Aaron Deloney commits to Vermont

Vermont gets their second commitment of the week from Aaron Deloney, a 2019 PG from Portland, Oregon. Deloney had several D-I offers from schools like Eastern Washington, Portland State, and Houston Baptist. There was no mention of his recruitment until he visited Vermont this past weekend. After watching some highlights and reading up on Deloney, there is a lot to be excited about. He was named to the 6A Oregon first team after leading his high school to a state championship. He is rated as the #2 class of 2019 prospect in the state of Oregon.  Deloney put up some big numbers averaging 25 ppg while showcasing a lightening quick release from three and scoring at all three levels. Looking at his stats from the Nike EYBL circuit over the summer he puts up a lot of shots and can be a streaky shooter. He seems like the type of player that can get hot and carry his team. This is a different type of player than Vermont usually gets. It signals a continued commitment by the coaching staff to become more offensively dynamic. With each new recruiting class, there has been an emphasis on shooting and play making ability. Coach Becker has talked at length about his shift in philosophy when he started to get offensive minded players and teach them to play defense. It is exciting to get such a dynamic player to join the young core at Vermont. The coaching staff continues to expand their recruiting net and push the Vermont program forward.

Exhibition: St. Michael's vs. Vermont 11/4/18

Vermont 90 St. Michael's 61

Vermont used a strong second half to finish off St. Michael's and the exhibition portion of their season. Now it is time for the real thing. This was a very choppy game and a chippy one too. Tons of fouls. Tons of emotion. Tons of turnovers. This game is a perfect preview of how the early part of this season is going to go for the Cats. In the first half, Vermont struggled to get into the flow and turned the ball over too much. They let St. Michael's dictate the game flow and were only up two points. Lots of freshman mistakes and miscommunications. Then in the second half, Vermont dictated the pace of play, tightened up their defense, and were a more cohesive team. This team is going to be far more volatile than the steady machine like team that Vermont has had over the last two years. They are going to play faster and they are going to make more mistakes. Especially in the non conference portion of the schedule. A great example of this is Isaiah Moll. In both games Moll has been uneven in the first half and absolutely dominant in the second half. He is a special player and is going to put up some big numbers for Vermont this season. Ernie Duncan has come into this year with a completely different mentality and is seizing his moment as the senior leader exactly as Vermont needs him to do. He is ready to be a scoring guard and attack the rim. He is going to be the leader on this team and is poised to showcase just how well rounded his game has become. The caveat to that is he has to be able to stay healthy as he has also been on the floor a ton, including a particularly hard fall in this one. It is time for some real basketball and I will be posting my season preview on Tuesday night. The opener against Boston University on Friday night can not come soon enough.

Vermont gets their first 2019 commitment

On Friday night Vermont got their 2019 class started with a commitment from Eric Beckett. Beckett is a 6-5 shooting guard from Ontario who attends the Tilton School in New Hampshire. This is another strong pickup for the Catamounts. While reading up on his game the big thing was consistently said about him is that he is versatile. Beckett is able to play well within the team and consistently makes his teammates better. The type of player that can do all of the little things to hep a team win and does not need to be the focal point to be successful. To get a player like that is perfect for this recruiting class because this team will return a lot of its minutes for the 2019-2020 season. Getting a player who is able to adapt this game to fit whatever role the teams needs is big. He fits into the Kurt Steidl, Everett Duncan mold that has been so successful for Vermont. The coaching staff is clearly making size a priority, even at the guard position. The Cats are going to be able to put big lineups on the floor and really use their length to enhance their defensive rotations. Vermont continues to get high basketball IQ players with strong work ethic to buy into their family atmosphere and winning tradition. With the new arena as a extra chip, these next few years of recruiting are going to be exciting.

