Basketball is back. Today marks the official start of the 2020-2021 college basketball season. We still don't know what exactly that season looks like but pieces are starting to fall into place. As with everything in these uncertain times, it is hard to go all in without the fear of everything changing. However any sign of a return is something to be excited about. I have a few things rattling around in my brain that I thought I would post about as we move closer to the season. First off, another big piece of news today is that every winter sport athlete is going to receive an extra year of eligibility, similar to what has been done for spring and fall sport athletes. So this years team for Vermont could also be next years team. This is really going to throw a wrench into recruiting as the 2021-2022 recruiting class could potentially be zero if everyone decides to stay. It is an option that not all players across college basketball will take. It will certainly create a whole different vibe in recruiting as offers and commitments will all be conditional on who stays and who goes. This is also going to coincide with the new one time transfer rule that will potentially also go into effect for the 2021-2022 season. That will allow players to transfer one time during their careers without having to sit out for a year. As you might imagine this is all shaping up to be one of the most interesting off-seasons to follow one of the most interesting seasons in the history of college basketball. All of these rulings by the NCAA make sense and are the right decision but to have them happening in the same season is going to create quite a whirlwind. The next thing I have been thinking about is the schedule. After Vermont pulled out of the Gulf Coast Showcase I thought it was only a matter of time before it was announced that they would have a conference only schedule. Today I read that they have joined a Mohegan Sun pod that will include Iona and Buffalo (according to Jeff Goodman) from Nov. 30- Dec. 2. So it looks like they will have at least a few non-conference games. As we have seen with other sports the tricky part is creating a schedule with enough room to shift games around should there be any positive tests causing postponements. The good thing for the AE is with the addition of NJIT they will be able to go with an 18 game conference schedule. The other thing that has been on my mind is the handling of the sexual assault case involving a Vermont men's basketball player. One of the themes in my blog is and has always been how much I believe in the integrity of the program and the values within which they operate. The athletic department is doing the program a disservice if they do not also operate within these values. The athletic department needs to provide transparency about the handling of this case. I hope they do so as we inch closer to the start of the season. That is all I have for now. I cant wait until I have actual basketball to write about!
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Summer Updates
Hello Everyone!
I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. I had the privilege today of sitting in on a Zoom meeting with Coach Becker, AD Schulman, various other members of Vermont athletics, alumni, donors, former players, coachers, and others. I am so appreciative of receiving the invite because when I started writing this blog to keep a few of my friends up to date about Vermont basketball (and partially to protect those same friends from having to hear me talk about it non-stop), I never thought that 7 years later I would be in a meeting like that. Pretty cool. Thanks to everyone who keeps coming back and reading. It was great to hear that the team is back on campus and going through individual workouts. As expected there are many things about the season that are still up in the air. They are still trying to fill out the non conference schedule in hopes of a full season so I can't wait to see what that looks like. It was nice to hear that the program as a whole has continued to support each other throughout this difficult time. Whether we have basketball sooner or later the meeting was another reminder of what makes the Vermont program so unique and special. There is so much that Coach Becker and the athletic department do to support the student athletes in the program outside of basketball and help them become the best version of themselves. I am so thankful that in our little state we have the opportunity to watch high quality basketball with high quality people who want to build a community as much as they want to win. Stay safe everyone!
Saturday, June 13, 2020
NJIT joins the America East
Conference realignment comes to the America East.
On Friday afternoon the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) was announced at the 10th member of the America East. They will officially join the conference on July 1st and will compete in the conference this season. It is rare to join a conference so quickly after the announcement but but nothing about the time we are currently living in is normal. This is one of the few situations in life that truly feels like a win for all parties involved. The America East gets back to 10 members for the first time in 15 years. That is a much better number for scheduling purposes and as the conference tries to raise its profile adding another institution is important. I thought the America East should have added NJIT when they added UMass Lowell but better late than never. For NJIT this is huge. They are the biggest beneficiaries of this move as they have been conference nomads since they made the transition to Division I athletics. The were in the Big West conference before it folded, then an independent, and have been in the Atlantic Sun conference since. Neither of the previous conferences made geographic sense at all and the travel costs for their athletic programs were enormous. One reason for this move being made so suddenly is that they needed to reduce travel distance and cost for the upcoming season due to the current global pandemic. They are a perfect fit geographically in the American East. Specifically for basketball it is also a very good move. For Vermont fans this recent stretch of dominance has been fun but it has covered for a conference that has struggled to be competitive top to bottom. In order to continue to push the program forward a competitive conference would be much better. Many Vermont fans are clamoring for a conference switch but that may not be in the cards anytime soon (particularly with the current financial situation) so the next best thing is to improve their current conference. NJIT immediately does that.
