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.
I hate dogging college(amateur)athletes but fiorillo has got to be relegated to the end of the bench. After dedicating 6 yrs to the program he just looks lost and as if the game has passed him by. He’s is a liability on the defensive end first and foremost and offensively there’s nothing there. I know coaches love playing their guys, the veterans but Becker has to make this tough decision and soon. It seems like it’s taking a toll on the team too. I saw long even getting on him for missing a box out. The other sort of wrinkle of having sam play guard doesn’t seem to work. He needs to be a hussle guy and making the little plays that help the team win. Defensively they look very aggressive and strong but there’s no help on the glass with everyone shot blocking. Any reason joba didn’t play? Offensively they’re dribbling too much, but I think once they get the rotations down there are enough pieces where they should be able to score more consistently. PS it was a terribly officiated game.
ReplyDeleteFiorillo is definitely struggling but Deloney went through similar early season ineffectiveness last year before figuring it out. Getting a rotation figured out would help for sure. The officiating has been very strange to start the season. Enforcing rules differently than in past seasons especially in the paint.
DeleteWe lost by 3 points. Please do not throw ALL of us under the bus...
ReplyDeleteBut we lost by 18 in less than 10 minutes. Also gave up 15 offensive rebounds to a smaller team..
DeleteNot trying to throw anyone under the bus. Just pointing out that there are rotation minutes up for grabs and right now there is a opportunity for someone to rise up and force themselves into a more permanent role. Three point loss can go either way for sure but the way the lead slipped away so fast was tough.
DeleteThough the TJ's did well in this game, (against a poor to mediocre team at best) the team again shot low 30's % from 3. This isn't going to cut it - When the TJ's face superior athletic wing defenders (Recently Duke & Auburn) they are made to look like high school kids against grown men. Unless Becker can develop a low post scoring scheme that creates better spacing/cutting options, the cats won't compete against the good teams. Time to sit Fiorillo and let Odom have a chance in the low post - perhaps he can be an Adrian Dantley type small forward who can create shots in the paint.
ReplyDeleteThe rotation in the post is one that needs sorting out for sure. The guards getting more consistent dribble penetration is the key to unlocking the offense.
DeleteAgreed regarding dribble penetration - but Becker's offensive philosophy reveals a structural deficiency regarding post offense - I thought this past year he would seek to recruit a post scorer which could facilitate the inside/out game, Odom had the pedigree, but apparently lacks. Becker has to reformulate his approach in my opinion - depending on perimeter scoring is a dead end - As good as Becker is in his defensive scheme, he fails offensively - time for significant change
DeleteQuestion for Lee - can you think of any player under Becker that was truly a post scorer? (Even when he recruited Giddens - he was a defensive center) Or, can you recall a time under Becker's tenure that he implemented/emphasized an inside/outside game?
DeleteI think that the decade plus of winning and three consecutive championships is enough evidence that the offense has been at an effective level often. Just three seasons ago they had one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country. There are many examples of strong post scorers during Becker's tenure including most recently two time player of the year Ryan Davis. This lack of post presence has only been a recent transfer portal era issue. The Cats have had a few years where they have swung and missed both in the portal and with high school recruits. Post players are at a premium and end up at a higher level/get paid through NIL.
DeleteGood point regarding post players & the NIL - mid major teams such as the cats have to settle for what they can get - Ryan Davis was more of a stretch 4 who was an ample post scorer, but the cats didn't seem to emphasize that part of his game. (They had Lamb as the primary go-to guy) The cats offense has been effective regarding conference play - true, and they had some close tournament games (Arkansas, Purdue) But in order to play competitively and even win against the big boys, and surpass the perennial 13-16 tournament seeding, I believe Becker has rethink his offensive philosophy
DeleteI feel like differentiating between post player/stretch 4 is a bit nitpicky. Davis posted up and scored down low quite often and effectively. The offense performed very well in the two tournament games you mentioned. There is no secret formula for an upset. It involves quite a bit of randomness. UMBC did not have dominant post play nor did Fairleigh Dickinson. It is just as likely for the lower seeded team to pull off the upset with perimeter shooting and dynamic guard play. UMBC is a great example of this. I do think assessing team effectiveness or success based purely on playing with the big boys or a tournament upset is a slippery slope. Building the team to be a consistent winner is much more challenging than pulling off a one time upset. Take a look at both UMBC and FDU before and after their upset and you will see some pretty poor seasons. I'll take the consistent winner and get excited about having the chance at an upset every year.
DeleteYes Davis could score in the post, my point is that Becker doesn't emphasize it for the team. And again, an offense depending on perimeter scoring against power teams with athletic wings is a recipe for continual disappointment.
DeleteTrying hard to find positives from this second half meltdown, but not coming up with many. If they have to rely on the TJ's making 3's to win games, they aren't winning many. The inside game is non-existent and none of the 'bigs' are playing very big. Odom is a disappointment so far - he looks very tentative. Agree with the Nick comments - he can't make his shots (even easy layups) and is constantly beat on defense. He looks like a DII player. Sad to say but the close exhibition game against St Anselm was a better indicator of this team than the win at UAB.
