watch the game on replay after work but can't wait!

Vermont vs Plattsburgh State 11/11/23

Vermont 92 Plattsburgh State 41

Vermont took care of business against Plattsburgh State. The things to look for in games where there is a clear talent gap are the focus, mentality, and effort throughout the game. The result is rarely ever in doubt in the non DI games but the players approach can give a lot of information about the character of a team. In the game tonight the Cats were locked from the tip and managed to remain engaged in the game throughout. Guys were diving for loose balls and not giving an inch on defense deep into the second half, even as Vermont built a massive lead.  The Cats ran their sets and executed as if it were any other game. That has not always been the case with groups in the past and I think is continues to lend itself to this being a special group. Everyone who played scored which you would expect in a game like this. However, the most impressive stat to me is that everyone who played had an assist. I honestly don't know if I have ever seen that before. I am very excited to see the Cats get into the thick of some very tough games during next week's tournament.

A big congratulations goes out to Sam Alamutu on his first career double double. Alamutu finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. I am loving the small ball PF that he is playing and am excited to see how it translates in games against teams with more of a post presence. Alamutu has clearly put the time in and is catching up to the speed of the game. His rebounding ability is something that could play a very important role on this team. TJ Long continues to impress, scorching the nets with 6/7 shooting from three and leading the Cats with 20 points. His shooting efficiency is going to benefit greatly from the Vermont system. A big shout out to Michel Ndayishimiye on getting extended playing time and scoring 11 points on 3/4 shooting from three. With TJ Hurley and Jackson Skipper sitting out, Michel took advantage and had a awesome game. Nice to see his hard work pay off. 

Now for the first big test of the season at the Myrtle Beach Invitational on Thursday at 11:30am (ugh, I will have to watch it on replay after work). Charleston is one of the best mid-major programs in the country and Vermont's frontcourt depth will be tested for the first time. The tournament field has mostly strong teams across the board so all three games should be highly competitive and fun to watch. Vermont has often had success in these tournaments and who doesn't love having so many games to watch!

P.S.

My daughter is fully recovered from her appendicitis and she is back home. Thanks for the kind and healing thoughts!

Vermont vs Merrimack 11/6/23

Vermont 67 Merrimack 55

Shamir Bogues scored 17 first half points as Vermont raced to an early lead and never looked back. Merrimack is an interesting opponent and their games often end up like they did this evening, tough, physical, and slow paced. Their defensive system is very unique and they pose a interesting challenge. Vermont responded well to every peak and valley in the game tonight. A typical season opener with stretches of brilliance followed by stretches of sloppy play. The Cats defense was tough from the get go and they played with great poise in the face of a tough and frantic defense. What a cool home doubleheader for both Vermont basketball programs and a great sweep for the Cats. 

Bogues was electric in his Catamount debut finishing with 19 points on 7-9 shooting. His speed is really impressive and you can see the relentless energy that he brings. When he is on the floor there is an electricity that seems to energize his teammates. He looks poised for a big season. All offseason the discussion has been who steps in the unique role that Robin Duncan played for the Cats. In tonight's game, Sam Alamutu did his best Robin impression finishing with 4 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block. His energy and physicality changed the momentum. He was certainly the unsung hero tonight and so great to see his hard work paying off. His rebounding ability in the small ball lineup could be a huge asset this season. Matt Veretto battled through foul trouble and finished with 14 points. He is still finding his footing in his new offensive role but battled hard and made big shots. TJ Long scored 10 points in his Catamount debut as well and chipped in 3 assists and 3 rebounds. Aaron Deloney shook off a tough start and made big shots down the stretch to round out the double digit scorers with 11 points. Ileri Ayo-Faleye also battled through some foul trouble and ripped down 6 rebounds.

A strong opener that gave glimpses of what this Cats team can do when they are firing on all cylinders. Opening day of college basketball in one of my favorite days of the year. 

Vermont 23-24 season preview

Before I begin my preview I wanted to take a minute to recognize a milestone. November 5th 2013 was my very first post and this one will be my 470th. A whole decade of blogging. Writing this blog has been such a cool experience and being a part of this little community that it has created brings me great joy. I am so thankful to all the people who have come along on this journey with me. I certainly never imagined when I started I would still be writing 10 years later and am excited to see where the next 10 take me. So thanks for reading, reaching out, and cheering on Vermont basketball. 

Once again Vermont enters this season with high expectations. As is par for the course, the Cats are expected to come out on top despite integrating eight new players into the program. Vermont was in a similar situation last season and managed to overcome early season struggles to raise the trophy once again. The integration process last season was slow and had many twists and turns. This group already looks to have a leg up in that department, looking ahead of the game in building team chemistry. From the jump it seemed like this group was focused and together. This years team has the look of a team ready to drive towards a championship. So let us dive in and take a look at this year's team. 

Projected record: 24-7 (13-3) 1st in America East, NCAA tourney berth

The non conference slate is not nearly as daunting this season and I would expect Vermont to come together as a team on a more accelerated timeline than last season. That is not to say that they don't have some very tough teams on their schedule and the Myrtle Beach Invitational will be a tremendous early season litmus test. The opening game of that tournament against Charleston is one of the best early season mid-major matchups. Then comes a great home slate of northeast mid major basketball. Both Yale (picked 1st in Ivy) and Colgate (picked 1st in Patriot) visit Patrick Gym the first two Saturdays in December. Those should be incredible, high level matchups. As far as the conference schedule goes, it starts with three home games and then a daunting stretch in mid January where the Cats have to go to Binghamton, UMass Lowell, and Bryant consecutively.

Defining roles

The biggest discussion topic during the offseason has been the amount of talented players that Vermont has. It has been clear throughout that the Cats have ready contributors all the way down the line. That means the competition for playing time is going to be fierce. This is both a good problem to have and a challenging one to manage. It is going to be very easy to nitpick and what decides playing time could be some of the most minute differences in performance. On the plus side all reports thus far are that guys are fully invested in winning and being ready when their number is called. That type of chemistry and programmatic buy in is crucial with such a deep team. However, when the rotation inevitably shrinks or players are slumping, the coaches are going to have the hard job of motivating and supporting each player to find and excel in whatever role they have. 

Changing expectations

Every single player on this year's team is in a situation that is different from their previous college experiences. Aaron Deloney is going from instant offense bench scorer to main option. Matt Veretto is going from surprise contributor and feel good story to being counted on for production. The new players are coming into a program where winning a title is not just the goal, but the expectation. All of these new experiences can be tough and there have certainly been players in the past who rise up and meet the expectations right away and others that take time to find their place. This years non conference schedule will be all about the players and coaches finding the role that puts each player in the best position to succeed.