Here is the average KenPom finish for the America East men's basketball teams (including NJIT) over the last 5 years:
1. Vermont 88
2. Stony Brook 178
3. Albany 192
4. UMBC 237
5. Hartford 242
6. (NJIT) 244
7. UNH 258
8. UMass Lowell 286
9. Binghamton 320
10. Maine 333
As you can see NJIT would immediately be in the middle of the pack. Their success is comparable to that of the teams that have been able to push the top teams and UMBC and Hartford have made the last three championships games. NJIT has been in the same bracket so to speak as those two teams over the last 5 years. The bottom of the league has been pretty abysmal over the last few seasons and that needs to improve. UMass Lowell has not provided the boost that the conference was hoping so now it is NJIT's turn. The Highlanders (yes that is their nickname and it is awesome) also have a new arena (which makes me very jealous, sour grapes about the Tarrant Center delay) and are only one year removed from a 22 win season. I am assuming this would push the conference schedule to 18 games which would also be fun, particularly with the uncertainty around the beginning of next season. This is very exciting and adds intrigue to what is already going to be a very different season.
Friday, June 5, 2020
We March Together
I have written and rewritten this post several times. How do you put into words what is going on in this country right now? How can we continue to pretend that race is no longer an issue and continue to make excuses? I am disgusted by what is happening and has been happening to the Black community. The time for action is now. I am white. This is not a privilege that I have earned. I was born with it. I have never had to truly consider what it means to be a white person in America. It means that I can go about my life without the fear that assumptions will be made. Assumptions that could change my life forever. Living that way should not be a privilege, it should be a right. The Black community in America does not have the privilege of living this way. That is wrong. A wrong that needs to be righted. Equality is equal. There are no caveats. There are no excuses. We can’t continue to explain away racial issues. The time to take real action and make real change passed long ago and we missed it. America pretended it was fixed. Pretended that change had really happened. But instead racism was left to grow and fester throughout society. However it is not to late. It is time to admit we were wrong. That we are the problem. Racism exists. It is time to say out loud that systemic racism exists. We didn’t fix it. We made people forget that it was a problem in the first place. It is time to band together, hand in hand, and march towards the light. You may ask what can I do? Acknowledge that racism exists. Stop making excuses. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Learn and grow. Educate yourself and the community. Vote. Call out injustice when you see it. Have compassion for your fellow human beings. Have even more compassion for those around you who may not have the privileges you do. We all need to do what is right. We march together.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Bernie Andre commits to Vermont
Vermont made a huge splash on the transfer market yesterday getting a commitment from Bernie Andre a 6-6 G/F from North Miami Beach, FL who played his last two seasons at Northern Arizona University. Andre is a graduate transfer and will be immediately eligible this season. This is new territory for the Vermont program. Andre is the most accomplished transfer that Vermont has landed in my lifetime and maybe ever. Typically Vermont has landed transfers who were role players on their previous team looking for an opportunity to win and expand their game. Andre is much more than that. In the 2018-2019 season, his first with NAU, Andre led the Lumberjacks in both scoring (13.8) and rebounding (8.5), was named third team all conference, and Big Sky newcomer of the year. He followed that up last season by averaging 11.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Vermont is getting a player who was viewed as one of the top players in his conference for two seasons. Andre scored 763 points in his two seasons at NAU and was a very highly sought after graduate transfer. He had offers from several major conference schools and chose the Catamounts. This addition immediately solidifies Vermont as the America East frontrunner and keeps them in the realm of best mid-majors in the country. Andre slots right into Everett Duncan's minutes and brings a major scoring and rebounding punch to the Cats. Andre uses his length and strength to get to the rim and finish in traffic. His rebounding numbers are really what jumps off the page. Andre is a tenacious rebounder on both the offensive and defensive glass. Over the last two seasons the Vermont coaching staff has dipped heavily into the transfer market which is an interesting shift. The Cats have always grabbed a transfer here and there to augment their homegrown players. Last season they filled an immediate need and now this season they are adding talent that will immediately step into the rotation. It signifies a shift into a very win now, maximize each season strategy. I would imagine that some of that shift this offseason is due to the recruiting season being shut down making it hard to get out and evaluate any unsigned young talent. Andre has had quite a circuitous journey during his basketball career. He played high school basketball in Florida, prepped in North Carolina, redshirted at DII Mercy College in NY, played one year of JUCO at Wallace State in Alabama, two seasons at NAU, and will suit up for Vermont next season. What a treat to have his final season be in Catamount Country!