Exhibition: Concordia at Vermont 10/27/18

Vermont 80 Concordia 43

The season is off and running with Vermont putting Concordia away with a strong second half in exhibition number one. The first half was pretty slow as everyone shook off rust and overcame first game jitters. The number one takeaway from this game was that Robin Duncan is a next level player. He played a team high 30 minutes and had the poise of a seasoned veteran. His is the best passer on the team by a wide margin and has an strong ability to get to the rim. It is going to be hard to keep him off the floor. He gives Vermont the dynamic pass first play maker they have been looking for.  There is a very good chance that all three Duncan brothers will be in the starting lineup. This is not a knock against Stef Smith who also looked good, but Duncan's ability to initiate the offense is too good to keep off the floor. He uses his body to shield the defender very well and because his is so tall at the point guard spot, he can see the whole floor. He has looked better and better every time I have watched him. Isaiah Moll led the Cats with 19 pts and 7 rbs. His quickness allows him to get a shot whenever he wants and is going to provide instant offense for the Cats. He showcased his entire arsenal scoring at all three levels. He plays a little fast and is sometimes going to force shots up, but he is going to have some monster games for the Cats this season. Ra Kpedi got the start and played well finishing 6-6 from the field on his way to 14 points. He looks much improved and is going to give the Cats good minutes this season. I was surprised to see Vermont struggle so much from the outside and they were atrocious from the free throw line but I will chalk that up to early season jitters. Learning to play together is going to be the biggest storyline early in the season. Last years team was a well oiled machine and as a result they were steady as a rock. This year team is going to be a little more unpredictable as each player figures out their role. The bigger news today was that the new arena is getting closer to being a reality. The Board of Trustees approved the project and as long as the money keeps rolling in, construction will begin this winter. That would put the Cats in the new arena for the 2020-2021 season. Just incredible news and will help keep this Vermont basketball program moving forward. It has been a long and arduous process to get to this point and it feels good that it is actually going to happen. Vermont also hosted Eric Beckett, a 6-5 2019 guard from the Tilton school via Canada for an official visit this weekend. He attended the game tonight so maybe he will kick off the 2019 class in the coming weeks. Every time I see this team play I get more excited for the season to start.

The Preview before the Preview

Hello all!

     Basketball is back and the Catamounts season is fast approaching. With Vermont having a scrimmage each of the past two weekends it was a great opportunity to get a sneak peak of what the team will look like this season. My first impression is that there is an incredible depth of talent on this team. Despite the losses of some major contributors, Vermont brings back some important pieces from last years team and adds a freshman class that is as instantly impactful as any Vermont has ever had. Lets start with the new guys. I have made it clear in a few other posts that I believe all three of the freshman could develop into all league caliber players. The more I see them play, better I feel about my prediction. All three of the freshman have a chance to make a significant impact on this years team. Robin Duncan is the very definition of a point guard. Head is always up, sees the whole court, and puts his teammates in a position to score. With Stef Smith dealing with a nagging injury, Duncan has stepped up and carved out a role on this years team. He is very long for a point guard at 6-5 and uses it to his advantage on both defense and offense. He uses his length to finish creatively around the rim and thread passes to teammates in tight windows. On the defensive side of the ball he gets into passing lanes and knows where to be. His stroke from three has looked very good so far as well and he is very much looking like the total package. There will be plenty of minutes this season where all three Duncan brothers are on the court at the same time. Isaiah Moll, a 6-7 freshman from Albany continues to impress with his quickness and a diverse offensive game. He is going to be able to score in bunches as he is explosive off the dribble. If there is a lane to the rim Moll can hit it like a running back and finish with authority. He is able to get himself open anytime and will be strong player to go to if the offense is sputtering. He is going to have some explosive scoring games this season. Ryan Davis is the other freshman who is going to be counted on for big minutes. The 6-8 250lb freshman from Illinois has a chance to start from day one. He is a true big man who has a soft touch underneath. Davis has great hands that allow him to catch tough passes and finish through contact. Add in the fact that he can shoot the three and he is also going to have some big games this season. He is probably going to take some lumps in the early part of  the season as he adjusts to the college game. Once conference play rolls around he has the chance to be a dominant force on the inside. One of the biggest results of Moll and Davis being so ready to contribute is it will be much harder to double team Anthony Lamb. With other big men capable of scoring on the inside teams are going have to scheme very hard to stop the Cats inside game. Especially because this Vermont team is absolutely loaded with three point shooters. The Cats are really going to be able to attack teams from inside and out this season. They are going to continue to be a very efficient offensive team who shoots a high percentage and takes care of the ball. As far as the returnees who impressed. Lamb looks ready to explode and provided good health that is exactly what he is going to do. He is ready to be a leader on this team and be the go to scorer. The same can be said for Ernie Duncan. Ernie has looked very aggressive on offense, driving to the rim and looking to score on every possession. He has a more diverse offensive repertoire that people think and now that he is going to be asked to initiate the offense more often, I think he will be looking to score in a variety of ways. Everett Duncan is going to take another big leap this season as he too is looking to score more. He has taken over the role of the player that is diving to the rim off the the ball. He is still lights out from three and is one of the more vocal players out on the court. When Stef Smith has been on the court he has looked great. Smooth offensively and also a great shooter from three. The nagging injury is definitely a concern so it will interesting to see if he can get healthy. Ra Kpedi, Bailey Patella, and Ben Shungu are all capable of making an impact in whatever minutes they will contribute this season. Skyler Nash is working his way back into the rotation and his shot looks ready to go. Like all the the young guys he is still getting comfortable with the defense but it is great to see him back on the court. I don't really know where Samuel Dingba fits into the rotation. He makes some good plays on defense but struggles to stay out of foul trouble and is not as impactful on the offensive end. All of this adds up to a team that is ready to compete for a conference title. The bottom half of the America East is going to be pretty weak this season and the middle tier has a lot of question marks to work out. Hartford looks very strong and they are going to give Vermont a challenger for the title. I am going to write my America East and Vermont previews closer to when the actual season begins. My closing thoughts are that this team may not be as consistently good as the teams of the past few season because of their youth. However, due to their length, athleticism, and shooting ability they might have an even higher ceiling. This is the type of team that could lose some clunkers, but when they put it all together they have the ability pull off some big wins. That is all for now! I cant wait for the first exhibition next weekend.