Point guard?

As kind of a secondary part to the new roles discussion is who emerges as the Cats point guard. Vermont has a lot of great guards who are ready to initiate the offense and make plays for their teammates, but outside of Jace Roquemore, none are pure point guards. Last season it was the switch of responsibilities between Finn Sullivan and Dylan Penn that unlocked the Cats offense and I would expect a similar learning curve this season as the players and coaching staff figure out who to give the keys to. Having good point guard play has been the absolute hallmark of Vermont basketball year in and year out and how this role ends up being distributed will have one of the biggest impacts on the Vermont season. 

Rebounding

I feel like I write about rebounding in every season preview and every year Vermont finds a way to excel at what I will call "rebound prevention". The Cats have been one of the best teams in the nation over the last few seasons in defensive rebounding percentage. Vermont keeps teams off the offensive glass and shoots efficiently on the offensive end, leading to less rebounding opportunities. The Cats have always sacrificed playing at a faster pace with making sure that everyone gets to their rebounding assignments and keeps teams off the glass. There has been some discussion of playing faster and taking more chances and it will be interesting to see how that is balanced with being strong on the boards. There is no clear strong rebounder this season and much like Robin Duncan last season, someone is going to have to make a big jump in their rebounding numbers. Much like at point guard, there are a lot of good candidates on the roster.

In the Nick of time?

I know, I know, a terrible pun. Couldn't help myself. In all seriousness, Nick Fiorillo can have a big impact on this team if he can get healthy. He knows the system and is able to do whatever the team needs him to do. If he can make it back for conference play he will give the team a big boost in not just some added frontcourt depth, but as leader. He can continue to play that leadership role on the bench but being able to get back on the court can give that leadership another dimension. Nick is a classic "impact goes beyond the box score" player. 

Breakouts incoming

With so much talent and potential on the roster, breakout seasons could come from anywhere. The biggest factor in the sustained success of the Vermont program is the player development from season to season. Every year someone (often more than one someone) makes a big jump and steps into a larger role. So far TJ Hurley and Ileri Ayo-Faleye look to have the inside track on returners making a big jump. Matt Veretto already had a large role last season and will be looking to get a bump up as well. Through the two exhibition games TJ Long has demonstrated all the hallmarks of a guy that is ready to thrive in the Vermont ecosystem. Shamir Bogues will be looking to get going after a missing some exhibition time with what looks like a minor injury. Some of the younger guys will likely get a shot as well but as is the trend across college basketball, veterans are king. 

Defense

Just one last quick note. Death, Taxes, Vermont's defense. Nothing new there. This team however has a chance to be special for a couple of reasons. One, they have lots of strength and length. Up and down the roster they have physically capable defenders to integrate into the Vermont system. That aspect looks solid and predictable. One little wrinkle that will be a fun thing to monitor is having a player like Bogues who thrives in a more aggressive, in the passing lanes style that has not been a hallmark of the Vermont system. Despite being a great defensive team, the Cats are rarely big on forcing turnovers. Bogues has the ability to be a one man wrecking crew in that department and coupled with the rest of the good defenders, could give the defense a dimension it has rarely had. 

Overall my gut says that this team has a chance to be special. as I said earlier, there is a feel when watching them play that this group came to Vermont to win. Now all that is left is to play the games. 

P.S. 

    On a personal note the beginning of this season is going to be a little bit different for me as I am actually writing this post "right across the street" in the UVM children's hospital with my daughter as she recovers from a bought of appendicitis. She will be here all week so I will be watching the opener with her in her room. 

Exhibition: Vermont vs St. Michael's

Vermont 65 St Michael's 47

Vermont closed out exhibition season with a dominant defensive effort. This game was the perfect tune up for the season opener next week against Merrimack. The Purple Knights played a tough, physical zone from start to finish. Merrimack is one of the few division one teams that employs zone as their main defensive scheme. Getting an early game against a rare style of play and an early rock fight against a very motivated and physical team is a great way to be challenged. Initially in the first half, the Cats were a little back on their heels. Too many turnovers and missed shots. The offense settled in in the second half and Vermont was able to pull away. The most encouraging takeaway was that the Cats defense was there from the tip. Guys were really walling up drivers and forced St. Mike's into tough shots all night. TJ Hurley and TJ Long were particularly tough, locking guys up on drives and staying strong without fouling. Aaron Deloney also played tough physical defense. Ileri Ayo-Faleye had a strong all around game, leading the Cats in scoring. Jace Rocquemore, Brenton Mills, and Sam Alamutu also came off the bench with a strong defensive mindset. Seth Joba got extended minutes and showed flashes of his potential. As I said after the last exhibition, Long is the guy who can get a bucket when the team needs it. When the Cats finally started to pull away in the second half, it was due to Long getting a tough layup and a three on back to back possessions. He looks like a perfect fit in the Vermont system. This Cats team really needs a healthy Shamir Bogues as Vermont really misses his speed on both ends of the floor. Bogues is already proving his value as a leader by picking up the balls after shootaround and pulling guys aside and talking to them during the game. Those little things go a long way. That type of camaraderie is apparent with this group and it bodes well for how this team will grow and progress throughout the season. Can't wait for the season opener and will post my Vermont season preview this weekend! 

Exhibition: Vermont vs Catholic 10/28/23

Vermont 85 Catholic 59

Basketball is officially back!

