Everett Duncan to Vermont

The first 2015 recruiting domino fell yesterday as 6-6 165 pound shooting guard Everett Duncan from Evansville, IN committed to the Vermont men's basketball team. Duncan is the younger brother of incoming freshman point guard Ernie Duncan. There are several reasons to get excited about this commitment. First and foremost Everett is a very good player. He plays hard and has a similar "it" factor that you can see when watching his brother. Watching his highlights and reading tidbits from scouts the takeaways are a player with a high basketball IQ and a lethal outside jumper. Everett doesn't have elite athleticism but he makes up for it with crafty hard nosed play. Once he adds strength he will be a force and is very similar in his game with current catamount Kurt Steidl. The coaching staff is making a commitment to getting  players that fit the style that Vermont wants to play. Off the court the coaching staff is continuing to create the sense of community that makes Vermont a special place to play. Becker and the rest of his staff clearly want shooters at every position and to me it seems like they are moving toward a faster paced, more offensive style of play. The other reason this signing is great for program is to continue the Indiana pipeline. Everyone knows that Indiana high school basketball is played at a high level and the more players that Vermont can get from there the better. It also doesn't hurt that my personal favorite 2015 target Josh Speidel is friends with both Everett and Ernie. There is a chance that having some of his buddies to play basketball with in college could get Speidel to come to Vermont. Regardless of how that will factor into his decision, Speidel will probably not commit anywhere until after the July recruiting period. He is garnering interest from a few Big 10 schools and as a result I am sure he wants to see if that interest materializes into formal offers. Incidentally if he does commit to Vermont I will officially be breaking out the term "Indiana North" for the 2015-2016 men's basketball team. To finish up the positives about the commitment, I am continually amazed at the success that Becker has had in building a true program. When the Becker basketball camp rolls around every year, players from past and present make it a point to be a part of the Vermont family. This sense of community and family is what I believe is the key to the continued success of the program. Most of the commitments Vermont has received over the last year have been immediately following the recruit's visit to campus. That demonstrates to me that the feel of the program is exactly where it needs to be. To achieve that level of cohesion in such a short time is nothing short of incredible and the entire staff at Vermont should be proud of that accomplishment. I think back to Becker's opening press conference when he took the job and it was his goal from the get go to build a complete program. A round of applause is due for step one of Becker's process and I can't wait to see it translate to continued success on the court.

Summer Updates

It may only be June but the future of Vermont basketball begins now. Many of the new players have already arrived and the rest will be arriving sometime later in the week. Timing the players arrival with the Becker basketball camp is a stroke of genius as the community/family feel to the program is on full display. Players from the past, present, and future all come together for the camp. It is a great opportunity to showcase the success and feel of the Vermont program. This week also marks the official visits for what I would consider Vermont's top 2015 targets. Josh Speidel and Everett Duncan will be on campus this week to see if Vermont is where they would like to continue their basketball careers. Duncan is the younger brother of incoming freshman Ernie Duncan and the chances of landing him seem solid. He is a nice player with great length and shooting ability. Speidel is the player that would be a coup for the program. He is garnering some interest from a few Big Ten schools and I believe he is the last piece to creating a new top tier team. Speidel is friends with both Ernie and Everett so there is a chance the family feel could be the selling point. While on the subject of the future, here are a few updates about what some of the incoming freshman have been up to since their high school careers ended.

Drew Urquhart made the Canadian junior national basketball team. This is an impressive accomplishment considering he missed his entire senior season of basketball. The Canadian scouts have raved about the 30 pounds of muscle that Drew put on this past year. The team is competing right now in the FIBA championships in Colorado Springs. Canada is undefeated thus far and will play in the gold medal game tonight against the USA. I have watched several of the games and Drew has played very well. He plays hard and has a great understanding of the game. His outside jumper has looked solid and he has demonstrated some impressive athleticism with a few nice dunks. In the semifinal Drew played the entire overtime period and hit a big three to put Canada ahead for good. The negatives thus far are that his free throw shooting has been poor and a few too many turnovers. The rust from the year off shows up with passes that are not quite where they need to be and being a little loose with the ball as he adjusts to the speed of the game. Watch the gold medal game here.

