Vermont rounds out their coaching staff with Braeden Estes

Vermont has filled the director of basketball operations position to round out their coaching staff. Braeden Estes joins the Catamounts after spending the last three seasons at Dartmouth. This is another strong hire for Vermont. During Becker's tenure, he has done a great job hiring assistant coaches and his coaching tree is pretty diverse as Vermont has become a strong jumping off point for a coaching career. The director of basketball operations is a wide ranging job that has been expanded even further for this season as the NCAA now allows more coaches to head out on the recruiting trail. It is rare to fill this position with a candidate who has so much experience. Estes is a local guy growing up just over the border in Lebanon, NH. He was the student manager at UNH for four years before spending a couple of years at South Florida. He has experience in all aspects of the job and it is particularly nice that he already has recruiting and player development experience. Becker is always quick to point out how important his coaching staff is to the success of the Vermont program. Estes looks like a great fit in Catamount country and will further strengthen the Vermont coaching staff.  

Vermont completes their 24-25 roster

Today Vermont filled their last scholarship for the 24-25 season with a commitment from Gavin Perryman, a 6'1" transfer guard from Dallas, TX who has spent the last three seasons at Texas. With the late decommitment from Jayhlon Young it is good to get some veteran experience to fill the spot. Whereas wth Young the coaching staff was most certainly excited about his defensive value, Perryman is a pivot to give the Cats some insurance in the shooting department. Perryman redshirted in the 21-22 season and did not see very much game action over the last few seasons. Vermont will give him an opportunity to prove himself at the Division I level. In high school at Jesuit Dallas Prep, Perryman was an absolute sniper from long distance, shooting 42% over three varsity seasons on a very high volume (228-582) from three (Jesuit Prep actually has high school stats on their website. You can even check out his baseball stats as well!). Going to Texas was a legacy move as his father, Brandy Perryman, was a star shooting guard for the Longhorns in the mid nineties (1994-1998). After graduating in three years from Texas, Perryman has a chance to make an impact with what I would assume is two more years of eligibility. I actually got a chance to see Perryman play during his visit on the first day I went down to camp last week (before he tweaked something and sat out). He is comfortable with the ball in his hands and has a nice stroke from the outside. He is physical, smart, and looked like a good fit. I see him as having a range of outcomes this season and filling the Brenton Mills role. Perryman will bring a veteran presence and push the competition in practice while being able to fill in if needed due to injury or ineffectiveness. A nice job by the Vermont coaching staff filling the last scholarship for this season in a less than ideal situation. This will help take some of the pressure off any of the young players who may have been forced into a role if there were any injury difficulties similar to last season. With the roster fully set fans can now get excited to this season's group of Catamounts in the fall. Can't wait!

Derryk O'Grady gets a promotion

The Cats found their new assistant coach just one chair down the bench as longtime Catamount bench fixture Derryk O'Grady has been promoted. O'Grady steps into the assistant coaching position after 11 seasons on the bench in various roles. What an awesome move for the Cats as O'Grady has been an integral part of the program during its rise. O'Grady has always had a knack for injecting humor and personality into every season. The mic'ed up moments have become a much anticipated tradition and he has done a great job of building positive relationships with players and community members alike. Seemingly able to learn quickly, juggle responsibilities, and excel in whatever role he has been in, I have no doubt he will continue his positive impact as he moves up the bench. It is great to see his hard work and dedication to the Vermont program pay off with this new role. Congratulations for sure!!

Summer scrimmage: Part Two

More summer basketball? Yes please. I had so much fun I decided to head back down and catch another post camp scrimmage. Once again the games were fun to watch and the intensity was up a few notches from the action I saw on Monday. I won't rehash any of the obvious and similar observations like Shamir Bogues is just so awesome, or Nick Fiorillo looks ready for a big year, etc. I got to see Sam Alamutu for the first time this summer as he was not there on Monday. Alamutu showed tremendous flashes last season and continues to look better and better. In the games today he looked smoother and was looking for his offense more. He looks primed to play that "swiss army knife" role where he can do a little bit of everything at any position in the lineup. Seth Joba looked more assertive today, playing through physicality in the post and finishing with either hand. Drew Bessette also played with more grit and played harder after looking a bit tentative and passive on Monday. One thing I will say about Bogues today is that you can see that he has put in some serious work trying to become a more consistent shooter from the perimeter. He made a handful of threes today and if that translates to the regular season, watch out. Once again it is so impressive the amount of talent that Vermont is able to bring in year after year in these changing times. Without the money or luxuries of other programs, they continue to identify players that want to win, work hard, and become the best players they can be. This team has the talent and drive to push for another title and I am already looking forward to the fall.