First look at the new team this afternoon at Patrick and it did not disappoint. What a nice full circle moment for Becker coaching against his alma mater. Catholic played hard and certainly made the Cats run all over on the defensive end. Takeaways from these early games against the lower tier competition are always challenging to sort through but there is always a lot of value in seeing the guys during game action and how they respond to differing challenges and how they make adjustments. The first half was electric on both sides of the ball for Vermont. Shamir Bogues was as advertised on the defensive end with a few great steals and is an absolute hawk in the passing lanes. Unfortunately he rolled his ankle at the end of the first half and sat out the entire second half. It didn't look too serious so I will hope for a speedy recovery. His injury really deflated the atmosphere and Vermont came out very flat in the second half which demonstrated his importance to the team. Matt Veretto looked good, knocking down some early threes and getting come nice hoops going to the rim. If he is able to expand his game by adding some more chances at the rim he could really explode this season and get that "final season bump" we have seen from other seniors. Aaron Deloney looked as cool and calm as ever, seamlessly transitioning into the starting lineup and a leadership role. Deloney was knocking down shots with ease and led the Cats with 4 assists, which has been an area of emphasis for him this offseason. The most impressive performance was from Fairfield transfer TJ Long. He led the Cats with 17 points in a team high 24 minutes. Long was 3-8 from three and had some nice finishes at the rim. He is TOUGH and plays with an edge. He is going to be one of those guys that could explode at any minute and can make tough shots when the offense needs a bucket. I could see him sliding in the Deloney role off the bench as the guy that Becker can go to for some offensive punch. TJ Hurley looked good as well and if you blink you could confuse the two TJs. Their games are very similar and they give Becker great interchangeable pieces as shooters who are also big and strong enough to get to the rim if the defense commits to hard on the close out. Ileri Ayo-Faleye lived up to the preseason hype, looking much calmer and more under control. He has a defined role this season as the starter in the middle and looks ready to take advantage. Jackson Skipper looked a little overly hyped up for his first game action but was able to settle down in the second half and make some nice plays. Jace Roquemore really impressed in the second half, stepping in at point guard with Bogues going down. Roquemore has a very calm presence and made good decisions with the ball. He knocked down a three and had a nice dunk on the baseline.  Brenton Mills gives the Cats a nice veteran presence off the bench and knocked down his free throws. Seth Joba and Noah Barnett played sparingly with Barnett demonstrating great hustle and Joba making some nice passes. Overall takeaways are that this team has elite defenders in Bogues and Ayo-Faleye and elite shooters in Deloney, Veretto, Hurley, and Long. Those two strengths are going to win the Cas a lot of games. Concerns from this game are similar to last season with the frontcourt a little thin and inexperienced. Rebounding will be key as they are going to again have to rely on strong team rebounding. Last year Robin Duncan saved them on the boards and someone is going to have emerge from this group to be a leader and set the tone on the boards. I will go more in depth into all things Catamount basketball in my season preview which I will post next weekend before the season opener. So glad to have basketball back!

23-24 America East Conference preview

Exhibition week is nearly upon us and that means it is time for preview season. Predications are a fickle business but fun nonetheless. With so much roster turnover across the league it is increasingly hard to get a gauge on a team's true identity before the season starts. One of the effects the COVID years and the transfer portal has had is that leagues like the America East get old instead of young. Certainly in previous eras it was all about highlighting the contributions of young talent and the development of future stars. With minutes and opportunities for young players continuing to dwindle, reloading rosters with transfer talent is a must, particularly in a mid major league. The rosters of the America East title contenders this season are littered with 5th year college players. This is exciting for the competitiveness of the league as teams looks to use that veteran experience to stabilize these fluid rosters. America East success is almost always defined by teams that have strong, composed, workmanlike execution and the teams that rise to the top this season will be no different. Let's dive in.

1. Vermont

    Another year, another preseason at the top. Vermont is the favorite to win again with a heralded transfer class and a small group of strong returners. The Cats are in a similar situation last year with a combination of known contributors and new faces. The difference this season is that the several of the new faces are experienced college basketball veterans versus the young inexperienced group last season. As a result this team has a completely different feel. The cohesiveness and understanding of what it takes to win is already light years ahead of where the team was last season. Aaron Deloney returning as the unquestioned leader was the defining moment of this offseason. His ability to pass on the knowledge to this next group of Catamounts of what it takes to be a part of the Vermont program is crucial to their success this season and beyond. He is poised for a big year. Matt Veretto was the spark that changed the outlook last season, coming out of nowhere to become an indispensable part of the Cats attack. His continued ascension with a full offseason under his belt will be fun to watch. The transfer group of Brenton Mills, TJ Long, Jace Rocquemore, and Shamir Bogues immediately infuses the roster with a plethora of college game experience. Bogues in particular will be a fan favorite and has all conference potential. With the Nick Fiorillo injury shaking up the frontcourt, Ileri Ayo-Faleye will be tasked with making a big jump, particularly adding a little more offensive impact to his stellar defense. It also gives freshman Seth Joba a chance to make a immediate impact. This team has all the talent to make a run at the title and the major question facing the team is can they put all of the potential into practice when the step on the court. 

2. UMass Lowell

    

    Lowell put together a strong season, falling just short of their goal, losing to Vermont in the title game. Once again this season they will look to challenge the Cats for the top spot. The River Hawks return their strong frontcourt duo of Max Brooks and preseason all conference big man Abdoul Karim Coulibaly. Second season breakout candidate Cam Morris III also returns to give Lowell a powerful post rotation. This group will anchor both their defense and provide the foundation for their efficient offense. Ayinde Hikim and buzzy breakout candidate Brayden O'Conner return to lead the backcourt. Last year what put the River Hawks over the top was a huge jump in three point shooting efficiency from Everette Hammond and Allin Blunt. That duo has graduated and leave behind the biggest question mark for Lowell. Where does the perimeter shooting come from? They have a strong group of candidates to fill that role in returner Yuri Covington and newcomers Andres Fulgencio, Jordan Thompson, and Xzavier Lino. Finding reliable perimeter shooting to make room for their post players to operate will be the deciding factor in the River Hawks season. 

3. Bryant

    Bryant's first season in the America East was a roller coaster as they struggled to adapt to the slower paced more methodical style of play that most teams in the conference are comfortable in. The Bulldogs offseason was thrown into turmoil when their head coach Jared Grasso was placed on leave in what seems to be a strange and messy situation. Coaching turmoil is always challenging for a team to navigate so it will be interesting to see how this situation plays out. The Bulldogs do boast one of the strongest groups of returners including the preseason all conference duo of Sherif Gross-Bullock and Earl Timberlake. Gross-Bullock will make a run a the conference scoring title and Earl Timberlake is a stat stuffing monster. The biggest struggle for Bryant last season was finding consistent production from three, particularly on the road. They will be looking to Tyler Brelsford in a larger role and St, John's transfer Rafael Pinzon to bring some perimeter punch. Kvon Kramer steps in a big role underneath for what will be a slightly undersized Bulldogs team. It will be interesting to see if the coaching staff makes any adjustments in year two to adapt to the America East style of play. Bryant will be tough, physical, relentless, and if they are able to put it all together will be a strong contender. 

4. Binghamton

    The next tier of challengers feel pretty evenly split. There should be a tight middle group and really any of these teams could emerge out of the pack.  Binghamton continues to knock at the door, pushing the top teams with a physical style of play. This season will likely be more of the same with the Bearcats biggest transfer addition being Symir Torrence, a strong leader at the PG position known for his defense. Torrence is the type of lead guard who can raise the level of play for his entire team. Dan Petcash, Armon Harried, and Taveion White headline a group of returners looking to continue the recent success. The Bearcats biggest struggle last season was poor perimeter shooting. This remains a questions mark and Binghamton will be looking to newcomers Tymu Chenery and Chris Walker to give them a lift from the three point line. In order for Binghamton to break through they will need consistent offensive production as they have been prone to long cold shooting stretches over the last few seasons. 