ReplyDeleteI think both games are an example of the wide team variance at the beginning of the season that many teams go through. Because of all the returners it felt like the Cats would have less of that variance to start but the missed time by key players has clearly created some cohesiveness issues.
DeleteLee, I hope your optimism is rewarded as the season progresses. You seem to be a glass half full kind of guy and the rest of us are glass half empty folks.
DeleteThank you! I do try and take the longview when it come to the early season games. The Vermont program has consistently gotten better as the season progresses. This team's defensive ability does look very good and that will keep them in most games. The rest will likely get sorted out.
DeleteThe final story for this team still runs through the America East regardless of how much any of us wish UVM could become the Gonzaga of the east. This team might just need to go through the tough road trip games in order to find that edge. The talent is present. We have not had 6’9”, 6’9”, 6’8”, 6’8” that can contribute in my memory. Add in Shy O and the team has the bigs! Every team is different and have to find their path which I am very confident they will. I choose to look at the assets at hand and this team is deep with talent, they just haven’t figured out how to use it or which players want to lead the team forward. It still wouldn’t hurt to line up outside of Lee’s office door for a little counsel on how to always drink from that half full glass!!
ReplyDeleteConference play is king. Ryan Davis!!!! That was only three seasons ago. He was absolutely dominant. How could you forget?I am confident they will find their path as well. I am glad I can help you all during this difficult time.
DeleteOf course I remember Davis and there were other big men who dominated the paint in the past. I was referring to the rarity of being able to place numerous bigs in the game at any point with confidence. UVM rarely has this much size that can play their game. This will become an important factor during conference play.
DeleteDisappointing loss. Cats looked lethargic overall . Play Blake and Barnett a lot more . They have great talent although they coming along from being “ diamonds in the rough “. When Bogues is firing on all cylinders, the Cats are on fire. He is coming off foot spurs so it will take time hopefully not too much time. Fiorillo is a very good player, but seems to have a confidence problem this year . He needs to just play his game and things will fall into place
ReplyDeleteI agree that Fiorillo's confidence looks quite shaken. Blake and Barnett have shown great flashes but also are contributing to some of the turnover difficulties and have shown their inexperience at times (which is to be expected). Bogues will be better when he gets further along in the recovery.
DeleteFiorillo is not a very good player and that’s the problem. He is a walk on that has just been on the team forever. He knows the system and that’s what Becker sees. He’s obviously a hard worker and a likeable kid so when he misses layups, wide open threes, doesn’t box out or gets lost on an assignment it’s not for a lack of trying. That’s why we see him in the starting lineup and quite honestly it’s a soft spot for most coaches. I think the front court combos of ileri/joba and noah and odom make the most sense depending on who they’re playing…. Speaking of joba why didn’t he see the court against Iona?
DeleteJust in case anyone cares: the soccer championship tomorrow at Virtue is sold out. I'm going to watch it on the hill behind the goal. It should be fun, and it might take my mind off of this losing streak. Thanks for the coverage, Lee. Office hours are needed, pronto!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading! Enjoy the game!
DeleteCouple of observations first Blake did not enter the game until the last 10 minutes . It seemed Becker was getting frustrated with their press turning us over and speeding up the offense .. and needed his ball handling / speed to break the press .
ReplyDeleteSammy is a bull a power foward in a guards body although he was helpful beating their press oh if he had a better outside shot . Which brings me to Bogues and Alamutu have the physicality but not the shot making ability . Secondly , anyone know if Seth was injured or in Beckers dog house ? . Bringing their bigs away from the basket might have opened up the middle, I think Ileri only hit 1 three. . Finally , this team is very deep , not a lot separates players 1 through 10 and each have different skill sets . Yes the losses to Merrimack and Iona are disappointing but I feel we get every mid major opponents best effort . There are a lot of OOC games coming up and being back at Patrick should help although the opponents coming up are strong programs ( Buffalo Delaware Yale ) . In sum this is a deep team but so far lacks the “ go to “ person that can break down defenses and dish to open shooters . They need to build some confidence. Go Cats
The Cats have their "go-to" guy- TJ Hurley. The Cats were not playing particularly well but still had a 13 point lead when Hurley went out with 3 fouls. When he returned, the lead was toast. Hurley is no longer just a shooter- he drove to the basket for at least two buckets. But- as was said- the TJs cannot do it alone: MIA on O: Ayo who by the end of last year looked to be on the verge of stardom. And Bogues: in the first 15 minutes of the UAB game- he was his best self: blowing past the D for layups. Now when he does that- rarely- he seems to blow the bunny and lose confidence. The Cats have the players-and experience- something is off. Nagging injuries? Lack of Leadership ( Deloney)? I am mystified.
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