Summer Scrimmage

Hello all!

I made my yearly trip down to the post Becker basketball camp team scrimmage to get my basketball fix. Today was extra cool because I got to meet the guy behind vermonthoops on instagram and had a fun chat about Catamount basketball. If you haven't already, check him out! Watching the scrimmage was fun as always and anytime there is basketball to be watched I am having a good time. This year was a little different than the last two seasons as Vermont has a strong returning core instead of a slew of new players. That returning core certainly builds a ton of excitement for next season. As far as the returners go, Shamir Bogues looks ready to build on last season's success. So smooth and strong around the rim and that relentless motor running at all times. If he can stay healthy I think he has a player of the year run in him. Nick Fiorillo looked great playing without a knee brace as he too hopes for an injury free season. He was aggressive on the offensive end, knocking down threes and a poster dunk for good measure. He is in a good position to put together a big time senior campaign as the elder statesmen enters his 6th season with the Cats. Ileri Ayo-Faleye looked stronger finishing in and around the rim. TJ Hurley looked healthy and has a shot to make a big leap, particularly with the minutes available after losing Jayhlon Young back to the portal. Jace Roquemore also stands to have a shot at some of those minutes and was aggressive getting to the rim. Sam Alamutu and TJ Long are set to arrive later in the week. Seth Joba has put on some muscle as he looks to make a jump this season. Noah Barnett plays with reckless abandon and had some nice moments working hard on the boards. Newcomer Shy Odom did light work on the side as he works to get healthy. The real gems of the scrimmage were the two freshman Sean Blake and Ben Wesson. Both were extremely impressive and Catamount fans should be very excited about their futures. Wesson was the star this afternoon, shooting the lights out from three and displaying a strong feel for the game. He looked confident and comfortable with the ball in his hands and attacked the rim well off the dribble. Blake is lightning quick and is comfortable finishing creatively and thru contact at the rim. His athleticism really pops and he plays with tremendous poise. They also could be beneficiaries of the Young decommitment as now there are a few more rotational minutes than Vermont originally expected. I had so much fun watching today I will likely go back later in the week to catch another round!

Jayhlon Young decommits from Vermont

Yesterday Memphis transfer Jayhlon Young decided to reopen his recruitment and decommit from Vermont due to personal matters. It is an unfortunate blow to the guard depth at Vermont with only a short time before the players are back on campus for the summer session. Young's defensive prowess was such a good fit for the Cats and I was looking forward to some Bogues/Ileri/Young defensive lineups. I wish Young well and hope that he finds the right fit to complete his basketball career. On the positive side, this is the area of the roster that has the most depth and there are many candidates to push for the vacated minutes. It was unlikely that Vermont was going to escape the portal era unscathed and this is the first time where the rapidly changing landscape has hit the Cats in a negative way. Now it will be interesting to see if/how Vermont decides to fill the open scholarship. With good depth the Cats might be able to be patient and see what is available or they could make a mad dash to fill the spot. I am looking forward to getting a look at the team in a few weeks during the Becker camp week. 

Vermont adds a walk on

Sincere Clemons a 6'2" guard from Ithaca, NY by way of Northfield Mount Hermon announced his commitment to the Catamounts as a walk on. With all of the walk ons from this past season departing to continue their careers elsewhere, there are spots available. These roster spots are such important parts of building team culture and making practices even more competitive. Vermont has always found creative ways to fill these roster spots with guys who are ready to compete. It is a win win for guys who are looking to take their shot at the college game and be a part of winning, and the Vermont program gets players who can help fill in the practice gaps. Clemons is a high IQ, playmaking guard who will be looking to get stronger and give himself a chance at finding a scholarship down the road. Great opportunity to play in a program with a great reputation for player development.