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.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Sunday, October 21, 2018
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
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.
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.
Friday, July 13, 2018
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.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Season Wrap
It was another tremendous season in Catamount country. This group of seniors was special and I am not sure if we will ever see a run of success like the one Vermont just had. For a state with only one Division I university and and team with out of date facilities and a minuscule budget, this program was on the map as a top mid-major program for two years. A dream that seemed far off when Becker took the reins of this program 7 years ago. This season did not end the way everyone wanted to and that was very difficult. However, I think some of the Vermont fanbase has been spoiled by all of the success that this team has had over the years. Having each teams success judged solely by winning a championship is honestly an unreasonable expectation. Enjoying the entire season, its ups and downs, and getting to watch great basketball right in our own backyard is incredible. The young people in this state seeing that working hard no matter the hurdles is important. These are the things that make this Vermont program so special. There are very few programs that can maintain the type of momentum that Vermont has built. The fact that they are doing it solely based on the actual basketball product itself is an even greater success. If we as fans look to far ahead we will miss what is right in front of us. Blink and this success could be gone in a flash. We as a fanbase cannot be so arrogant as to assume that this type of success is garunteed.
I will miss these seniors so much. Trae Bell-Haynes, Drew Urquhart, Cam Ward, Payton Henson, Nate Rohrer, and David Urso all left Catamount country a better place. Trae Bell-Haynes developed into one of the best players in Vermont history. Drew Urquhart and Cam Ward worked hard, overcame difficulties, and proved that all of that pays off in the end. Payton Henson found a home to finish his basketball career and get to the NCAA tournament. Nate Rohrer saved Vermont in a season when they needed him and was always ready to play when his number was called. David Urso pushed the guys in practice every year. All of them represented themselves as ambassadors of not only the Vermont program but the university at large. Great basketball players, even better people. That is the type of player that the Vermont program is founded on and the type of player that will continue to bring success.
I am very excited about next season but I am holding back until the coaching searches finish up. Becker's name always comes up this time of year and this year there are some jobs that I think he would consider. The one that scares me the most is if Danny Hurley leaves Rhode Island, I have to think he would be on their shortlist. I know Becker wants to be at Vermont but as I said last year, the new arena needs to happen. There has been some progress but with no concrete plan in place Vermont is rolling the dice. At some point the money that other schools can offer is going to be too much to turn down. If Becker stays Vermont is once again set up to be in the title hunt. It will not be the dominant run of the past few season and there will be many more ups and downs, but the pieces are going to be there. The current 2018 recruits (Isaiah Moll, Ryan Davis, Robin Duncan) are a incredible class. I believe that each of them has the potential to be future all league caliber players. Combine that with the returning Duncans, a healthy Lamb, and some exciting young players, and Vermont has the pieces to be a dangerous team by the end of the season. Roster continuity is the key for any mid-major to maintain success but this off season it is even more crucial because of what Vermont is already replacing due to graduation. The next few weeks will go a long way to understanding what next year will bring.
I will miss these seniors so much. Trae Bell-Haynes, Drew Urquhart, Cam Ward, Payton Henson, Nate Rohrer, and David Urso all left Catamount country a better place. Trae Bell-Haynes developed into one of the best players in Vermont history. Drew Urquhart and Cam Ward worked hard, overcame difficulties, and proved that all of that pays off in the end. Payton Henson found a home to finish his basketball career and get to the NCAA tournament. Nate Rohrer saved Vermont in a season when they needed him and was always ready to play when his number was called. David Urso pushed the guys in practice every year. All of them represented themselves as ambassadors of not only the Vermont program but the university at large. Great basketball players, even better people. That is the type of player that the Vermont program is founded on and the type of player that will continue to bring success.
