VERMONT
Record: 23-6 (13-1 America East)
Last Game: W, 75-54, vs. Binghamton 2/21
Last 10: 9-1
Last Meeting: Vermont 73-62 on 1/13/18; Junior Saintel team-high 18; UVM 17-4 edge on FTs; SBU 6 for 24 from three; SBU 14 offensive rebounds
CM Unofficial Line: Vermont -8.5
KenPom RPI: Stony Brook 236, Vermont 65
KenPom Prediction: Vermont 72, Stony Brook 64
Listen/Watch:TV:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3273774/vermont-vs-stony-brook-m-basketballVermont radio:
http://www.1013espn.com/Stony Brook radio:
http://www.943theshark.com/listenlive.aspxNotables:6-2/180 sr G Trae Bell-Haynes 14.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.2 spg, .513 FG%
6-8/215 sr F Payton Henson 11.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .789 FT%, .390 3-pt FG%
6-3/190 rjr G Ernie Duncan 11.6 ppg, .468 3-pt FG%, .859 FT%, .410 3-pt FG%
6-8/220 sr F Drew Urquhart 10.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, .641 FG%
6-6/190 rso G Everett Duncan 6.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, .492 FG%, .873 FT%, .473 3-pt FG%
So by beating UMBC, we guaranteed that it won't be a 20-loss season. Not this major feather in your cap, but better not to have a number in the 20s on the right side of your record. But even bigger, we somehow have a chance to get to .500 in conference with what would be an enormous conquest this weekend.
Yeah, Vermont's AE win streak was snapped by Hartford on Sunday, but let's not lose sight of how dominant they have been – 13 conference wins, TWELVE by double digits. If you take it back to last year, 26 of their 32 conference wins (including the tournament) have been by 10-plus. I'd love to see how that stacks up against the rest of the country. I don't think any of these tournament teams would be too excited about seeing the Catamounts in a 5/12 or 4/13 matchup – I can't see them being higher with only one top 100 win (#91 Northern Kentucky on a neutral floor). And this is
without Anthony Lamb. Can you imagine how dangerous they would look if he was healthy???
We've done an excellent job on the defensive side of the ball the last couple games, holding UMBC under 60 and stymying UNH in the second half. This isn't news to anyone, but we have to give an A effort to pull out a W on Saturday. The crowd needs to be loud and proud. That energy can make a difference.
The guy I hate seeing in our building? Ernie Duncan. He hasn't been the 20-point-a-game guy that I thought he'd be, but he's had field days here before – 23 two years ago, 22 last year. Duncan only had 11 in the conference title game here a couple years ago, but I recall thinking, from a UVM perspective, that they needed to "GIVE HIM THE DAMN BALL!" He had eight in the first half, and not enough touches in the second half as we made our comeback.
We know what we're going to see from a lot of these guys, but UVM has really gotten some big efforts from Urquhart over the last month. He's strung together eight consecutive double-digit scoring nights, easily the longest of his career – he'd had just 11 such games over his previous three seasons in Burlington. Over the eight-game stretch, he's averaged 15 points and 7.5 boards, a very nice contribution on the block for an AE guy.
Vermont shoots better than 40 percent from three. Get out and defend, boys.
And lastly, I'm on a roll with guessing these lines!