Vermont vs Northeastern 11/30/24

Vermont 68 Northeastern 64

Shorthanded Vermont took down Northeastern with a gutsy defensive effort in a physical Saturday afternoon game at Patrick. After an early time out, the Cats exploded with a 15-0 run and maintained that lead for much of the first half. The offense was humming and Vermont put together their best all around half of the young season. Then in a microcosm of how the season has gone thus far, Shamir Bogues went down with an injury on the final play of the half. The Cats came out of the half a bit flat as Bogues tried to gut it out through the pain. It was clear that he was not 100% so the coaching staff turned to Sean Blake. Blake was up to the task and electrified the crowd with some tough buckets. Then he committed his fourth foul so Bogues again hobbled his way through the end of the game. Northeastern made a really great adjustment, going to a much larger, physical lineup to close out the game. The Huskies scrambling, frenetic press forced the Cats into several turnovers, cutting it to a one possession game. In a wild final possession Northeastern had three shots to tie the game but the Cats defense held and they emerged victorious. This was a huge win for the Cats. Northeastern had been playing very good basketball to start the season and with Vermont missing TJ Long, Nick Fiorillo, Shy Odom, and then Bogues playing on one leg, the Cats had to dig deep. I said after last game that this game would say a lot about this team and they put together a solid effort. This was a victory forged with mental fortitude. In particular the Cats did an excellent job on Harold Woods who came in averaging 16 points and 8 rebounds on 55% shooting, but was held to 8 points and 3 rebounds on 4-13 shooting. Vermont made hustle plays, matched Northeastern's physicality, and held the Huskies to 1-15 shooting from three. A very gutsy effort that saw guys step up when their number was called. 

TJ Hurley led the Cats with a career high 23 points. He has been playing with so much more aggression and assertiveness on the offensive end. He worked hard for every shot against the very physical Huskies defense. As he takes on a larger role the turnovers have crept up as well but those are part of the growing pains in a new role. Everyone knows Ileri Ayo-Faleye is a great defender, but in the game this afternoon, he was otherworldly. Ayo-Faleye finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and SEVEN blocks. Absolutely incredible. He is such a joy to watch on the defensive end. Jace Roquemore continues to step up in place of the injured Cats and finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds. He has been shooting the ball with confidence and running the offense smoothly when needed. Sean Blake took over during the most crucial stretch of the game. He attacked the rim relentlessly and finished through contact. Blake finished with 9 points and only 1 turnover in his best all around effort of the season. Seth Joba got knocked around early but responded to the Huskies physicality and got huge rebounds in the second half. He finished with 3 points and 7 rebounds. Sam Alamutu filled several different roles and once again played a strong all around game with 3 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Bogues fought his way to 7 points and 4 rebounds. Hopefully he can get through this nagging injury. 

Any win the Cats can claw out while dealing with so many injuries is a big one. Hopefully there is a silver lining in building depth with guys stepping up into larger roles. At some point the stars will align and a fully healthy Vermont team will have a chance to play together and build momentum. 

Vermont vs Plattsburgh State 11/27/24

Vermont 78 Plattsburgh State 55

The walking wounded Cats gutted out a victory over Plattsburgh State. With three starters out (Shamir Bogues, TJ Long, Nick Fiorillo) this game served as an "audition" of sorts for some of the bench players to have an opportunity to build confidence and potentially play themselves into a larger role. The first 75% of the game was tough sledding for the Cats as they were a bit sluggish and had a hard time breaking through the very physical and foul prone Cardinals defense. Turnovers were abundant as the Cats tried to build chemistry on the fly with some new and different lineups. Everything finally clicked with the closing group of guys as they finally were able to drive to the rim and get some easy buckets for what felt like the first time all season. These games are all about getting some things to go right for the Cats and there was certainly a sense of relief at the end of the game as their play finally provided that release. This homestand feels like an absolutely crucial stretch for Vermont and I think the game on Saturday (health permitting) will provide a lot of information about the mentality of this team. 