5. Maine

    For the first time in a LONG time, Maine was able to hold on to and return a strong core that helped the Black Bears climb out of the basement and put together a competitive middle of the pack finish last season. Chris Markwood has the program headed in the right direction and there are real expectations in Orono this season. Leading the returners is preseason all conference and reigning defensive player of the year Kellen Tynes. Tynes was not just one of the best defensive players in the conference, he led the nation in steals last season. Between Shamir Bogues (Vermont) Symir Torrence (Binghamton), and Tynes the America East could be one of the toughest conferences for opposing guards. These matchups during conference play will be ones to watch. Jayden Clayton and Ja'Shonte Wright-McLeish also return for Maine to give them a dynamic backcourt. Okay Djamgouz headlines the newcomers, bringing a strong perimeter threat to the Black Bears. AJ Lopez, Quion Burns and Adam Cisse also look to make an impact from the transfer portal.  Peter Filipovity and Kristians Feierbergs return a scoring punch to the frontcourt. Last season Maine struggled with rebounding and particularly with rim protection, allowing teams to have their way underneath. Shoring up their froncourt, particularly on the defensive end will be crucial in order for Maine to take the next step. 

6. UMBC

   The Retrievers will be looking to continue to battle in the middle of the pack. In order to do that they will be relying on trio of transfers. Max Lorca-Lloyd, Khydarius Smith, and Bryce Johnson will step right in and be the leaders of this UMBC squad. Returning guards Devan Sapp and sophomore breakout candidate Dion Brown will look to provide a spark for Jim Ferry's squad. Last season UMBC struggled mightily on the defensive side of the ball and that has often been a hallmark of Jim Ferry coached teams. The Retrievers will have to find a way to stay out of shootouts in order to climb out of the middle of the pack. UMBC is one of the few teams that has a large freshman class and if any of the young players find their way into the rotation it will certainly raise the ceiling of this group. 

7. New Hampshire

    For the first time in almost two decades, Bill Herrion will not be on the sidelines for the Wildcats. Nathan Davis takes over and unlike last season, UNH will have some returning contributors to lean on. Headlining the returners is preseason all conference forward Clarence Daniels. Daniels is one of the best returning players in the conference and should be able to keep the Wildcats knocking at the door in the middle of the pack. Jaxson Baker, Ridvan Tutic, Christian Moore, and Trey Woodyard also return for UNH. If the Wildcats are going to find success this season they will need to improve their offensive efficiency. Last season the Wildcats finished 358th out of 361 teams in 2pt field goal percentage. That is an appalling number and not a recipe for offensive success. UNH will be looking to newcomers Dior Davis, Ahmad Robinson, Naim Miller, and Paul Gakmar to give them a lift inside the arc. 

8. Albany

    From a pure talent perspective, Albany has a chance to far exceed this prediction. In the conference preview last season, I mentioned that Albany was the hardest team to predict and I feel similarly this season. They have strong returning talent and made nice additions through the portal. Dwayne Killings is on the hot seat this season after a tumultuous first two seasons. During his tenure the Great Danes have often looked disengaged and disconnected. Jonathan Beagle returns after winning rookie of the year and looks to make a big jump this season. Justin Neely, the 21-22 rookie of the year, returns after missing last season due to injury. Aaron Reddish, Marcus Jackson, and Ny'Mire Little round out the young returning core. Through the portal the Great Danes added former Binghamton guard Tyler Bertram, Sebastian Thomas, and Ama're Marshall. Marshall in particular has created significant buzz as a potential offensive spark plug. Last season the Great Danes were one of the worst defensive teams in the country and they will have to make significant strides on that end of the floor in order to stay out of the basement.  

9. NJIT

    It will be a complete rebuild in Grant Billmeier's first season. With nine freshman on the roster, there will likely be growing pains outside of the starting lineup. The Highlanders do return Adam Hess, Mekhi Gray, Justin Anderson, and Kjell de Graaf to provide the starting lineup with a veteran presence. They also bring in two graduate transfers in Elijah Buchanan and Daniel Schreier to give NJIT some experience to rely on as they navigate this transitional year. The Highlanders will just be looking to set new program expectations and to try and build some positive momentum for future success. 

    

    

 

Nick Fiorillo suffers another injury

Alex Abrami announced on Twitter (it will always be twitter) that Nick Fiorillo suffered a lower body injury and is out indefinitely. Just devastating news for Fiorillo who had worked himself back from last season's injury. I have always loved Fiorillo's presence on the court and it is tough to lose his veteran presence. I really hope that he will be able to once again heal up and get himself back on the court before the end of the season. This thrusts Ileri Ayo-Faleye into a even larger role and opens the door for the freshman bigs, particularly Seth Joba to have an opportunity to carve out a role. Ayo-Faleye has been building hype and momentum with his offseason performances and is now locked into big minutes. Matt Veretto was already going to have a large role but his production and growth will be even more important now. Joba is supremely talented at the offensive end and could provide some scoring punch but will have to improve on the defensive end to carve out minutes. Last season was a reminder of how hard it can be for young players to pick up the defensive rotations. Jackson Skipper and Sam Alamutu could also see a few minutes in some small ball lineups. Hopefully this injury is will not keep Fiorillo out too long and I wish him a speedy recovery. 

Drew Bessette commits to the hometown Cats

Vermont has added another piece to their 2024 recruiting class in local Rice basketball star Drew Bessette. Bessette is a 6'8 forward who looks to be the next hometown star for the Cats. The coaching staff has always done a good job of prioritizing the top local talent and laying out a developmental path for them to reach their full potential. I got a chance to watch Bessette in the post camp scrimmage earlier in the summer and the thing that jumps out is his size. He is a a big, strong kid that goes after rebounds and can play above the rim. He did not look physically out of place playing against the rest of the Cats. He has nice touch around the rim and good rebounding instincts. Bessette has nice shooting form and looks like someone who could grow into a stretch forward role. As with past Vermont players, he may need some time to get used to and comfortable with the speed of the college game but his familiarity with the program is going to give him a leg up. I like his potential and think that he will have a significant impact at some point in his career. I really give credit to Becker and his coaching staff for taking the time and energy to invest in giving local players a chance to come in, work hard, and play for their hometown team. The proof is in the pudding as local stars like Matt Glass, Clancy Rugg, Pat Bergman, Candon Rusin, Nate Rohrer, and Ben Shungu all developed into into key players during Becker's tenure. 

The. Season. Is. Almost. Here. 