I am very excited about next season but I am holding back until the coaching searches finish up. Becker's name always comes up this time of year and this year there are some jobs that I think he would consider. The one that scares me the most is if Danny Hurley leaves Rhode Island, I have to think he would be on their shortlist. I know Becker wants to be at Vermont but as I said last year, the new arena needs to happen. There has been some progress but with no concrete plan in place Vermont is rolling the dice. At some point the money that other schools can offer is going to be too much to turn down. If Becker stays Vermont is once again set up to be in the title hunt. It will not be the dominant run of the past few season and there will be many more ups and downs, but the pieces are going to be there. The current 2018 recruits (Isaiah Moll, Ryan Davis, Robin Duncan) are a incredible class. I believe that each of them has the potential to be future all league caliber players. Combine that with the returning Duncans, a healthy Lamb, and some exciting young players, and Vermont has the pieces to be a dangerous team by the end of the season. Roster continuity is the key for any mid-major to maintain success but this off season it is even more crucial because of what Vermont is already replacing due to graduation. The next few weeks will go a long way to understanding what next year will bring.
Monday, March 12, 2018
NIT Preview and a little rant
It is time to get right back to it.
The Cats face off with Middle Tennessee in a battle of top mid-major programs. It should be a really fun game and a great consolation prize after Saturday's heartbreak. But before we get into game I have to talk a little bit about the inequity that currently exists in the NCAA tournament selection process as both of the teams in this matchup were affected by it. There is no way for a mid-major program to realistically get an at large bid. The NCAA tells mid-majors they need to "schedule strong" and that will solve all of their problems. That is easier said than done and both of these teams found that out. Vermont struggled to find teams to play them and Middle Tennessee even played Florida Gulf Coast twice just to get some good games on their schedule. The real challenge is that it is impossible to get the so called "good teams" to play at a mid-major. This means there are no chances for teams like Vermont or Middle Tennessee to get quality home wins. Syracuse on the other hand is able to make an entire non-conference schedule where they scarcely leave the state of New York. That inherent inequity in scheduling was never clearer than this season when Middle Tennessee had the 13th toughest non-conference schedule (according to KenPom) in the country and then went 16-2 in their conference but was not deserving of an at large bid. What a joke. The Power 5 schools are able to play virtually no one in the non-conference, have mediocre to poor conference records, and still get in. There is no solution. Middle Tennessee did exactly what the committee told mid-majors to do and was still not rewarded. Go ahead and look at some of the major conference at large teams on KenPom and check out the non-conference strength of schedule (Virginia Tech 344 out of 351? please). Now the consequence of this is that mid-major programs are basically being asked to schedule hard and then never lose. That is an impossible amount of pressure. Power 5 teams are allowed to have off nights or take bad losses with very little consequence. Teams like Vermont schedule hard and are asked never to have an off night, never run into a hot team. Vermont had an incredible two year run, clinched a spot in the NIT, played one bad game and it feels like their entire world has come crashing down. That is unfair to the players. It takes the fun out of the game if everything is nitpicked and over analyzed. Life is not perfect. Sometimes things don't go your way and learning to recover from that is part of why playing sports is so rewarding. Losing is part of the game and that is why it feels so good to win. It great for a program to win a regular season title. Playing in the NIT is a great honor that only 32 teams each season get to do. Kansas has won at least a share of the regular season title for 14 straight seasons. They have lost 3 out of the last 5 conference tourneys. Imagine if their NCAA participation was dependent on winning the conference tourney each season? The complexion of their program would change significantly. This is further exacerbated by the fact that mid-major programs can't maintain the kind of coaching continuity that all of the great programs across the country have. Most of the widely respected, big time programs have had incredible consistency at their head coaching position. The solution for all of this is not to get rid of the conference tournament as so many people seem to suggest. I love conference tournaments and it keeps every team engaged until the final buzzer because everyone still has a shot no matter how tough your season may have been. For me as a fan this year it was heartbreaking but that doesn't mean I don't love conference tournaments. I watched some incredible and exciting tournament games this past week. Four out of Vermont's six NCAA tournament berths came as the 2nd seed. Anyway, I could go on and on and I already said more then I wanted to. For Vermont, the bottom line is that there is nothing to hang their heads about. They are an incredible team and they earned their spot in the NIT. One bad game does not erase years of progress and excitement. This group has meant so much to this program on and off the court. Playing basketball is fun and that shouldn't be crushed under the weight of expectations. Life is bigger than one game and Vermont has a chance to go out there are play another exciting opponent. I think this game is going to be all kinds of fun. Middle Tennessee is another strong mid-major program. This game is a great time to showcase two strong programs who go out and schedule tough road games year in and year out. There are some exciting rule changes that are being tested out in the NIT as well. A list of those changes can be found here. I love the quarters and am very excited to see how the wider lane opens things up for drives to the rim. It will be nice for the Cats to play as underdogs again and to get to watch this team play again is a treat. Watch tomorrow night at 8 o'clock on ESPNU.
