Vermont adds Matt Veretto

Tonight Adam Finkelstein reported on twitter that Matt Veretto, a 6-7 F from Manchester, CT has joined the Catamounts. He last played at Delaware when he was a freshman during the 2018-2019 season. He left after that season to go to school closer to home and focus on academics. This is an interesting and creative addition by the coaching staff. It looks like he has just completed a finance degree at UConn and must be enrolling in graduate school at Vermont. He may have 2 years of eligibility remaining depending on how the NCAA views his 3 year hiatus according to Finklestein. He had a strong freshman season at Delaware where he appeared in 33 games including 12 starts. Veretto averaged 6.4 points per game and knocked down 36 threes at a 39% clip. Coming out of powerhouse East Catholic High School in CT, he was viewed as relentless on the boards and a strong offensive player. There are also several clips of him posterizing opponents with pretty vicious dunks as well. It will be interesting to see what he can bring after so much time off. The reason I like this move is that Vermont needed another frontcourt player but it is hard to fill out the last few spots on a roster without a lot of guaranteed playing time.  It is very hard to find players who are willing to go somewhere without guaranteed playing time in the current recruiting atmosphere. Especially with how valuable post players were in this recruiting cycle. This is a perfect way to fill out those rotation slots with someone who has experience. At the low end he will push guys in practice and at the high end find productive minutes in the rotation. Veretto is a big question mark but has a high ceiling. I believe this leaves one more scholarship for the upcoming season. 

Vermont adds Rhode Island transfer Ileri Ayo-Faleye

Next year's team is taking shape. 

Vermont dipped into the transfer portal once again to add 6-7 forward Ileri Ayo-Faleye from Lebanon, PA. Ayo-Faleye redshirted during the 20-21 season, played only 42 total minutes last season, and will have 3 years of eligibility left. This is a high upside addition by the Vermont staff. Ayo-Faleye has tremendous athleticism with great length and body control. Using long strides he glides through the open court and finishes with authority at the rim. He is going to have some highlight reel plays in a Catamount uniform. Adept in the midrange with great rise in his jumper, he is still growing his game and rounding out his offensive skill set. He had a strange recruiting arc where he entered his senior year with no offers at all and by the end of the season he still only had a handful of Division II offers. Then he announced that he would complete a prep year and the Division I offers began to pour in. Rhode Island brought him on with the intention of redshirting him and he never ended up going to prep school. Vermont is getting a player who has tremendous untapped potential that has already been in college for two years with college level practice reps and strength training. The upside here is huge on both sides off the ball and he immediately brings the ability to make game changing plays. He will have his first opportunity to prove himself at the college level with the Cats and he is entering an ideal situation. There are huge minutes available in the frontcourt and he will have every opportunity to make an impact. The Vermont coaching staff has adjusted to the new recruiting world by adding both immediate impact and high ceiling players to the Vermont roster. Keeping the program ready to compete for a title next season and beyond. 

Vermont adds Bellarmine star Dylan Penn

Big day for Vermont. 

The Cats added their most heralded transfer ever in Dylan Penn, a 6-3 guard from Evansville, IN who just completed a 4 year career at Bellarmine. It cannot be overstated how significant this is for the Vermont program. This is the type of one year transfer that almost universally goes to a Power 5 school. In fact the list of the other schools that inquired about Penn was littered with Power 5 programs. He has been Bellarmine's best player for the last few seasons, which included the schools first two in Division I. Penn led his team to the Atlantic Sun championship and was named the tourney MVP. Unfortunately Bellarmine was ineligible for the NCAA tourney due to their transitioning status.  He was an all Atlantic Sun selection in both of his years in the league. Should I go on? Can you tell that I am giddy with excitement? Penn also happens to be a very unique player who led the country in scoring in the 9-10 foot range from the basket. He is a kind of a throwback/"post player in a guards body" type scorer who makes up for a lack of outside shooting with an array of moves in the paint. Hooks, floaters, layups, push shots with either hand are his bread and butter. An incredibly ambidextrous player who despite shooting left handed loves to spin back to his right in the lane for one of those half hooks from 9 feet.  He is going to fit perfectly in the Vermont system coming from a Bellarmine program that is also a team oriented, work the ball for the best shot system. To go along with the scoring ability Penn also does a little bit of everything. Just check out these four year totals: 1260 points, 346 assists, 334 rebounds, 38 blocks, and 92 steals. A true star player who will immediately be one of the favorites for the player of the year in the America East. The battles with conference newcomer Bryant, who have also made some big transfer additions are going to be fierce this season. Another incredible job by the coaching staff and I have to think a little help from the fellow Evansvillians? Evansvillers? the Duncan's. The butterfly effect of Ernie Duncan committing to the Cats almost ten years ago continues to change the Vermont program. 