Sean Blake kicks off the 2024 recruiting class

Vermont secured their first commitment for the 2024 recruiting class from Sean Blake, a 6'2 PG from Mississauga, ON. Blake is a talented player and a great way to to kick off the next recruiting class. He plays with a strong command of the game and has great pace with the ball in his hands. Blake has a quick first step and his best skill is finishing creatively and through contact at the rim. He plays with a high motor at both ends of the floor and uses his athleticism to make an impact at the defensive end. Blake is still developing as a shooter as he looks to round out his game. He has a chance to be the another link in the chain of strong Vermont PGs from the Toronto area. In two years there will be loads of guard minutes available and the coaching staff is getting ahead of the game by bringing a player in to learn the ropes before being counted on for production. Blake is a perfect fit and has all of the qualities the Vermont program prioritizes. He is oozing with potential  looks like a player that will thrive in the Vermont ecosystem. Adding Nathan Johnson to the coaching staff certainly strengthened their Canadian recruiting connections so it makes sense to see their first commitment reflecting those ties. 

A Family Affair

Vermont officially announced Nathan Johnson as the new assistant coach for the men's basketball team. If the name sounds familiar it is because he is in fact replacing his brother Bryson Johnson on the Vermont staff.  This was rumored for a while and it is a strong addition to the coaching staff. Johnson has a wide range of coaching experience in Canada, overseas, and spent the past two seasons on Penny Hardaway's staff at Memphis. With such an eclectic mix of experiences, Johnson will be able to bring a wide range of skills to the Vermont program. He has a strong player development reputation, which is the program's bread and butter. Adding a coach with experience developing and evaluating professional players and overseas connections adds another dimension to the coaching staff. The staff has a very nice blend of recruiting connections and professional basketball development experience. Bringing some experience from a big time program like Memphis, especially with all of the changes in the college basketball landscape over the past few seasons, is also going to help the Vermont program continue to grow and adapt. This feels like another great hire by Vermont and it will be exciting to see the influence on the upcoming season and current recruiting cycle. 

Non-Conference Schedule release

In what has become a later and later event each year, Vermont released their non-conference schedule this week.  Mid-major/low-major scheduling difficulties are well documented and this year's schedule is both a reflection of those challenges and working with what they had. Last years non-conference schedule was tough, and in hindsight it was clear that the excessive travel early in the season and the lack of home games proved to do more harm than good. This year's schedule is a logical response with more regional games and extra home games. Like many mid-majors, especially good mid mid-majors, Vermont struggles to find teams that are willing to play them at home. The trend across college basketball is for the high majors to play as few home games as possible and there is a trickle down effect. With major conferences growing in size and adding more conference games, the window for scheduling is shrinking. This schedule is a good balance of winnable road games later in the schedule with home games sprinkled in early. Adding a second non D1 game is not ideal but is a trend on the rise as teams struggle to fill out their schedule. This is a schedule with a lot of winnable games without loading up on cupcakes (like UMass Lowell's non conference last season). The Myrtle Beach invitational has a great field and will give them several challenging opponents including the opening round matchup against another great mid major in College of Charleston. Getting Northeastern back on the schedule is great and I like getting both Yale and Colgate at home this season. Having the road games at the end of the conference schedule is great as it gives the team time to gel before going on the road to try and pick up a few wins. All in all another strong schedule that should they perform up to expectations, will give them the challenges they need to grow as a team but with a little more balance and room for error comparatively to last season. Also the exhibition against Catholic is a fun full circle moment for Becker!

Here is the schedule:

October 28th Exhibition: Home vs Catholic
November 1st Exhibition: Home vs St. Michael's

November 6th: Merrimack

November 11th: Plattsburgh State

November 16th: Myrtle Beach Invitational vs College of Charleston

November 17th: Myrtle Beach Invitational vs Saint Louis/Wyoming

November 19th: Myrtle Beach Invitational vs TBD

November 22nd: VSU-Johnson

November 25th: at Bradley

November 29th: Dartmouth

December 2nd: Yale

December 6th: at Northeastern

December 9th: Colgate

December 16th: at Virginia Tech

December 20th: at Toledo

December 22nd: at Miami (OH)

January 2nd: at Brown

It is great to be posting again! Things should start to pick up again as the season draws near so I hope to be posting again in the near future. The season is just around the corner!

Summer Updates

Hello all! 

It has been a while and I have been itching for some college basketball. With the Becker camp going on this week I got a chance to stop by Patrick and catch some post camp scrimmage action. This was the first look at the new additions to the team and the thing that jumped out from the get go was the intensity of the play. The teams were really getting after each other and they looked like a very cohesive group. With several of the newcomers being experienced college players, there was a maturity and focus in the on court play. The other thing that jumped out was the overall talent level. The guard position in particular has tremendous depth and there are going to be fierce battles for playing time throughout the year. The coaching staff is looking at a "too many good players" dilemma. Coaches dream of a scenario where they have so many good options and I think after some of the difficulties in finding a good rotations last season, the coaching staff will gladly embrace the challenge of managing so much depth. 

On to some individual performance reactions. Jackson Skipper was borderline dominant through the two hours of games, scoring at every level and getting physical on the defensive end. He is much stronger coming off his redshirt year and continues to look like a player that will be very good for the Cats in the future. Matt Veretto put on an incredible shooting display from three and looks like he will make a big jump with full season/offseason cycle under his belt. Aaron Deloney's return was huge for Vermont as the importance of his leadership was on full display. Much like last season when Becker said that it was "Robin's team" this is clearly going to be "AD's team". Nick Fiorillo is also taking on a leadership role and shot the ball well while looking more fluid and had some nice pop on a few dunks. Sam Alamutu is somehow even bigger and stronger and his first step looked a little quicker. Ileri Ayo-Faleye looked much stronger and blocked several shots. He is looking to build off his defensive stopper presence from last season. Michel Ndayishimiye continues to be lightning quick and competes on every play. Now on to the newcomers. Shamir Bogues is going to be a great fit at Vermont. He has a great pace to his game, calm and under control, and then immediately accelerating for a steal or a huge dunk. He is going to be a force on the defensive end and a strong finisher in traffic on offense. TJ Long started slow and was struggling to find his shooting stroke. Then one quick Becker pep talk and he was on fire the rest of the time. He is tough with a really nice stroke from deep. When he is feeling it he can put up points in a hurry. Jace Roquemore is another player with a great feel and a calm presence. He has great court vision and will be a great facilitator in the offense. Brenton Mills is quick and creative off the dribble. Seth Joba is big and athletic. He has good rebounding and shot blocking instincts and a smooth shooting stroke. As we saw last season predicting freshman impact can be hard but whenever Joba adjusts to the college game he has a very high all conference player ceiling. Noah Barnett is athletic and and a good rebounder. He has the tools to develop in a good player. 