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Vermont lands Northeastern transfer Tomas Murphy
Hello again!
Vermont kicked off the recruiting cycle by making a splash on the transfer market. The Cats received a commitment from Tomas Murphy a 6-8 forward from Wakefield, RI. He chose Northeastern over Butler, Pittsburgh, and Georgia and he was rated as a 3 or 4 star recruit. His family has an impressive basketball lineage as his dad played at Boston College and then the NBA and his brothers played at Florida and Duke. He is immediately eligible because he missed all but four games this past season due to a serious ankle injury. He also most likely has two seasons of eligibility left as he will get a medical waiver for the lost season. Murphy prepped at Northfield Mount Hermon where Vermont has many connections. Feels like a home run for the coaching staff as Murphy had an effective first two seasons and looked to be making a jump early this season prior to injury. Murphy has an old school post game full of up and unders and soft hooks. Smooth under the hoop with an ability to keep defenders honest from the perimeter. He will give the Cats another option to help replace all the minutes that they are losing in the post. After the disappointment of the impact of last seasons transfers there is going to be some hesitation when projecting his success this season. As I said in my previous post getting up to speed in the Vermont defensive system takes time (especially for post players) and it will be that end of the floor that defines Murphy's impact. I think Murphy can be immediately impactful on the offensive end giving the Cats an experienced back to the basket scorer. Unlike the transfers that joined the team last season Murphy has already made an impact in the college game and has scored 504 career points. It is pretty mouthwatering to think of he and Ryan Davis teaming up to give the Cats a 1-2 punch in the post. It still feels too soon to be looking to next season but as that is all we have right now it is time to dive in headfirst. Vermont is positioning itself to continue this run of dominance.
Vermont kicked off the recruiting cycle by making a splash on the transfer market. The Cats received a commitment from Tomas Murphy a 6-8 forward from Wakefield, RI. He chose Northeastern over Butler, Pittsburgh, and Georgia and he was rated as a 3 or 4 star recruit. His family has an impressive basketball lineage as his dad played at Boston College and then the NBA and his brothers played at Florida and Duke. He is immediately eligible because he missed all but four games this past season due to a serious ankle injury. He also most likely has two seasons of eligibility left as he will get a medical waiver for the lost season. Murphy prepped at Northfield Mount Hermon where Vermont has many connections. Feels like a home run for the coaching staff as Murphy had an effective first two seasons and looked to be making a jump early this season prior to injury. Murphy has an old school post game full of up and unders and soft hooks. Smooth under the hoop with an ability to keep defenders honest from the perimeter. He will give the Cats another option to help replace all the minutes that they are losing in the post. After the disappointment of the impact of last seasons transfers there is going to be some hesitation when projecting his success this season. As I said in my previous post getting up to speed in the Vermont defensive system takes time (especially for post players) and it will be that end of the floor that defines Murphy's impact. I think Murphy can be immediately impactful on the offensive end giving the Cats an experienced back to the basket scorer. Unlike the transfers that joined the team last season Murphy has already made an impact in the college game and has scored 504 career points. It is pretty mouthwatering to think of he and Ryan Davis teaming up to give the Cats a 1-2 punch in the post. It still feels too soon to be looking to next season but as that is all we have right now it is time to dive in headfirst. Vermont is positioning itself to continue this run of dominance.
A look back at the 2019-2020 season
Before I begin, I hope everyone is staying safe out there. I started to write this post so many times and couldn't finish it because life has been coming at everyone so fast. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every layer of everyday life and my heart goes out to everyone at this difficult time. I want to thank everyone who reads my posts and talks to me about the Cats. It is a welcome distraction from everything else going on right now.