Canadian Exhibition tour wrap up

Game 1: Vermont 81 Ottawa 55
Game 2: Vermont 83 UQAM 62
Game 3: Vermont 77 McGill 57

Basketball in August? Yes please.

Catamount fans were able to get a glimpse into the future this weekend with Vermont playing three exhibition games in Montreal. With all the games in the same general location and only a little over an hour from my house, it was an opportunity I could not pass up. I attended all three games and it was great to get to see what kind of team Vermont will have for the upcoming season. Vermont won each game handily by pulling away in the second half. As with any exhibition tour the level of competition was varied but what a great way to get the young inexperienced players some game action. The number one takeaway from the weekend was that Anthony Lamb is back. He has clearly put in a lot of work in the offseason, looking quicker and stronger. He was the best player on the floor in each game and is poised for a big time season. I would put him at the top of the conversation for preseason conference player of the year. All predictions are health permitting but a healthy Lamb is going to put up big numbers this season. Even in Vermont's balanced system I could see him averaging somewhere in the vicinity of 17 points per game. He has such an array of offensive moves and has a relentless drive when he gets underneath the hoop. He is poised to be the man of this years team and looks to be taking on more of a leadership role as well. Everett Duncan is the other elder statesmen and he was more assertive on the offensive end. It looked like he has made a commitment to expand his game and work on putting the ball on the floor a bit more when he is getting closed out hard at the three point line. He completely changed the complexion of game two with a big second half. The young guys as a group demonstrated  loads of potential to impact this years team in a big way. Ryan Davis exploded in game one and led the team with 19 points. He is a different type of big man than Vermont typically gets. He has a big strong frame and tremendous hands. He scored in double figures in all three games with a combination of outside shooting and creative finishes around the hoop. I see him with a big role this season, giving Vermont the pieces to run a lot of high low sets with some big to big passing out of the high post. Isaiah Moll also made an immediate impact and is going to be a very versatile player. He is the only player on Vermont who went through both the perimeter player and post player pre-game warm up routine. That gives an indication of how the coaching staff views his versatility. He has great quickness and can create his own shot as good as anyone on Vermont. There were times where he played too fast but he gives them another player to go to when the offense is stagnating. Robin Duncan looked every bit the point guard of the future. Calm with the ball and smart decision making. At 6-5 he is very big for a point guard and he uses his length very well. It took him a few games to assert himself, but he knocked down 4 threes in the last game and had a few nice finishes around the rim. After watching the freshman it only confirmed my beliefs that all three of them have a chance to grow into all league caliber players. Ra Kpedi had some good moments on the trip. He still struggles with fluidity and has yet to really add an offensive game. He had a productive final game and can be a very good offensive rebounder as he continues to get more comfortable with the college game. He has also proved to be a good free throw shooter which will help him greatly as he draws a lot of fouls. He still has some work to do with his offensive game but has gotten stronger over the summer. Bailey Patella had a very impressive weekend. Defensively he has a chance to be great. He blocked about 7 shots over the three games and is freakishly athletic. He gets up off the floor in a hurry and has a great nose for the ball. He was deflecting passes and getting tough rebounds in every game. He knocked down a few shots as well and has a chance to be a very impactful player off the bench. Ben Shungu was all over the court. He played tough defense, rebounded well, make some nice passes, and handled himself very well at the point guard position. His shot still has a long way to go but he will also be able to have an impact off the bench. Stef Smith played in two out of the three games as he was battling a nagging injury. He has so much potential to be a big part of this years team. His combination of quickness and shooting ability is very good. The young guys struggled to rotate on defense and that is going to be the deciding factor on who wins the playing time battles. Whoever is best able to understand and execute the defensive scheme will be on the court. The potential is there for Vermont to have another strong season. Lamb has the ability to carry this team for long stretches. There will be some growing pains and they will definitely take some lumps in the non-conference schedule. There will be a lot of turnovers early on and mental lapses. However, the overall potential is incredibly exciting. The depth of talent in the post that this team has is a luxury that not a lot of mid-majors have. The offense is going to run through the post quite a bit this season and teams are going to have to double Lamb which is going to create opportunities for everyone else. That last interesting piece from the weekend was that Ernie Duncan and Samuel Dingba were not with the team. I am fairly certain that Dingba has had some passport issues in the past, so that is a possible explanation for his absence. Duncan on the other hand is a mystery. It is awfully strange for the top returning senior to miss a trip entirely. It was great to get a taste of college basketball as the countdown begins until the season opener.