Noah Barnett led the Cats with 15 points. He does a great job of keeping it simple with one quick move to the hoop. It is also so valuable that he is a good free throw shooter (5-5 from the line). As he continues to adjust to the speed of the game and lock down the defensive rotations, his role could grow. I really felt before the game that this was an opportunity for Shy Odom to get some positive momentum and start to build confidence. For the first part of the game it was still a struggle for him to get going. Then he finally broke through and made some nice plays. Odom finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds and did a great job on baseline cuts, making himself available for the drive and dish. With Fiorillo likely out for a bit, Barnett or Odom will need to play a larger role. Gavin Perryman saw his first extended action and finished with 11 points. He plays with good energy and is not afraid to get into the thick of things. Ileri Ayo-Faleye finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Sean Blake had a tale of two halves game. In the first half he struggled mightily on defense and turned the ball over several times. Then the coaching staff had him start the second half and he was promptly involved in a turnover.  It was clearly the plan to let him play through the mistakes as he regrouped and had a strong finish. He stuffed the boxscore with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. Hopefully this can be a jumping off point for him as well. Jace Roquemore continued his strong play with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Sam Alamutu also stuffed the stat sheet with 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hall of Fame Basketball Tip-off: Game 2

Fairfield 67 Vermont 66

Fairfield held off Vermont in a back and forth game that saw neither team lead by more than seven. In the first half both offenses were humming along, with Fairfield going into the break with a two point lead. The second half saw more defensive pressure from both teams and Fairfield made key plays to pull away. Vermont battled hard despite being shorthanded. Shamir Bogues missed the game with an injury, Seth Joba was in street clothes as well, and Nick Fiorillo took a hard foul with 2 minutes to go. Without Bogues the turnovers cropped up again, particularly down the stretch when the game was getting tight. The Cats first half defense also suffered without their anchor as Fairfield was able to get high percentage shots throughout. The Stags really punished Vermont on switches. The defensive rotations were not quite as sharp this weekend.  The injury issues continue to interrupt the chemistry building process for the Cats. Hopefully Fiorillo is okay and Bogues is a short term issue, but the process of bringing the team together continues to experience delays. This team has really had a "snakebit" feel to it so far this season with some tough breaks in games and the injury bug continuing to crop up. It has been a tough start but the team has been right there under some difficult circumstances. 

TJ Long led the Cats in his "revenge game" against his former team. Long finished with 18 points and almost brought Vermont back from the brink with a late three. Teams are forcing him to work very hard on both ends of the floor as he is often the focus of the opposition's defense. TJ Hurley exploded for 15 first half points but struggled to get going in the second, finishing with 17 points. Unfortunately he also had some crucial turnovers late in the game. Jace Roquemore played a great game filling in for Bogues, finishing with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Similar to around this time last year when Bogues was out, Roquemore really provided the Cats with a calm, steady presence which is quite a luxury for the Cats to have on their bench. Nick Fiorillo didn't carry over the shot making magic from yesterday but was playing another solid game before going down. Fiorillo finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists before injuring his left arm in a fall after getting undercut on a dunk. Hopefully it is not serious. Ileri Ayo-Faleye struggled to find space on offense but finished with 2 blocks and 2 steals. Sam Alamutu finished with 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in a solid performance off the bench. 

I previously compared the beginning of this season to the start of the 22-23 season and in another parallel, the Cats will be looking to use the non DI game as a kind of reset button for the season. This team has been right there despite the challenges that they have faced so far this year. Hopefully they can get healthy and build some momentum. 

NICK!!!

Vermont 75 Delaware 71

Vermont opened the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament with a strong performance against Delaware. The game opened with Vermont locking up the Blue Hens, who didn't make their first shot from the field until 6 minutes into the game. Then both offenses got going for an exciting half of basketball, with each team trading mini runs. In the second half, the Cats defense shut down Delaware as they maintained a solid lead for much of the half. Then the Blue Hens started to press and made things interesting, charging back to within one possession. Vermont executed and made their free throws down the stretch to pull out the victory. The Cats were able to get good dribble penetration and it really opened up their offense. It was great to see more flow and chemistry on that side of the ball. The defense continues to force opposing teams into difficult shots. The press is giving the Cats fits this season but they made plays when they needed to in this one. The rotation really shrunk with only one starter playing less than 30 minutes. 