What a season it was and what a season it could have been. The season started with incredible expectations and ended with so many unanswered questions. Before looking back and taking stock of this season lets look into the crystal ball and see how the games might have played out.
Vermont vs Hartford for the title:
The atmosphere would have been electric as Vermont looked to punch their ticket to the dance. The game would have played out like many of the battles that these two teams have had over the years. Hard-nosed physical defense from both teams. I believe Vermont would have emerged victorious due to a few factors. Hartford's defense is predicated on stopping the three. They actually finished as the best team in the country against the three, holding teams to 27% shooting. Vermont won many a games this year when shooting poorly from the three. Vermont is finished top five in the country in defending inside the arc and Hartford's offense is focused on the mid-range and in. Hartford really struggled to find consistency on offense this season. Additionally Vermont was significantly better on the boards this season. The last and possibly most significant factor is the difference in depth. Vermont had consistent production from the bench while Hartford did not. While Hartford defended Anthony Lamb better than anyone this season, I think the third time would have been the charm and he would have found a way to be more effective. All in all I think it would have been a very back and forth game with the score finishing around 64-56.
NCAA tournament:
This is where predictions get crazy as trying to guess match-ups at this point is nearly impossible. If Vermont had punched their ticket, I believe they would have been a 13 seed once again. The loss to UMBC killed their chances for a 12 seed barring some of the teams around their seed line getting upset in their conference tournament. Several of the mock brackets had them playing Louisville. That would have been a tough match up as they have a lot of length and three point shooting which are two things that make any upset difficult. Also they played Louisville last season so the Cats would lose some of the surprise factor. There are several Big Ten teams on the 4-5 line and some of those match ups would have been more favorable. A match up against Illinois or Wisconsin would have a little more upset buzz because both of those teams have some weakness that Vermont could exploit and they play at a slow tempo just like the Cats. As I have stated many times in the past, upsets are completely match up dependent. The last two Vermont teams were more than capable of the big upset but ended up with brutal match ups. This years 4-5 line would have been more ripe for upsets so I would say that I really think they would have had their best chance to pull off the first round upset. Predicting anything more than that is tough but I do think it would be very tough to win two games against the 4-5 line. If the other half of their pod also had a big upset than maybe but beating a 4 and then a 5 would have been unlikely.
It was another great season in Catamount Country. Vermont got the big upset they had been looking for in the non-conference and once again dominated the America East. They pushed through the weight of expectation and became a complete team down the stretch. Becker always talks about the program "continuing to move forward" and I believe that Vermont did that this season. They competed at a high level in big games and dominated a league that was better than in years past. They continue to get players to step up when their number is called and make progress year to year. Seeing Bailey Patella and Ben Shungu progress into such crucial roles is exactly why the Vermont program has been able to win with such consistency. Most programs can get the big time player now and then but what sets Vermont apart is the progress their players make during their careers. The run that Everett Duncan went on to complete his career is another example. Both Shungu and Everett used a redshirt year to mold themselves into effective college basketball players. In the case of Shungu all the way to defensive player of the year. It is easy to forget that Shungu missed basically the entire non-conference schedule due to injury. If he had been healthy I believe they would have won a few of the games they dropped. Ryan Davis and Stef Smith also made huge leaps this season. If Davis can stay healthy he has all the makings of a cornerstone player. Stef Smith took his shooting ability to a new level and led the league in three point accuracy. All of those jumps made up for the fact that Anthony Lamb really struggled with his shot-making. In every other aspect of Lamb's game I thought he matured and progressed. He provided tremendous leadership as he finished up one of the finest careers in Vermont history. He placed himself in the Coppenrath/Sorrentine pantheon. Aaron Deloney's progress throughout the year was impressive and he looked like a future star toward the end of the season. It was so devastating to see the end of the season get yanked out from under all these players but how many guys get to win their last college game? Everett went out after the best game of his college career. That is a special silver lining.
