Summer scrimmage: Part Two

More summer basketball? Yes please. I had so much fun I decided to head back down and catch another post camp scrimmage. Once again the games were fun to watch and the intensity was up a few notches from the action I saw on Monday. I won't rehash any of the obvious and similar observations like Shamir Bogues is just so awesome, or Nick Fiorillo looks ready for a big year, etc. I got to see Sam Alamutu for the first time this summer as he was not there on Monday. Alamutu showed tremendous flashes last season and continues to look better and better. In the games today he looked smoother and was looking for his offense more. He looks primed to play that "swiss army knife" role where he can do a little bit of everything at any position in the lineup. Seth Joba looked more assertive today, playing through physicality in the post and finishing with either hand. Drew Bessette also played with more grit and played harder after looking a bit tentative and passive on Monday. One thing I will say about Bogues today is that you can see that he has put in some serious work trying to become a more consistent shooter from the perimeter. He made a handful of threes today and if that translates to the regular season, watch out. Once again it is so impressive the amount of talent that Vermont is able to bring in year after year in these changing times. Without the money or luxuries of other programs, they continue to identify players that want to win, work hard, and become the best players they can be. This team has the talent and drive to push for another title and I am already looking forward to the fall.

Summer Scrimmage

Hello all!

I made my yearly trip down to the post Becker basketball camp team scrimmage to get my basketball fix. Today was extra cool because I got to meet the guy behind vermonthoops on instagram and had a fun chat about Catamount basketball. If you haven't already, check him out! Watching the scrimmage was fun as always and anytime there is basketball to be watched I am having a good time. This year was a little different than the last two seasons as Vermont has a strong returning core instead of a slew of new players. That returning core certainly builds a ton of excitement for next season. As far as the returners go, Shamir Bogues looks ready to build on last season's success. So smooth and strong around the rim and that relentless motor running at all times. If he can stay healthy I think he has a player of the year run in him. Nick Fiorillo looked great playing without a knee brace as he too hopes for an injury free season. He was aggressive on the offensive end, knocking down threes and a poster dunk for good measure. He is in a good position to put together a big time senior campaign as the elder statesmen enters his 6th season with the Cats. Ileri Ayo-Faleye looked stronger finishing in and around the rim. TJ Hurley looked healthy and has a shot to make a big leap, particularly with the minutes available after losing Jayhlon Young back to the portal. Jace Roquemore also stands to have a shot at some of those minutes and was aggressive getting to the rim. Sam Alamutu and TJ Long are set to arrive later in the week. Seth Joba has put on some muscle as he looks to make a jump this season. Nate Barnett plays with reckless abandon and had some nice moments working hard on the boards. Newcomer Shy Odom did light work on the side as he works to get healthy. The real gems of the scrimmage were the two freshman Sean Blake and Ben Wesson. Both were extremely impressive and Catamount fans should be very excited about their futures. Wesson was the star this afternoon, shooting the lights out from three and displaying a strong feel for the game. He looked confident and comfortable with the ball in his hands and attacked the rim well off the dribble. Blake is lightning quick and is comfortable finishing creatively and thru contact at the rim. His athleticism really pops and he plays with tremendous poise. They also could be beneficiaries of the Young decommitment as now there are a few more rotational minutes than Vermont originally expected. I had so much fun watching today I will likely go back later in the week to catch another round!

Jayhlon Young decommits from Vermont

Yesterday Memphis transfer Jayhlon Young decided to reopen his recruitment and decommit from Vermont due to personal matters. It is an unfortunate blow to the guard depth at Vermont with only a short time before the players are back on campus for the summer session. Young's defensive prowess was such a good fit for the Cats and I was looking forward to some Bogues/Ileri/Young defensive lineups. I wish Young well and hope that he finds the right fit to complete his basketball career. On the positive side, this is the area of the roster that has the most depth and there are many candidates to push for the vacated minutes. It was unlikely that Vermont was going to escape the portal era unscathed and this is the first time where the rapidly changing landscape has hit the Cats in a negative way. Now it will be interesting to see if/how Vermont decides to fill the open scholarship. With good depth the Cats might be able to be patient and see what is available or they could make a mad dash to fill the spot. I am looking forward to getting a look at the team in a few weeks during the Becker camp week.