TJ Hurley is over in Hungary playing for team Canada and in their game today he played very well knocking down 3 threes and scoring a team high 13 points. 

The two new walk-ons Charlie Moore and Michael Mora held their own nicely and played very hard. I mentioned Moore's addition in a previous post but Mora is a new addition. Mora hails from Asheville, NC and is a 6'6 guard. Both players looked like guys that will bring a lot to practice and Mora in particular looked like a guy could work himself into a role down the line. 

Samurai Hoops had reported on twitter several weeks back that Bryson Johnson's brother Nathan Johnson was going to fill the vacant coaching position and that is the case. Johnson has lots of player development experience in Canada and will bolster Vermont's recruiting ties north of the border. 

There is so much to be excited about with this season's team. They are going to be a very experienced team with great depth. Last season the early part of the year was difficult with the scheduling issues but it was also challenging to find the right lineups due to the lack of depth and inexperience. This season I would expect the Cats to hit the ground running a little bit more and have several different lineup options. There is a lot of versatility on the roster with different guys with different skill sets who the coaching staff will be able to mix and match and adapt to various game situations. Obviously this was just one practice and I admittedly was very wrong with my initial takeaways when I watched the after camp games last year, but this team has a very different feel. This group already looks like a team that has only winning on their mind. 

Now the long wait until October begins. I am very excited to see how this group progresses and can't wait to see them again in the fall. 

Vermont finishes their 2023 recruiting class

Vermont filled their last scholarship this morning with a commitment from Noah Barnett, a 6'9 forward out of Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey. Barnett is coming off a very successful season with the Ironmen where he (and top '24 recruit Dylan Harper) helped lead the team to the Bergan County Jamboree title and Barnett made first team All-County. Barnett is a force on both sides of the floor. He is a hard working forward who can control the paint with his athleticism and strength. On the offensive side of the ball he crashes the glass hard and has the ability to face up and get to the rim. He is also comfortable with the ball in his hands in the open floor. He is physical on defense and has good shot blocking instincts. This is a great way to fill the last scholarship as Barnett has a chance to develop into a very good player. Paring him with Seth Joba in this freshman class gives Vermont two big post players who have all league potential down the road. Now I know Catamount fans might be little gun shy as last year's two freshman big men struggled to acclimate to the program, struggled to learn the defensive system, and ultimately decided to transfer. That is certainly something to keep in mind as big men have traditionally struggled in their first year in the Vermont program (I know I say this a lot but it bears repeating). The strategy by the coaching staff is sound as they need to get younger and depth in the post is something that is hard to find (especially in the portal era). So even though last year did not quite go as planned with the freshman post players, I am very excited about the future of Vermont's post game. Barnett and Joba's games complement each other nicely with Joba as more of a stretch player and Barnett doing work in the paint. Both have good shot blocking instincts which is exciting as rim protection is an area of need for the Cats. Both freshman will be able to work into the rotation with less pressure this season as Matt Veretto, Ileri Ayo-Faleye and Nick Fiorillo will give them a veteran presence but also an opportunity for minutes. This has been a great offseason for Vermont and they have once again put themselves in position to compete for a championship. An underrated aspect of their additions is that (barring transferring decisions) next offseason will feel a little more normal with only 3 open scholarships. The coaching staff did a great job building not only for this season but for future seasons as well. 

P.S. A while ago Vermont also added walk on Charlie Moore from the New Hampton School to next year's team. Moore is 6'4 guard originally from California who played for former Catamount coach Andrew Gale this past season. 

Bryson Johnson heads to Holy Cross

What had been rumored for weeks was officially announced today as Vermont assistant coach Bryson Johnson is now the Associate head coach under Dave Paulsen at Holy Cross. Ever since Paulson was named the head coach at Holy Cross I have been waiting for this news. Johnson is a Paulsen guy through and through. Paulsen was his coach at Bucknell and he also spent time as his assistant at George Mason. A great opportunity for Johnson and I wish him the best of luck. I appreciate the time he spent at Vermont and he did a great job during his time in Catamount country. It will be interesting to see how Becker and the staff choose to fill the vacant assistant position. Becker has always done a great job hiring assistants as many former Vermont assistants have found themselves in prominent roles at other programs. One scholarship and one coaching position left to round out the offseason for Vermont. 

Shamir Bogues joins the Catamounts

Ooooooo boy did the Cats have a weekend!!

Shamir Bogues, a 6-4 guard from Killeen, TX who played the last three years for Tarleton State, committed to the Catamounts this evening, with two years of eligibility remaining. Ever since Vermont reached out several weeks ago, this it the commitment I have been hoping for. Bogues visited Vermont this past weekend and I have been obsessively checking twitter ever since. He is exactly what the Cats needed. Bogues is an ELITE defender. He has made the WAC all defensive team two years in a row and has averaged two steals a game during his career. For context, his 159 career steals would already place him seventh on the career list at Vermont. He will immediately be a defensive player of the year candidate. As you might imagine with those defensive numbers, Bogues is a incredible athlete who is lightning fast and plays above the rim. He has tremendous length and physicality which he also uses to score at the rim on the offensive end. Bogues has steadily improved his offense each year and had a career offensive season last year shooting 53% from the field and making 36% of his threes (17/47). Where he really does damage is in the post, using curls and cuts and his length to finish around defenders. Think the way Vermont used Dylan Penn and Robin Duncan as guards scoring in the paint. Pairing him with Jace Roquemore gives Vermont two very versatile guards who can rebound and make plays. Bogues is an absolutely perfect fit in the Vermont system especially with some of the adjustments the coaching staff made last season. With the addition of Bogues the Cats have done an excellent job replacing production on both offense and defense. It is especially exciting because Bogues, Roquemore, and TJ Long have two seasons of eligibility left. This is the commitment that puts the Cats over the top and gives them the pieces to make another title run. What an incredible week of recruiting for the Cats. 

Vermont lands UC San Diego transfer Jace Roquemore

Here we are again!