Now that is not to say that everything came up roses. The transfer additions did not give the Cats the boost they were looking for. Daniel Giddens struggled to get comfortable in the Cats system and never really found any consistency. He had some nice moments but didn't provide the post dominance they were looking for. Duncan Demuth struggled to stay healthy and also looked as though he needed more time to get comfortable with the system. The ripple effect was that the coaching staff wanted to redshirt Isaiah Powell. That decision was retracted mid season as they desperately needed another post player who was comfortable in the defensive system. That is the third season in a row where redshirting/player development was disrupted by injury and need. Some things are hard to plan for but it is something that the Vermont coaching staff has had to grapple with in recent seasons. What this season really demonstrated was that having an immediate impact as a transfer without the redshirt year to get ready is a lot to ask. It speaks to both how complicated the system is and how well Vermont does at using the redshirt year to prepare players.
The future is bright despite losing so much experience and production. There is no replacing Lamb and Everett brought so many different things to the team. The most significant thing to address will be outside shooting. The Cats struggled this season from the perimeter and are losing 2 of their top 3 three point shooters. I would expect to see the coaching staff try to address this with some of their available scholarships. Davis will be the key to the season. They have depth at the guard position and Smith is ready to become the go to scorer. Davis becoming a go to guy in the post will be what defines the Cats success. Justin Mazzulla will join the team as a transfer and Georges Lefebvre is the only freshman currently in the 2020 recruiting class. Lefebvre is oozing with talent but big men in the Vermont system often struggle to get up to speed with the defensive system in their first year. He might need some time, but he is going to be an impact player before long. I am also interested in Nick Fiorillo's development. He showed some flashes in the preseason scrimmages and he is another player who could make an impact maybe not next season but in seasons to come. I will reference what said earlier about Vermont's success with using the redshirt season. Next season might be the last one in Patrick gym which will give it another layer of emotion. The buzz around the program will still be there as the progress on the Tarrant Center begins to take shape.
The offseason will be very different as recruiting has also been shut down and the coaching carousel will likely be quieter as schools will be more hesitant to move on after a strange end to the season. With sporting events shut down for the foreseeable future the recruiting season is going to be shortened and coaching staffs are going to be scrambling to make up for lost time. As I am finally finishing up this post Vermont received a commitment from an immediately eligible transfer from Northeastern. I will be writing another post directly after this one. Enjoy the offseason and stay safe.
What a season it was and what a season it could have been. The season started with incredible expectations and ended with so many unanswered questions. Before looking back and taking stock of this season lets look into the crystal ball and see how the games might have played out.
Vermont vs Hartford for the title:
The atmosphere would have been electric as Vermont looked to punch their ticket to the dance. The game would have played out like many of the battles that these two teams have had over the years. Hard-nosed physical defense from both teams. I believe Vermont would have emerged victorious due to a few factors. Hartford's defense is predicated on stopping the three. They actually finished as the best team in the country against the three, holding teams to 27% shooting. Vermont won many a games this year when shooting poorly from the three. Vermont is finished top five in the country in defending inside the arc and Hartford's offense is focused on the mid-range and in. Hartford really struggled to find consistency on offense this season. Additionally Vermont was significantly better on the boards this season. The last and possibly most significant factor is the difference in depth. Vermont had consistent production from the bench while Hartford did not. While Hartford defended Anthony Lamb better than anyone this season, I think the third time would have been the charm and he would have found a way to be more effective. All in all I think it would have been a very back and forth game with the score finishing around 64-56.
NCAA tournament:
This is where predictions get crazy as trying to guess match-ups at this point is nearly impossible. If Vermont had punched their ticket, I believe they would have been a 13 seed once again. The loss to UMBC killed their chances for a 12 seed barring some of the teams around their seed line getting upset in their conference tournament. Several of the mock brackets had them playing Louisville. That would have been a tough match up as they have a lot of length and three point shooting which are two things that make any upset difficult. Also they played Louisville last season so the Cats would lose some of the surprise factor. There are several Big Ten teams on the 4-5 line and some of those match ups would have been more favorable. A match up against Illinois or Wisconsin would have a little more upset buzz because both of those teams have some weakness that Vermont could exploit and they play at a slow tempo just like the Cats. As I have stated many times in the past, upsets are completely match up dependent. The last two Vermont teams were more than capable of the big upset but ended up with brutal match ups. This years 4-5 line would have been more ripe for upsets so I would say that I really think they would have had their best chance to pull off the first round upset. Predicting anything more than that is tough but I do think it would be very tough to win two games against the 4-5 line. If the other half of their pod also had a big upset than maybe but beating a 4 and then a 5 would have been unlikely.