The Cats face off with Middle Tennessee in a battle of top mid-major programs. It should be a really fun game and a great consolation prize after Saturday's heartbreak. But before we get into game I have to talk a little bit about the inequity that currently exists in the NCAA tournament selection process as both of the teams in this matchup were affected by it. There is no way for a mid-major program to realistically get an at large bid. The NCAA tells mid-majors they need to "schedule strong" and that will solve all of their problems. That is easier said than done and both of these teams found that out. Vermont struggled to find teams to play them and Middle Tennessee even played Florida Gulf Coast twice just to get some good games on their schedule. The real challenge is that it is impossible to get the so called "good teams" to play at a mid-major. This means there are no chances for teams like Vermont or Middle Tennessee to get quality home wins. Syracuse on the other hand is able to make an entire non-conference schedule where they scarcely leave the state of New York. That inherent inequity in scheduling was never clearer than this season when Middle Tennessee had the 13th toughest non-conference schedule (according to KenPom) in the country and then went 16-2 in their conference but was not deserving of an at large bid. What a joke. The Power 5 schools are able to play virtually no one in the non-conference, have mediocre to poor conference records, and still get in. There is no solution. Middle Tennessee did exactly what the committee told mid-majors to do and was still not rewarded. Go ahead and look at some of the major conference at large teams on KenPom and check out the non-conference strength of schedule (Virginia Tech 344 out of 351? please). Now the consequence of this is that mid-major programs are basically being asked to schedule hard and then never lose. That is an impossible amount of pressure. Power 5 teams are allowed to have off nights or take bad losses with very little consequence. Teams like Vermont schedule hard and are asked never to have an off night, never run into a hot team. Vermont had an incredible two year run, clinched a spot in the NIT, played one bad game and it feels like their entire world has come crashing down. That is unfair to the players. It takes the fun out of the game if everything is nitpicked and over analyzed. Life is not perfect. Sometimes things don't go your way and learning to recover from that is part of why playing sports is so rewarding. Losing is part of the game and that is why it feels so good to win. It great for a program to win a regular season title. Playing in the NIT is a great honor that only 32 teams each season get to do. Kansas has won at least a share of the regular season title for 14 straight seasons. They have lost 3 out of the last 5 conference tourneys. Imagine if their NCAA participation was dependent on winning the conference tourney each season? The complexion of their program would change significantly. This is further exacerbated by the fact that mid-major programs can't maintain the kind of coaching continuity that all of the great programs across the country have. Most of the widely respected, big time programs have had incredible consistency at their head coaching position. The solution for all of this is not to get rid of the conference tournament as so many people seem to suggest. I love conference tournaments and it keeps every team engaged until the final buzzer because everyone still has a shot no matter how tough your season may have been. For me as a fan this year it was heartbreaking but that doesn't mean I don't love conference tournaments. I watched some incredible and exciting tournament games this past week. Four out of Vermont's six NCAA tournament berths came as the 2nd seed. Anyway, I could go on and on and I already said more then I wanted to. For Vermont, the bottom line is that there is nothing to hang their heads about. They are an incredible team and they earned their spot in the NIT. One bad game does not erase years of progress and excitement. This group has meant so much to this program on and off the court. Playing basketball is fun and that shouldn't be crushed under the weight of expectations. Life is bigger than one game and Vermont has a chance to go out there are play another exciting opponent. I think this game is going to be all kinds of fun. Middle Tennessee is another strong mid-major program. This game is a great time to showcase two strong programs who go out and schedule tough road games year in and year out. There are some exciting rule changes that are being tested out in the NIT as well. A list of those changes can be found here. I love the quarters and am very excited to see how the wider lane opens things up for drives to the rim. It will be nice for the Cats to play as underdogs again and to get to watch this team play again is a treat. Watch tomorrow night at 8 o'clock on ESPNU.