Evan Guillory becomes the third Catamount in the portal

Evan Guillory becomes the first Catamount who played significant minutes to enter the portal. Guillory earned some minutes with his physical presence on defense and on the boards. When Becker talked about Guillory prior to the season he referred to him as "a part of the future of the program" so this is significant. I liked his game and he looked like a player that could grow into a larger role each year. As we have seen across all levels of college basketball, roster turnover is going to be more a part of the offseason cycle now. With players having the freedom to move they are able to make a thoughtful decision about where they want to continue their playing career without having to weigh sitting out a year. With more players in and out each season, instead of being able to project team makeup or minutes long term, it is going to be more of a year to year assessment by players and coaches. That changes the whole recruiting process and the whole pitch when talking to potential recruits. It is as likely to see a significant rotation player leave as it is to see one enter from the portal. These early few years of the new rules are going to see a lot of player movement as programs and players adjust to the new options that each has. Especially with continued extra years for players until the all of the extra COVID years cycle through. I am sad to see Guillory go but wish him the best in finding the right place to continue his career. 

Georges Lefebvre decides to transfer

The news is coming fast a furious with my fifth post in the last three days. 

Georges Lefebvre has decided enter the transfer portal. I wish Georges the best as he looks to find the right fit. He struggled to crack the rotation at Vermont but I think that he has a chance to develop into a solid player. This situation reminds me a bit of when Ra Kpedi transferred a few years back. Another big man who struggled to find consistent minutes at Vermont who then found success this past season at IPFW. I say it all the time but finding footing in the Vermont defensive system as a big man can take time and the America East roster construction often forces teams to play small. There have been many a big men at Vermont who struggled to find early success (Ryan Davis....seriously check his freshman year) and in some cases (Drew Urquhart comes to mind) it takes nearly four years to find a role. I think Georges will find success wherever he lands and to me this is the beauty of no more sitting out when transferring. The players now can make a decision that is best for them, unimpeded by some silly "consequence" for wanting to find the best fit for them as a person and a player. What a busy week in Catamount country. 

TJ Hurley commits to Vermont

Vermont received its second 2022 commitment in as many days as 6-5 SG TJ Hurley from Pelham, Ontario by way of the Rock School in Florida gave his verbal commitment. Due to COVID regulations interfering with his basketball season in Canada, Hurley made the decision to come to the states to get ready to play college ball.  Hurley visited Vermont during their playoff run and I have been hoping for this commitment ever since. Once again the coaching staff has done a tremendous job finding the right fit for the way the Cats want to play. Hurley is another guard with good size and length, which is something that Vermont has been prioritizing over the last few years. It gives them tremendous versatility on the defensive end in the switch heavy system they run. Hurley is a great shooter with a quick release and came up big for the Rock School during a championship run this past season. He has great pace to his game and strong court vision. Another high IQ player who plays within himself and does the little things to help his team win. Love his opportunity to contribute early in his career with his shooting. With Jorge Ochoa yesterday, Hurley today, and Sam Alamutu sliding into this freshman class with his redshirt year, Vermont has players who could both contribute right away and develop into stars in the future. An exciting few days for the future of the program. 

Jorge Ochoa is the first commit for the 2022 recruiting class

Vermont received their first commitment for the incoming recruiting class in 6-7 forward Jorge Ochoa from Los Angeles, CA by way of Veritas Prep. Between Finn Sullivan, Aaron Deloney, and now Ochoa the Cats roster is developing quite the west coast flavor. Once again the Vermont coaches made the rounds in the post senior year showcase circuit and found another gem. Ochoa has a silky smooth release and nice elevation on his jump shot. He is comfortable handling the ball in the open court and can pull up in the midrange. A willing defender who is looking to improve in whatever area of his game that he can. Another great find by the coaching staff. The question now will be how soon does he make a impact. He certainly has the tools to make an impact this season as there are going to be a lot of available minutes at the forward position on next years team. The impact of young big man for Vermont has been inconsistent over the years as the learning curve in the Vermont system has proven to be steep. Even Ryan Davis struggled to make an immediate impact as a freshman and it is clear now what type of player he grew into.  This commitment is exciting because it fills an area of need positionally and Ochoa's style of play could add another dimension to the offense. The Cats haven't always had the "one or two dribble pull up in the midrange" type of player and based on the highlights, that is a part of Ochoa's arsenal. Adding a player who is comfortable pulling up off the dribble will add another dimension to the Vermont offense. Always love learning about and getting excited about the new players in the Vermont program.