It was another great season in Catamount Country. Vermont got the big upset they had been looking for in the non-conference and once again dominated the America East. They pushed through the weight of expectation and became a complete team down the stretch. Becker always talks about the program "continuing to move forward" and I believe that Vermont did that this season. They competed at a high level in big games and dominated a league that was better than in years past. They continue to get players to step up when their number is called and make progress year to year. Seeing Bailey Patella and Ben Shungu progress into such crucial roles is exactly why the Vermont program has been able to win with such consistency. Most programs can get the big time player now and then but what sets Vermont apart is the progress their players make during their careers. The run that Everett Duncan went on to complete his career is another example. Both Shungu and Everett used a redshirt year to mold themselves into effective college basketball players. In the case of Shungu all the way to defensive player of the year. It is easy to forget that Shungu missed basically the entire non-conference schedule due to injury. If he had been healthy I believe they would have won a few of the games they dropped. Ryan Davis and Stef Smith also made huge leaps this season. If Davis can stay healthy he has all the makings of a cornerstone player. Stef Smith took his shooting ability to a new level and led the league in three point accuracy. All of those jumps made up for the fact that Anthony Lamb really struggled with his shot-making. In every other aspect of Lamb's game I thought he matured and progressed. He provided tremendous leadership as he finished up one of the finest careers in Vermont history. He placed himself in the Coppenrath/Sorrentine pantheon. Aaron Deloney's progress throughout the year was impressive and he looked like a future star toward the end of the season. It was so devastating to see the end of the season get yanked out from under all these players but how many guys get to win their last college game? Everett went out after the best game of his college career. That is a special silver lining.
Now that is not to say that everything came up roses. The transfer additions did not give the Cats the boost they were looking for. Daniel Giddens struggled to get comfortable in the Cats system and never really found any consistency. He had some nice moments but didn't provide the post dominance they were looking for. Duncan Demuth struggled to stay healthy and also looked as though he needed more time to get comfortable with the system. The ripple effect was that the coaching staff wanted to redshirt Isaiah Powell. That decision was retracted mid season as they desperately needed another post player who was comfortable in the defensive system. That is the third season in a row where redshirting/player development was disrupted by injury and need. Some things are hard to plan for but it is something that the Vermont coaching staff has had to grapple with in recent seasons. What this season really demonstrated was that having an immediate impact as a transfer without the redshirt year to get ready is a lot to ask. It speaks to both how complicated the system is and how well Vermont does at using the redshirt year to prepare players.
The future is bright despite losing so much experience and production. There is no replacing Lamb and Everett brought so many different things to the team. The most significant thing to address will be outside shooting. The Cats struggled this season from the perimeter and are losing 2 of their top 3 three point shooters. I would expect to see the coaching staff try to address this with some of their available scholarships. Davis will be the key to the season. They have depth at the guard position and Smith is ready to become the go to scorer. Davis becoming a go to guy in the post will be what defines the Cats success. Justin Mazzulla will join the team as a transfer and Georges Lefebvre is the only freshman currently in the 2020 recruiting class. Lefebvre is oozing with talent but big men in the Vermont system often struggle to get up to speed with the defensive system in their first year. He might need some time, but he is going to be an impact player before long. I am also interested in Nick Fiorillo's development. He showed some flashes in the preseason scrimmages and he is another player who could make an impact maybe not next season but in seasons to come. I will reference what said earlier about Vermont's success with using the redshirt season. Next season might be the last one in Patrick gym which will give it another layer of emotion. The buzz around the program will still be there as the progress on the Tarrant Center begins to take shape.
The offseason will be very different as recruiting has also been shut down and the coaching carousel will likely be quieter as schools will be more hesitant to move on after a strange end to the season. With sporting events shut down for the foreseeable future the recruiting season is going to be shortened and coaching staffs are going to be scrambling to make up for lost time. As I am finally finishing up this post Vermont received a commitment from an immediately eligible transfer from Northeastern. I will be writing another post directly after this one. Enjoy the offseason and stay safe.
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