UMass Lowell 80 Vermont 65
UMass Lowell used hot shooting from three to dominate the Catamounts and moved into first place in the America East with the win. Lowell has been the frontrunner for all of the non-conference before experiencing their first hiccup against Albany on Sunday. They looked the part today demonstrating depth and performing well on both sides of the ball. They cemented themselves as the league favorite in the game tonight. This Vermont squad continues to play more and more shorthanded with Finn Sullivan out for this game with an illness and TJ Hurley continuing to nurse an injury. During this incredible run over the past several seasons, Vermont has either remained healthy or been able to overcome injuries with their experience and depth. This season has not gone that way and this Cats squad doesn't have the depth to make up for the mounting absences. This is particularly noticeable on offense. Sullivan and Hurley provide such a dynamic threat from the perimeter and their absence leaves Vermont with a lack of shooters. Vermont with those guys in the lineup is a different team. The rebounding has fallen off a cliff and is the biggest area of weakness for the Cats. They need to be an efficient shooting team because they are not going to get second chance opportunities on the offensive glass. Now with a week between games, it is a chance to get healthy and get mentally ready to shake off these tough losses on the road and get ready to make a run. The last few rounds of America East games have proven that there is no dominant team and on any given night anyone can win. With the league up for grabs it will be important to be playing the best basketball of the season in March.
Robin Duncan once again led the Cats with 16 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists. He continues to battle hard and is an important part of the offensive attack. Unfortunately for it to be most effective, the Cats have to knock down perimeter shots around him. Matt Veretto finished with 14 points and continues to be explosive in the first 4 minutes of the game. Aaron Deloney ended up with 11 points but most of those were with the game out of hand. He has really struggled as teams are keying on him defensively. Sam Alamutu had a nice stretch with some impressive dunks and finished with 7 points. Ileri Ayo-Faleye continues to earn himself more minutes and got the start with Sullivan out. He is bringing energy and athleticism to the defensive end and is strong from the free throw line. One thing that was noticeable today was that the new and young players are still struggling with the defensive rotations and that is where the Cats really missed Sullivan. Dylan Penn's impact on the game has fallen off a cliff in the past two games as he has really struggled to get good looks at the rim. Teams are walling him up in the paint and daring him to shoot over them.
Losing on the road to the early conference favorite has happened to the Cats in years past and they have been able to respond down the stretch by playing their best basketball in February and March. This is a different team but during the non-conference they were able to take it on the chin, regroup, and find a way to win. The home game against Maine next Thursday might be the most telling game of the season.
Another Jekyll and Hyde performance. This team when it plays poorly is hard to watch. On the offensive end they resort to one on one isolation, force bad shots, one and done with no pressure on the offensive board and no ball movement. On the defensive end they’re a step slow, get beat off the dribble, don’t get around screens, miss assignments and struggle to rebound the ball. I’m not sure what the coaching staff can do at this point to get them to play more consistently. On an individual basis if guys like deloney and penn are going play this up and down from game to game they stand no chance. This may just be one of those years and if so I think the coaches should think about next yr more without giving up on the season. To me that starts with Gibson’s minutes disappearing and letting sam take those minutes. And let Perry Smith jr sink or swim. You don’t land a 3/4 star recruit only to watch him sit on the bench on a .500 team(in the America East) at the expense of seniors who aren’t producing. Let him gain experience this year and hope it’s invaluable for next yr. I’m glad ileri is finally getting minutes and has been one of the more productive players on the court over the past 4 games. All in all this is not what we expected out of this yr but it’s become a reality. Let’s continue to support them and hope they get healthy and finish in the top 4 and make a run in the AE tourney!
ReplyDeleteI would still put them up at the top of the league when healthy and there is a lot of time left in the season. I think we have been spoiled by how dominant they have been over the last several years. I would say that level of dominance is rare and dropping games or not playing up to potential every night is the norm for basketball teams across the country. It is a transition from "top mid major in the country" territory to "top team in the conference" territory. Smith's adjustment has certainly been tough but expectations might have been too high. Adjusting to the college game can be tough and being a highly rated recruit doesn't guarantee success. Just look at Earl Timberlake from Bryant who was projected as an NBA lottery pick out of high school and is now more of just a good mid major player. There have been signs that a fully healthy Vermont is still one of the best team in the AE. As long as Hurley and Sullivan can make it back and the Cats can avoid more absences, I believe their play will improve.
DeleteThe season still boils down to building a team that is healthy and playing their best in the America East tournament. The coaching staff just needs to keep expectations high and keep experimenting with combinations. The regular season is a testing grounds to prepare for a run in the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Just have to be playing the best basketball of the season in March.
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