Saturday, March 10, 2018
America East Final: UMBC at Vermont 3/10/18
UMBC 65 Vermont 62
On to the NIT.
Jairus Lyles hit a three pointer with .6 seconds left to win the America East championship for UMBC.
Lyles capped off an impressive 27 point effort, willing the Retrievers to victory. Another crushing postseason disappointment for this Vermont class. I absolutely love this group of players and it stinks that this is the way the great two year conference run had to end. The story of this game was about what Vermont did not do. They did not take shots. The Cats only took 38 shots in this game. Compare that to 56 for UMBC. That is a significant disparity and it included Vermont attempting only 2 three pointers in the second half. Two. That is just insane for a team who shoots such a strong percentage from three. Vermont's offense came to a screeching halt and it looked like no one wanted to take "the shot" down the stretch. The offense became one dimensional and UMBC defended it well. It was very strange to see this Vermont team get so far away from what they had been doing all season. Strong three point shooting was something that this group has hung their hat on all season. They took themselves out of the game by not giving their offense chances to score. UMBC executed their game plan very well and every time it looked like Vermont was going to pull away they had a response. The tension on the Vermont side was clear down the stretch. The Duncan brothers even had a very heated exchange which was very out of character. The pressure of all the expectations seemed to kind of creep up on the Cats down the stretch of the season as they were trying to finish off this historic run. They overcame so much this season and the pressure of their own sustained success finally caught up with them. While this loss hurts hopefully this group will be able to pull themselves off the mat and try to pull off an upset in the NIT. It is not the result that anyone wanted but I want this group to have another opportunity. It has been a joy to watch this group of players grow over their careers and they have brought this program to another level during their time. They play the game with an incredible passion and drive that we as fans might never see in another group of players. They have pushed the program forward and can continue to do so with an opportunity to go win a game in the NIT.
On to the NIT.
Jairus Lyles hit a three pointer with .6 seconds left to win the America East championship for UMBC.
Lyles capped off an impressive 27 point effort, willing the Retrievers to victory. Another crushing postseason disappointment for this Vermont class. I absolutely love this group of players and it stinks that this is the way the great two year conference run had to end. The story of this game was about what Vermont did not do. They did not take shots. The Cats only took 38 shots in this game. Compare that to 56 for UMBC. That is a significant disparity and it included Vermont attempting only 2 three pointers in the second half. Two. That is just insane for a team who shoots such a strong percentage from three. Vermont's offense came to a screeching halt and it looked like no one wanted to take "the shot" down the stretch. The offense became one dimensional and UMBC defended it well. It was very strange to see this Vermont team get so far away from what they had been doing all season. Strong three point shooting was something that this group has hung their hat on all season. They took themselves out of the game by not giving their offense chances to score. UMBC executed their game plan very well and every time it looked like Vermont was going to pull away they had a response. The tension on the Vermont side was clear down the stretch. The Duncan brothers even had a very heated exchange which was very out of character. The pressure of all the expectations seemed to kind of creep up on the Cats down the stretch of the season as they were trying to finish off this historic run. They overcame so much this season and the pressure of their own sustained success finally caught up with them. While this loss hurts hopefully this group will be able to pull themselves off the mat and try to pull off an upset in the NIT. It is not the result that anyone wanted but I want this group to have another opportunity. It has been a joy to watch this group of players grow over their careers and they have brought this program to another level during their time. They play the game with an incredible passion and drive that we as fans might never see in another group of players. They have pushed the program forward and can continue to do so with an opportunity to go win a game in the NIT.
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