Nick Fiorillo poured in a career high 20 points, including shooting 4-6 from three. He also chipped in 8 rebounds and 3 assists. It was great to see some shots go through for Fiorillo after struggling to start the year. His ability to stretch the floor can really open things up for everyone else. It was also great to see the backdoor passes out of the high post return. That was such a weapon last year with Aaron Deloney in particular and it has taken some time for others to find that chemistry. Shamir Bogues finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He had that relentless energy back and was a disruptive force on both ends of the floor. A healthy Bogues changes everything for Vermont. TJ Hurley had a tough shooting game but finished with 14 points and 4 assists. He did a great job attacking when he had a mismatch. Ileri Ayo-Faleye battled foul trouble and finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds. He knocked down another 2 threes and they always seem to come at crucial moments. Sam Alamutu made big plays around the rim and finished with 6 rebounds. Sean Blake continues to provide short bursts of offense but teams are really targeting him at the defensive end. TJ Long is in a bit of a rut offensively but is working very hard on the defensive side of the ball. 

A good win to start the weekend in a fun atmosphere at Mohegan Sun. Can't wait for tomorrow's game!

Vermont vs Buffalo 11/19/24

Vermont 78 Buffalo 67

Vermont used a strong defensive effort in the second half to end their three game skid with a win over Buffalo in the home opener. It was awesome to be back at Patrick and it was a great atmosphere. The offense was clicking from the start which was a welcome sight for Catamount fans. The Cats were able to generate more opportunities at the rim and made the most of their perimeter looks. In the first half the action was back and forth as both teams attacked the rim. Buffalo made a charge at the end of the half and cut the deficit to three. Vermont opened the second half on a 9-0 run and really dug in defensively, getting crucial stops. The Cats had a response for every run from the Bulls and salted the game away at the line. The big improvement in tonight's game was taking care of the basketball. The opening road trip featured games against high pressure, physical defensive teams and it caused uncharacteristic mistakes from the Cats. Vermont finished with 12 assists and only 5 turnovers in a much cleaner effort. 

Ileri Ayo-Faleye led the Cats with 18 points on 3-6 shooting from three and 7-8 shooting from the line. All of his offseason work has him shooting with more confidence. He warms up with both the guards and the post players before games and the early returns are good. Adding a perimeter scoring threat to his tenacious defense is great. TJ Hurley knocked in three from downtown as well en route to 17 points. He was more aggressive on the offensive end, shooting with less space from three and driving to the rim. Taking on that scorers mentality will be key to unlocking the Vermont offense. Shamir Bogues stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He created well driving to the basket. Sam Alamutu played a little more as the small ball big in the second half when Buffalo went to a smaller lineup. He had several physical drives to the rim and finished with 9 points and 4 rebounds. TJ Long finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists on a night where Buffalo made it hard for him to get good looks. Sean Blake scored 8 points and continues to provide dynamic drives to the rim. He is really good in short bursts as he learns the speed of the college game. Nick Fiorillo played a tough, physical game finishing with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. He finally got some nice backdoor passes in the flow of the offense. 

A great win at home to get the Cats back on the winning track. I am so excited to head down to Mohegan Sun this weekend!!! Going to be an awesome atmosphere and some great basketball.

Vermont at Iona 11/15/24

Iona 62 Vermont 59

Vermont blew a 15 point second half lead as Iona ratcheted up the pressure and handed the Cats their third consecutive loss. For the first 3/4ths of the game Vermont's defense was locked in and the offense was efficient. Then the dreaded scoring drought took hold and the Cats were reeling. Iona capitalized and imposed their will, pressuring the Cats and relentlessly attacking the basket. The coaching staff is struggling to find the right combinations and there were stretches where the lineups felt somewhat awkward. The inconsistent rotation is definitely affecting the offensive continuity. Once again the turnovers piled up and several came at crucial junctures in the second half. In the most shocking development, the Cats gave up 15 (!) offensive rebounds and were dominated on the boards 38-18. That is the most un-Vermont stat of the young season. The Vermont program has long been one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country and it is absolutely shocking to see them in this predicament. This stretch is very reminiscent of the 22-23 season when the Cats started the season 1-6. Similarly, in that season Dylan Penn missed the preseason with a injury and struggled to get up to speed. They managed to right the ship that season and the home opener will be an opportunity to hit the reset button. 