Zach McRoberts played on the Indiana senior all star team that played a series of games following the completion of the high school basketball season. McRoberts started every game and looked very impressive. He showed and improved outside shooting touch, especially beyond the three point line, and continued to play tough defense. The Indiana scouts rave about his ability to defend any position on the court and he seems to provide leadership on whatever team he is on.

That is all for now. I will provide some more updates as the summer moves on.

The final pieces to next years team

With the April recruiting period in full swing and the second letter of intent signing period beginning, next years Vermont team looks to be complete. Barring an unforeseen late departure (a la Four McGlynn) all the scholarships are now spoken for. Here are my thoughts on the final two members of next years team. 

Trae Bell-Haynes is a point guard from Canada who played his high school basketball at the Bill Crothers Secondary School. Trae is listed at 6-2 170 pounds and has just signed his letter of intent as of today. This makes him an official part of the Cats. There is not a wealth of info about him and when he committed it was definitely a surprise as there was no talk of him prior to his verbal commitment. It is hard to judge recruits by watching highlight videos and scouring the internet for articles. It is made even more difficult when it is a Canadian prospect. The Canadian scouts are fairly high on Trae. The attributes that have come up most in my research are high character and a tremendous work ethic. Trae is a very intelligent player who works diligently to improve every facet of his game. In the highlight video he displays good speed and court vision. His defensive instincts look solid and he plays tough. His offense game is a little raw and his jump shot needs work. It is an interesting choice by the coaching staff as that puts 6 guards on the team next year. It looks like that might signal a shift as to what style Becker wants to play going forward now that he will have a team full of his recruits. It certainly sets up a fierce competition for playing time as this freshman groups begins their career. 

Darren Payen is a transfer from Hofstra. Darren is a SF/PF listed at 6-8 210 who will have two years of eligibility left when he joins the team for the 2015-2016 season. Vermont recruited him out of high school before he chose Hofstra so he is familiar with the coaching staff. This looks to be a great fit for this team, as they need frontcourt players. Transfers are very difficult to judge because there are always multiple factors that go into the decision to transfer. Darren clearly is looking for more playing time as he struggled to crack the rotation at Hofstra. With so little playing time at Hofstra it is difficult to assess how successful Darren will be at the college level. He has tremendous athleticism and can finish above the rim. That will be a great addition to the Cats. This athleticism allows him to be an effect shot blocker on the defensive end and a crafty offensive rebounder. His offensive game is raw but the ability seems to be there. This team will clearly be playing at a much faster pace than the previous group and he will create a very athletic frontcourt with O'Day and McRoberts. Vermont's history with transfers has been a mixed bag so it will be interesting to see what he brings to the table. 

Now that the team is set it will be fun to see how all the players fit together in the fall. This will be an exciting year with so many new players to get to know. As it gets closer to the season I will have season previews and maybe even a few predictions. If the all state awards that most of this years recruits received are any indication there is a lot to be excited about in Catamount Country. 

Some Fun Facts

After another very good season in Catamount country, I thought I would post a few facts from the year that some may have overlooked. 

Along with becoming the all time leader in rebounds (1,168) and assists (679), Brian Voelkel broke his own single season assist record (184) with 190 assists this season. He now has the top 2 seasons of total assists in Vermont history. Voelkel also finished 4th all time in steals with 207.

Voelkel finished third all time in the America East for career rebounds and 5th in career assists.

Clancy Rugg finished 7th all time for Vermont in career free throws made with 386. Rugg also finished this season with 185 made free throws which is tied for the 5th most in a single season in Vermont history.

Sandro Carissimo finished number one at Vermont  in career three point percentage at .391%. That is one that I would not have guessed.  Sandro also finished tied  for 10th  in career free throw percentage at .807%. Sandro's three point shooting this season slotted him 3rd all time in single season three point percentage at .429%

Kurt Steidl's sharpshooting this season netted him the best single season three point percentage in Vermont history at .488%. Definitely makes me excited for the future.