On a big weekend for Vermont basketball the Cats grabbed another commitment for next season from 6'5 guard Jace Roquemore. He announced that his two finalists were Vermont and Pacific last week so a commitment seemed likely. Roquemore is from Henderson, NV and comes to Vermont after 4 years at UC San Diego. He in in a similar situation as Nick Fiorillo where he redshirted the year before the 20-21 COVID season and therefore I believe he still has two more seasons of eligibility left. Roquemore started 58 games for the Tritons over the last two seasons and has proven to be a very versatile and high IQ player. He has career averages of 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. That versatility will allow him to play multiple positions for the Catamounts and will replace some of the playmaking ability that Vermont lost due to graduation. Roquemore is comfortable running the offense with the ball in his hands and rebounds well from the guard position. While not a volume shooter, Roquemore has improved his perimeter shooting each year and shot 40% (26/60) from distance last season. The Vermont coaching staff will look to unlock Roquemore's potential in the same way they did with Finn Sullivan (6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists at San Diego before coming to Vermont). Roquemore may not be able to impact the game defensively quite as much has Finn did but does have similar offensive versatility. He is a very good passer and is able to slow the game down and calmly run the offense. I would expect him to get minutes at the PG spot for Vermont this season. The coaching staff had done a great job infusing the roster with experience and potential. I am interested to see how they choose to fill the final two roster spots. 

Brenton Mills joins the Catamounts

 Vermont landed a commitment from 6'3 guard Brenton Mills who is a grad transfer from Allen, TX and will have one year of eligibility remaining. If the name sounds familiar that is because Mills played his first two seasons at Binghamton before spending the last two seasons at Bowling Green. Vermont was looking to add some experience through the portal and they did so with Mills. He has played 106 career games (85 starts) and made both the all freshman team and the all America East third team following his sophomore season. Mills is a good depth add for the Catamounts. He reminds me of Kam Gibson in that he is a low turnover, offense first guard who will be able to give minutes at either guard position as long as he can get up to speed and improve on the defensive end. At Binghamton, he was a high volume three point shooter, knocking down 36% (85-231) from deep. He will be looking to recapture that magic returning to the America East as he struggled from distance during his time at Bowling Green, shooting only 27% on much lower volume (34-124). I am sure that what drew Mills to Vermont was to find a winning program where he can contribute and have an opportunity to make it to the NCAA tournament in his final college season. With Deloney returning, TJ Long joining from Fairfield, and now Mills, the Cats have very quickly done a great job of addressing their number one offseason issue, which was guard depth. They still need another point guard and probably want another frontcourt player for depth. Based on Becker's comments when Deloney recommitted, he hopes to have the roster finalized this week and I would expect more news in the coming days as I am guessing they are hosting visits this weekend. The weather is cooperating nicely so hopefully I will be writing again soon!

AARON DELONEY IS BAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!

Aaron Deloney announced on his instagram today that he will be returning for his 5th year in Catamount country. No analysis is needed to explain how great this is for Vermont. Deloney has blossomed over the last two years and will return as the unquestioned leader of the Cats. The more the weeks that had passed with no official goodbye announcement from Deloney, the more confident I was getting in his potential return. It feels good that he explored his options and ultimately decided that Vermont was the place to be. Deloney comes back with the potential to be the Cats leading scorer and make a run at all conference first team. His role in the offense will likely be similar but his role in the locker room will be expanded and be even more important. So excited to have AD back and can't wait to watch him close out his Catamount career. 

Fairfield transfer TJ Long commits to Vermont

Vermont gets their first addition of the spring from the portal in 6-4 lefty guard TJ Long, a native of Rockville Center, NY who comes to the Cats by way of Fairfield University. This is a no-brainer perfect fit for Vermont. In his two seasons at Fairfield, Long has been a steady presence on the perimeter for the Stags. In his freshman season he made the all MAAC freshman team after averaging 7 points and shooting 40% from three. Last season he was named the MAAC 6th man of the year after averaging 10.5 points and making a team high 58 threes. Long will be able to immediately provide Vermont with a reliable shooting threat who has already made 110 threes at the college level. It is also great to get a player who has two years of eligibility left to provide a little bit of extra roster continuity. Long will also bring physicality and size to the guard position and has all the tools to develop into a strong defender. A perfect player for the Vermont system who immediately fills a need at the guard position. A great kickoff to the recruiting cycle for Vermont. They will still need to add a PG in the portal as they look to add a player with strong passing/playmaking ability. I can't wait for some "spider-man pointing meme" lineups featuring TJ Hurley and Long. Catamount country is always excited about more TJ!

Jorge Ochoa and Perry Smith Jr enter the transfer portal

Both Jorge Ochoa and Perry Smith Jr entered the transfer portal today. It is almost one year to the day from Ochoa's commitment to the Catamounts last March. Such is the state of things in the current college basketball landscape. Again I think the portal and ability to transfer without sitting out is ultimately good for college basketball, but it does make roster construction and year to year continuity a much more difficult thing to achieve. Both Ochoa and Smith Jr came in with high hopes as the top two rated recruits in Vermont history (of the era where those types of rankings have been a thing). As I mentioned when they committed, the hardest thing about coming to Vermont is to get up to speed on the defensive side of the ball and typically young big men have struggled to crack the rotation. That certainly played out during the season as both struggled with defensive miscues and never got enough court time to find a rhythm. So many factors go into transferring and I don't want to speculate about why they are choosing to transfer but it must have been a frustrating process for Ochoa and Smith Jr this season to try and learn the system. I wish them luck in the next part of their basketball journey and hope they find the right fit on and off the court. 

The job of the coaching staff becomes that much more difficult as they are once again going to be turning over half of the roster this offseason. This is pretty commonplace now as a large portion of college basketball is retooling their rosters throughout March, April, and May each season. The portal ultimately has been a huge lift for Vermont during this recent run of success as Finn Sullivan, Kam Gibson, Matt Veretto, Ileri Ayo-Fayele, and Dylan Penn all came to Vermont through that process. Last year Vermont was able to blend getting additions from the portal and finding overlooked high school players who have lost out due to the scramble in the portal. Even though the impact from the younger players was less than they hoped, I expect that there will be a similar combination this offseason. One of the challenges with the unpredictable roster construction is it is very hard to talk to prospective players about playing time availability. Last season at this time it seemed like there were few barriers to playing time at the frontcourt positions at Vermont. Fast forward to adding Veretto and Ayo-Faleye and suddenly the position became more crowded. The coaching staff has quite a balancing act when sifting through the portal and hitting the road to find unsigned high school players. I continue to expect a flurry of moves over the next month or so. 