The TJ's continue to be a bright spot for Vermont. TJ Long led the Cats with 18 points on 4-8 shooting from three. He also made some nice defensive plays, finishing with 3 steals. TJ Hurley finished with 16 points on 3-5 shooting from three. Shamir Bogues continues to struggle with finishing at the rim and was in foul trouble for much of the night. He finished with 7 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. He still doesn't seem like he has his burst back. Ileri Ayo-Faleye and Sam Alamutu finished with 3 blocks each but struggled to make an impact on the offensive end. The rest of the rotation is begging for someone to step up and seize control. The minutes are there for the taking and right now no one is distinguishing themselves.  

It certainly has not been the start the Cats were looking for. The one positive from this game is the defense looks good and they are going have to lean heavily on that side of the ball while the kinks get worked out of the offense. Hopefully getting back into Patrick Gym will be the spark they need to get the season back on track. 

Vermont at Merrimack 11/9/24

Merrimack 65 Vermont 51

Outhustled, outworked, outplayed.

Merrimack dominated Vermont with their matchup zone and handed the Cats a shocking loss. This was the poorest performance by a Cats team in recent memory. They were sluggish and played with little to no energy or excitement. For the second straight game the turnovers were plentiful as Vermont has been uncharacteristically loose with the ball. The offensive adjustments and plans have not clicked so far and the Cats look tentative and unsure. The coaching staff is struggling to find the right combinations and the shifting lineups seem to be making the roles undefined and murky. Becker is trying to light a fire under the veterans and find the right groups but the young players are not quite ready for the larger roles. Over the first few games the biggest shock has been how much the Cats have struggle to get and finish shots at the rim. After tonight they are shooting 34% (!!!!) from two point range. That is an almost unfathomable number for a Vermont squad. Quite a bit of soul searching after a busy week full of ups and downs. Interestingly enough as far as the record goes, 1-2 at this point was what was expected but Vermont got there in quite the backwards fashion. 

TJ Long led the Cats with 22 points, including the 1,000th of his career. He kept the Cats afloat but no one else got going offensively. TJ Hurley finished with 11 points as the other double figure scorer. The elephant in the room is how poorly Shamir Bogues has played after his early explosion at against UAB. He does not look 100% and the missed time is clearly affecting him. Vermont does have strong depth but Bogues is such an important player that it is a uphill battle with him playing so ineffectively. Nick Fiorillo and Sam Alamutu have also struggled mightily to start the season after looking very good during the offseason/preseason. Ileri Ayo-Faleye, Seth Joba, and Shy Odom struggled to make an impact. Sean Blake was thrust into an even more prominent role and fell victim to the ups and downs of freshman inexperience. He grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 5 assists but struggled defensively and committed 4 turnovers. He is not quite ready for the full reins of the offense. Noah Barnett continues to show flashes with his hustle, finishing with 5 points and 5 rebounds, but he too showed some inexperience in the post. 

What a difference from the beginning of the week. It is going to be a long week for Vermont as they try to right the ship before heading to Iona on Friday. 

Vermont at Auburn 11/6/24

Auburn 94 Vermont 43

A good old fashion beatdown

Auburn overwhelmed Vermont with their pressure defense and handed the Cats their first loss of the season. The Tigers are a top 10 team with national championship aspirations and played like it from the start. Vermont's offense never got off the ground as Auburn's full court press and perimeter ball pressure completely disrupted everything that the Cats tried to do. The Tigers forced 16 Catamount turnovers and smothered everything at the rim. After holding UAB scoreless from three, the law of averages swung back in a big way as Auburn couldn't miss from deep. It is never fun to lose a game that badly, but going 1-1 on the road trip can be viewed as a success and this game will give Vermont plenty to look at and use as motivation to get better. 