Candon Rusin fished his career with 188 made three pointers, good for 8th all time.

The new 1,000 point scorers finished as follows on the Vermont career scoring list:

21. Sandro Carissimo 1,141

26. Candon Rusin       1,071

27. Luke Apfeld         1,048 (tied)

Sandro and Voelkel finished with 134 games played which is the most ever in a Vermont uniform. 

Looking at these career statistics really makes me appreciate how great this group was. Everyone knows how great Voelkel was but sometimes it is easy to overlook how great Sandro was as well. These numbers really demonstrate that Vermont fans witnessed some historically great players over the past four years and this past season included some impressive accomplishments as well. Between Steidl and the very good recruiting class coming in Vermont fans have a reason to be excited about the future. 

Another postseason disappoinment

Albany 67 Vermont 58

For the second year in a row Vermont's quest for the title ends at the hands of Albany. I would describe it as the "perfect storm" game. Albany was on their home floor coming off a dominating victory over UMBC. Vermont's sluggish starts had reared their ugly heads in the previous two games. In the early going the ball seemed to bounce Albany's way and a few calls went their way as well. While this was going on the Cats simply couldn't buy a basket and looked a step slower than Albany. By the time everything was sorted out, they were down by too large of a margin to stage a comeback. Will Brown is a brilliant coach and seems to have Becker's number at this point as far a game planning and executing. My hat is off to Brown and his team and I hope they beat Stony Brook on Saturday. I will say that I am happy to see the format change to campus sites next year because I think it gives the conference its best chance to put the best team in the tournament. Also selfishly I would like to see more games at home each year. There is really no more analysis needed as Vermont didn't show up and ran into a hot team. The only thing that even kept the Cats in the game was Clancy Rugg's sudden prowess from the three point line. It is unfortunate for this senior class to have their time in the America East end this way because they have meant a great deal to the Vermont program. This is one of the best overall senior classes of all time and many group and individual records have been broken. I personally loved this group of guys and will miss watching them play. The unfortunate fact however, is that post season disappointments are a substantial part of their legacy. As freshman they were the number one seed and were upset in the semifinals by Stony Brook. They then bounced back to win the title as sophomores. As juniors they were upset in the title game on their home floor by Albany. This years disappointment is still fresh in everyone's mind. Now the difficult part is they still made the post season and won 20 games every year. One might say that the price of being so good, so soon in their careers hurt them more than anything. When success seems to come so easily and so quickly, outsiders are left wanting more and more. I for one am focusing on the wealth of accomplishments that this group was able to achieve and gear up for a chance at a run in the NIT. This was an amazing ride and I look forward to one last race.

Tournament Preview

Vermont enters the America East tournament as the number one seed and on the heels of the most dominant conference season in history. The question remains: Can they win the tournament? Every year conference tournaments provide a exciting prequel to March Madness. There are always multiple upsets and teams clawing to get that automatic bid. I for one would like to see the tournament expand so that the regular season and conference champions both get automatic bids. Conference tournaments are great and it would certainly take some of the drama out of them. However, every year some of the best mid major teams in the country are left out because they slip up in the tournament. It would be great for college basketball to get more of the better mid majors into the tournament. This is the task that lies in front of the Catamounts. They certainly do not have an easy road. With the tournament being held at Albany one last time before the america East moves to a conference sites format, Vermont ended up on the Albany side of the bracket. It is an unfortunate result of the format that a team can finish fourth place in conference and still get to possibly play a home game in the semifinals. Especially when Albany was 7-1 at home in conference, versus 2-6 on the road. However, Vermont has to win three games regardless of the opponent. This dominant stretch all comes down to executing when the pressure is at its highest. There is no better situation than having a senior laden team that has been there before. Nothing will rattle the Cats and they will certainly leave it all on the floor. If they do face Albany in the semifinals it will be a great battle and will give the seniors a shot at revenge for the loss last year at Patrick Gym. Will Brown is a excellent coach and it is his ability to coach in pressure situations that has allowed Albany to have so much postseason success. Number one seeds have not fared well lately in the America East and Vermont has actually won 4 out of its 5 championships out of the number two slot. The fact is if Vermont executes the way it has all season they should win the title. However, one bad half of basketball in the postseason can lose a game and in a one and done format that is all it takes. I think Vermont will be prepared and hungry to go out champions.