Summertime Sunshine

Hello loyal readers! I haven't posted in about four months (yikes!) but I am back in action. There has been very little action on the Vermont news and recruiting front. So today I though it would be a good time to catch up on a few tidbits from the offseason so far. Two walk-ons have joined the Catamount program since the end of the season. Burlington High School star and Burlington Free Press athlete of the year Kevin Garrison switched his commitment from St. Michael's to Vermont. He cited an excitement about the opportunity and the comparative lower cost of attending UVM in the Free Press article where he made the announcement. Garrison is a tough 6-1 guard with a tremendous competitive drive. The multi-sport star is also an exceptional football player who made highlight reel plays the norm on the gridiron. He is exactly the type of player a team wants in practice and in the locker room. Becker has praised the contributions of his walk-ons in the past and I do think they play a very underrated role. Practice is where great teams are made and getting tough hard nosed competitors to give the rotation players a run has great value. Garrison is the exact type of player who could be a great walk-on. A mulit-sport player with a chip on his shoulder and a never quit attitude isn't going to back down from anyone. Just yesterday Verbal Commits announced that Jake Lorenzo a 7ft, 215lb big man from Englishtown, NJ will also be walking on to the Catamounts. With a walk-on there is not very much info as they are typically not being heavily recruited. He does have a page on HUDL with a few highlights. He certainly gives the Cats a big body to toss around in practice. Becker and his coaching staff have a strong track record with walk-ons and helping them develop and grow. Obliviously they are often long shots but Clancy Rugg, Nate Rohrer, and Ben Shungu all became strong contributors. Some like David Urso make it all four years as a practice player and some leave after one season like Troy Davine or Nassir Williams. Who knows what their contributions will be but it is great that student athletes want to be a part of the program at Vermont. There is so much excitement around this upcoming season as it is going to be exciting to see which teams rise to the top. With graduation and the exodus in Albany, the league is as wide open as I can remember. There should be a lot of exciting new players and there really is no cut and dry favorite like Vermont has been over the past two seasons. This league makeup should make for some exciting basketball. I think Vermont has a chance to be very good again as they incorporate some new pieces. This freshman group coming in is very exciting and with players getting new opportunities it is going to be fun to see who makes the big leap a la Drew Urquhart this past season. That is all for now but with the July recruiting period in full swing maybe there will be some 2019 recruiting information starting to surface. Enjoy the sunshine.