"Sometimes the best gets are the ones you already have"
Noah Barnett officially removed his name from the portal and is ready to run it back for Vermont. This is awesome for the Cats as Barnett has grown into a key part of not only the rotation, but the Catamount community at large. His energy and non-stop motor shifts momentum, delights fans, and inspires his teammates. Barnett returned to the starting lineup for the final 10 games of the season and upped his averages to 7 points and 4 rebounds per game during that stretch. With so little roster continuity, returning the starting frontcourt will give Vermont a solid foundation from which to build the rest of the roster. Gus Yalden and Barnett complement each other very well on the floor and have a chance to take another jump with a full offseason together ahead. I didn't get a chance to post after Yalden announced in his return but that is as big of a portal accomplishment as any new addition. He had been quite a basketball nomad over the course of his career and finally found his home at Vermont. For the first time in his career (high school or college) he will have the same system and coaching staff to help guide him to take another leap forward. What a great thing for the Cats and now Yalden will have his running mate right there with him. The bones of this roster are looking strong and it will be exciting to see what else the coaching staff can add.