Vermont at Binghamton 3/2/14

Vermont 92 Binghamton 82 OT

Vermont survived to complete a 15-1 America East regular season. The Cats did not play particularly well but there was a reason for that. This was a terribly officiated game. I am talking about a game where there was literally a foul every other possession. There were 65(33 BU, 32 UVM) total fouls in this game. Neither team was allowed to play any semblance of defense because anytime anyone was close to an opposing player, a foul was called. It was bad both ways and most of the time all you ask for is consistency. In this case it did not make a difference. This was a free throw shooting contest and no one pays money to see a free throw shooting contest. The teams shot a combined 76-95(40-49 BU, 36-46 UVM) from the line. Officiating like what took place in this game infuriates me and is inexcusable. It only happens with officials who think that they above the game. They try to impose their will on the game instead of letting teams play. Officials are there to respond to the game and keep it from getting out of hand. They are not there to dictate the style of play. Binghamton played their hearts out and out muscled Vermont for the entire game. The officials fouled out 5 Binghamton players, including Jordan Reed, forcing them to play with a very small lineup. Reed was phenomenal in this game, getting to the rim at will and knocking down his free throws.  He was flying all over the court, getting steals and rebounds while dominating the game all by himself. He fouled out on a ticky tack call 25 feet from the basket in overtime. That is inexcusable for an official to make a call like that. Once Reed fouled out Binghamton was finished as he was their whole offense and they were forced to play the end of their bench. It was sad to see their game end that way. Due to the constant whistle blowing there was absolutely no offensive flow and neither team could get a stop because every other trip down the floor resulted in free throws. There is no reason for an officiating crew to call a game the way it was called today. Let them play.

Now that I have vented I will talk about what Vermont did to win the game. As ugly as this game was, there is some value to gutting out a win. Vermont has been in almost no close game in conference and has also not had to play from behind very often. Playing in both of those situations today and pulling out the win are important. Playing in a game where as a team you need to overcome obstacles that are out of your control (i.e. terrible officiating) has great value as well. When entering the postseason it is crucial to have experience playing several different types of games and coming out on top. Vermont was able to make plays when it counted (except for a terrible final possession in regulation). Steidl, Carissimo, and Rusin all made big threes when the Cats needed a bucket. Rugg and Voelkel both made tough shots and were a combined 28-31 from the line. Voelkel's 15 points were crucial as every bucket counted in this one and his scoring was much needed for once. Clancy Rugg's free throw shooting has been a thing of beauty over the last few games. After going 19-21 in this game, Rugg is 45-49 over his last 5 games. That is amazing production. With those free throws, Rugg has now made the sixth most free throws (176) in a single season in UVM history. Also a shout out goes to Hector Harold who was 3-3 from behind the arc in this game, showing that he has officially broken out of his shooting slump. Also Josh Elbaum played extremely well today with 4 points and 5 assists in what was one of the best games I have ever seem him play. Voelkel is also now only 10 assists away from breaking his own single season record. That is enough about the individual accomplishments. What matters now is taking care of business in the tournament. I will post a preview mid week but I would like to say that I am glad the America East is moving to a campus sites format. Vermont clinches the number one seed, dominates the regular season like no one else has .........and is rewarded with a possible true road game in the semifinals. That to me is just ridiculous. Stony Brook knows exactly how difficult it is to beat Albany at their place. Vermont has had the same experience and it certainly gives them the toughest road to the championship. But Vermont has to win three games regardless of the opponent. Now it is time to go out and execute.