Noah Barnett and Seth Joba's development was a big time bright spot during the road trip. They both showed flashes and are going to give the Cats the frontcourt depth they have been desperate for the last few seasons. Barnett's rebounding and hustle are going to be a huge asset and Joba looks comfortable offensively. His ability to stretch the floor and knock down threes is going to be really valuable. Sean Blake was active on the boards and gives the Cats another scorer off the dribble. He will have to clean up the turnovers but those freshman mistakes will likely become fewer as the season goes on. Outside of the first few minutes against UAB, Shamir Bogues really struggled to get to the rim and finish. Feels like the missed time during the preseason created some rust and he is still getting back into the swing. Same for TJ Long. Ileri Ayo-Faleye's offseason work to improve his shooting looks good so far. He also had some great blocks, continuing to establish himself as an elite defender. Becker used this as an opportunity to send a message to the struggling starters and get the deeper parts of the rotation more minutes and a chance to show what they can do. Shy Odom made his Catamount debut and continues to try and get back to his old form and adjust to the Vermont system. He hit a nice three early and tried to establish himself down low in the second half. He is still getting comfortable with when to push within the offense and was a little loose with the ball. 

Now the Cats head back up north and get ready for a game at Merrimack on Saturday. It will be really interesting to start to see the rotation forming and how the coaching staff uses what they learned on this opening road trip. 

Opening night statement

Vermont 67 UAB 62

Vermont used an explosive first half followed by a signature gutsy second, to take home the win on opening night. What a way to start the season for the Catamounts. Not only was it a great game but it showcased all of the things that make Vermont such a tough team. Tough D? Check. Timely shooting? Check. Low Turnovers? Check. Unexpected contributors? Check. Just an absolutely awesome team win to open the season with contributions from everyone. In the first half Vermont found success against the UAB zone both finding lanes to the rim and knocking down threes. They really muscled up on the boards in the first half as well, making life difficult for Blazers star Yaxel Lendeborg. The second half was a different story. Lendeborg played like a man possessed and absolutely dominated Vermont. UAB switched to a physical man to man defense and took away Vermont's driving lanes. They had no answer. The Cats never panicked, never backed down or hung their heads, and kept fighting. The defense clamped down on everyone else and kept UAB from making a single three (0-10). Vermont iced the game at the line and came away with a huge win. The defense looked phenomenal and the Cats were even able to play some lineups with *gasp* three big men on the floor at one time. A tremendously gutsy effort with big plays up and down the lineup. 

TJ Hurley led the Cats with 20 points and hit the big shot to put the Cats ahead for good in the closing minutes. With the departure of Aaron Deloney, Hurley was the most natural fit to take on that perimeter scoring role and boy did he excel. Always poised and under control, Hurley picked his spots and make great decisions throughout the game. He hit 4 threes (including one from the parking lot) and played really tough defense, making life difficult for the UAB guards. Shamir Bogues got Vermont out to a hot start, absolutely exploding in the first 5 minutes of the game. After that he struggled to make shots as UAB focused their defense on stopping Bogues going to rim. Bogues finished with 13 points and was a huge part of the stellar perimeter defense. Noah Barnett waited a whole year to make his Catamount debut and he did not disappoint. He completely changed the game in the first half with his hustle and high motor play. Barnett finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 huge block in 22 minutes. He has a nose for the ball and it was great to see his hard work have an impact on the game. TJ Long struggled in his first game action but as always hit a huge three to break a 55 all tie. Long finished with 10 points to round out the double digit scorers for the Cats. The bank was open late for Ileri Ayo-Faleye as he banked in not one, but two threes in a crucial second half stretch. The Cats offense had stalled and Ayo-Faleye reignited the Cats with a tremendous four point play. He played his typical tough defense, finishing with 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. Seth Joba played a physical and tough 17 minutes and hit a nice corner three. Sam Alamutu didn't score but played tough defense. Sean Blake struggled with a few turnovers and Nick Fiorillo had a tough game, getting out muscled in the post. Fiorillo did come up with the crucial rebound to begin the free throw shooting at the end of the game. Just an incredible all around performance by the Cats. 

What a great way to open the season and Vermont can go into the Auburn game loose and ready to shock the world. 

Also what a great win for the Vermont women's team in their opener against Missouri. Fun times in Catamount country!!