Season Wrap

It was another incredible season in Catamount country. I read over my wrap up from last season and it actually reads very much the same. Another surprisingly dominant season where the Cats took their lumps in November and then dominated the rest of the way. This season highlighted the program as a whole and its ability to find, develop, and integrate players into the system. In a shifting college basketball landscape, Vermont demonstrated that they have the ability to lean on winning, hard work, and selflessness to bring the players together. The goal that I mentioned at the end of last season for the program to keep moving forward was to make the tourney in back to back seasons. The Cats accomplished that with flying colors. There has been a debate and some restlessness among the fanbase about if this season was a step forward or back for the program. I am surprised at the idea that winning year in and year out isn't seen as "enough" and have to feel on some level that the fanbase is suffering from a little bit of "success fatigue". Seven straight regular season titles, seven straight players of the year, twenty wins every season is the stuff of fantasy that hundreds of other programs would sell their souls for in a heartbeat. Basing a successful season on consistently winning games as huge underdogs or pulling off a march madness upset is a slippery slope. What has been built at Vermont is special and unique in the college basketball world. For a program in a non metro area, a less than ideal geographic location, with a tiny athletics budget, and outdated facilities to win at the level that Vermont has is a testament to the hard work of the staff and the dedication of the players. Getting the new facility would be a game changer for the program and everyone will be waiting on pins and needles to see when that might happen. Once that is in place it will be time to talk about another programmatic jump. Until then winning year in and year out is something we should all cherish and get excited about. 

It was absolutely incredible watching Robin Duncan and Finn Sullivan raise the level of their play so significantly this season. At the end of last season Becker said that he thought Finn Sullivan could be a player of the year type guy for Vermont and boy was he right. Sullivan went on an electric run during conference play. I will always be particularly impressed with his ability on the defensive end. Often times players that are good at playing defense on the ball don't get the flashy plays like big steals and blocks. The defensive players that get the big steals and block are often coming from off the ball or often taking big gambles. Sullivan was somehow both. That is what made his defense so incredible. He could shut someone down by staying in front and moving his feet AND still get the steal or a blocked shot. What a find by the coaching staff and what a great couple of years in Catamount country for Sullivan. There is almost nothing more to be said about Robin Duncan. What a season. What a career. Duncan is the epitome of the Vermont program. A player that accepted many different roles throughout his career and always in support of the ultimate team goals. A player that learned how to be the best version of himself and topped it off with a year where he doubled all of his career numbers in one glorious breakout season. Duncan finished his career with 704 points, 637 rebounds, 432 assists (8th all time), 100 steals, only 180 turnovers, and all in a Vermont record 147 games. The last of the Duncan family who changed the Vermont program forever. What a great player, leader, and ambassador for Catamount country. Not to mention recruiting Dylan Penn to join him for one magical season. Speaking of Penn, a perfect fit for a player who had only one goal, win. Fighting though an early season injury and adjusting to a new system, Penn put the team on his back down the stretch and reached the NCAA tournament after missing out the year before. It was so fun to watch such a unique player and that conference tourney run was one to remember. Kam Gibson was the consummate role player during his time in Catamount country. Always there to do the right thing at the right time and a trustworthy and stabilizing force. My favorite stat to illustrate this, albeit a small one, is that in 57 career games for Vermont, Gibson only turned the ball over 22 times. Twenty two!! That is a miniscule number and is such an important stat for a integral role player. Sure will miss watching these guys play. 

Aaron Deloney blossomed even further into his bench scorer role and was electric to watch. His toughness and swagger were game changers this season. He is a good example of a guy who fought hard to improve throughout his career and be ready to make an impact when it was his turn. He will be able to fill a similar role on any team in country next year and it will be exciting to see what he can do. His likely departure leaves Vermont in a similar situation to last season, replacing most of the scoring and playmaking. Last year they had the benefit of returning experienced veterans which is often more reliable than integrating younger players, but this offseason will be a similar task to the last. How to find players within and outside of the program who can fill the roles that have been vacated. Matt Veretto has a chance to step into a larger role next season. By the end of the season he was the Cats most reliable three point shooter and was beginning to score in other ways around the rim. The fact that he was so impactful after three years off is mind blowing so it is tantalizing to think what he will be able to do with a full offseason. Nick Fiorillo had a lost season due to injury so it will be interesting to see how he will be able to get himself ready for a bounceback next season. He will be the old veteran on the team and probably most importantly will be tasked with a huge leadership role for next years group. 

Next year will be a year similar to the 14-15 season when Vermont brought in a huge freshman class after the departure of a senior laden group. This time around the new players have already been in the system for a year so they will have a leg up. That season Vermont was able to claw their way to a 20-14 record (12-4 conference) and finish second in the America East. It is hard to count out this program and their coaching staff when history suggests that they will find a way to win no matter the circumstance. Guys like Ileri Ayo-Faleye and TJ Hurley showed flashes in their limited opportunities and are two players that could thrive in a larger role. Despite the limited impact of the other freshman from this past season, someone in that group will make a leap this offseason. As a fun exercise here are the freshman stats from some recent star players:

Player A: 6.2 minutes per game, 1.1 points per game

Player B: 10.2 minutes per game, 3.3 points per game

Player C: 16.4 minutes per game, 4.1 points per game

Player D: 9.0 minutes per game, 3.6 points per game

Bonus player: 30.8 minutes per game, 13.6 points per game

Guesses?

Player A is Ben Shungu, B is Ryan Davis, C is Finn Sullivan (at San Diego), and D is Dylan Penn (at Division II Bellarmine). The bonus player is actually Kam Gibson who exploded his freshman year at Western Carolina. The point being, players of the year can start their careers with a whimper and role players can start with a bang. Someone or everyone in the TJ Hurley, Jorge Ochoa, Perry Smith Jr, Jackson Skipper, Sam Alamutu freshman group (and incoming freshman Seth Joba) will become good and maybe great college players when it is their turn. To be honest that is what I have always personally loved about college basketball. Who is next? Which player will surprise? How will they get better?

There will be more additions to next year's roster as I am confident that the coaching staff will address the need at PG through the transfer portal. As they always do, they will find players who are looking to win and want a chance to make the NCAA tourney. The last few years the portal has been a huge lift for the program and the coaching staff has done a great job finding diamonds in the rough like Veretto and Sullivan and is always taking big swings at established players, landing one in Dylan Penn (with an assist from Robin). That is what makes the consistent winning so important. Vermont doesn't have the luxury of nice facilities (yet) or a sunny climate to pitch to prospective players. What they do have is that they will win, make them a better player, and they get to play in front of a great crowd every night. There will always be players who are looking for that opportunity. 

Next season will officially be the start of a new era in Catamount country, "the post Duncan era" if you will. New players, young players, guys getting an opportunity and capitalizing on that opportunity. It has been a long time since Vermont has relied on young players to shoulder the load and while those seasons can be up and down, they are new and exciting. I have very fond memories of the 14-15 season: the excitement of the new players, the getting to know the new team process, watching the growth throughout the season. I am excited by the new frontier and this may even be the group that is a part of taking the Vermont program to the next level. It has to start somewhere.

Again as always thanks for reading and commenting on the blog. This year was by far the most interactive and I have enjoyed responding to and reading all of the comments. Check back often over the next month as March and early April are now often the busiest time for posting.