#92 R.P.I. Vermont @ #116 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s hoops stays @home to host the other: “VeeTee”.

The Hokiebirds now must entertain the Catamounts of Vermont pretty much: set-shotting, hook-shotting, and even slingshotting; or, Giant killing St.David fame. As these definitional ‘medium-cats’ are on the prowl to meow-mix and score a mid-major or big-time upset here. Vermont enters the fray at a respectful: 8 up vs. 3 down (.727) overall.  Thus far Vermont has beaten whom they were supposed to beat and feasted upon an ocho or eight different ding-dongs. +145 points up in those contests. Then they got two single-shot scares (Yale & pretty lowly Northeastern). They got done out by –24 total points in their 3 L’s including getting pasted by (regional rival): Colgate. i.e., this is a harder Vermont team to gauge… they have been up-n-down all year at the near 33% marker of the same. Some yin some yang, some birdies, and some bogeys too. The besting Vermont is not a cheap date, the unfocused Vermont is not so alluring. Nonetheless, what you wanna know is… who is gonna win and by how much, rights? So, read on… to finds, out!

Vermont Head Coach: John Becker: age=55, 294–160 (.648) overall, and 288–116 (.713) at Vermont.
Has a rep’ for program building extraordinaire & for loyalty itself. And for being a pure straight razor defense, defense, and mo’ defense coach. Also, as a playar ‘developer’ and for VT.edu.
$364,971.oo (with an annual increase kicker; hence the odd digits).

Becker earned a bachelor of arts in history from Catholic in 199o and a master of science in information systems, with a major in business technologies from George Washington University in 2oo1. A member of the NABC since 1994, he also served as a color commentator for weekly internet broadcasts of Division III men’s basketball games from 2ooo-o3.

Baby Becker was born: April 17, 1968 A.D. He is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach of the Vermont Catamounts of the America East Conference. He replaced Mike Lonergan, who left to become the coach at George Washington University.

On January 5, 2o23, Becker became the winningest coach in Vermont history, with a 74–64 win over Bryant, surpassing Tom Brennan

CAREER HONORS
• 28o-113 (162-3o AE) Record as Meghan and Robert Cioffi Men’s Basketball Head Coach
• Most wins all-time at Vermont
• Six America East Championships (2o12, 2o17, 2o19, 2o2o, 2o22, 2o23)
• Seven America East Regular Season Titles (2o14, 2o17, 2o18, 2o19, 2o2o, 2o21, 2o22, 2o23)
• 1o Postseason Berths (NCAA 5x, NIT 2x, CBI 3x)
• America East Coach of the Year (2o14, 2o17, 2o18, 2o19, 2o2o, 2o22)
• National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District I Coach of the Year (2o18, 2o19, 2o2o, 2o22)
• CollegeMadness.com Mid-Major Coach of the Year (2o18)
• Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Finalist (2o17)
• U.S. Basketball Writers Association District I Coach of the Year (2o17, 2o19)
• ECAC Coach of the Year (2o17)
• Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Finalist (2o17, 2o19, 2o2o, 2o22)
• Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award Finalist (2o14).

• WOWOW!!!

On February 18, 2o22, hundreds of students at the University of Vermont protested, some calling for Becker’s firing because of his role in covering up a rape allegation against a star player of his. The controversy came up when Becker was identified as a potential candidate for the opening as the new UMass head coach job. wow… wonder what happens if he is not on their shortlist? As size matters, here.

Twelveteen, that’s (12) conference titles; fiddy, that’s (5o%) of which won you your Conference-calling Coach of the Year award for intraleague efforts? That counts… and so does 2o-wins (min’) @Vermont every year less one. wow.

Coach Becker was 2o17 married… wife Kelly sired: daughters Katharine and Ella. However,
he lists nothing fam’ wise in any of his (current) ’23 bio’s. God Bless.

VT.U. at a glance:

• 6th fewest fouls ‘whistled’ against per/game!!! (Coach J.B. works refs, yo’).
• 13th most 3-point hoists/game!!! (Trifecta-happy, here).
• 15th best in Effective FG percentage!!! (Dead-eyer, ringers 1o1).
• 32nd best in Scoring D allowed!! (lower/slower tempo team).
• 35th best in Assist:Turnover ratio!
• 328th in spg!! (Play the man, not the ball).
• 344th most FTA’s/game!!!! (very circumferencing team).
• NO Injuries listed. PROPPers @Coach God.

(bonus: Vermont rates a pitiful 318th on the o-Glass, tho’ they have so many makers… then don’t need many 2nd-takers… D-glass (167th) and Reb.Margin (13oth) is reasonable or quality respectively. Which is impressive from such a lowercase squad G-heavy-wise).

Returning Starters=1*.

Vermont Strengths:

• Teamwork, synergy, and Gestalt Theories abound…
• Very backcourt or perimeter-savvy club here men… G-play/outside guys they gots; plural(s).
• 6′4″, 186 lb., third-year: TJ Long, G1, is prolly your Alpha baller here and he surely is your leading point-produced. M.A.A.C. Sixth Man of the Year in 2o22-23 as the 1st-off-the-bench for Fairfield last year is reasonable enuff. 42% high school 3-baller and something of a mini-me Long Island outburst scoring legend. Routinely punked peeps for fiddy’s, that’s (5o) point blow-torch output games. Said to be scholarly as well…  Now up to a swishing 45.7% long, as TeeJay’s range is the gym— if he’s in it? He’s… open. 13.8 ppg with 3.1 rpg and 1.7 apg is nice enuff.  47.7% overall married to 83.3% FT’ing is good enuff. Came up in: Pelham, Onterio, ‘eh’. At The Rock School. So, you know he carries the 5 of ♣’ and the damn A of ♠’s. Looks the lumberjack part to boot… like he could N.I.L. with an N.A.F.T.A. based Brawny Towels or the elk, Eye mean… ilk. Scrappy nearly fussy-looking looking rough-hewn guy on tape…

  

• One #one-two or (12), Lindy’s All-American East Conference 2nd-string, Lindy’s All-American East Conference Defensive Player of the Year; that’s all that Shamir Bogues your Pt.G1, be.  6′4″, 191 lbs., by way of some place named:  Tarleton State. (Which is somehow some sorta aTm feeder or satellite school at some lower classification I reckon). As this Guard be on Point as being in your shirt goes… as Shamir was merely your: Team Captain and was only named Defensive MVP for the Texans. Then he only halt-unit earned W.A.C. All-Defensive honors in 2o21-22 and 2o22-23 alike. From what I saw on tape he is a controlling type. This is HIS backcourt and he runs it his way. Kinda their Cobra-Ky’ (Drones) if you will. Though Bogues (no: shortie dunkster relation) does run his way to: a second-best: 12.5 ppg with first-best (s) plural in: 5.4 rpg, 3.9 apg, and a pilfering 2.7 spg to top of all of that. That’s a box-score stocking stuffer to be sure. 59.3% overall lead the way as well, and 34% when dialing long distance connects often enuff. Only the 5o% Free-Throwing are picking (hoops pun insert here: ______, check) his potential as a fringe overseas Pro’. Defending, rebounding, and even mo’ defending with just enuff shooting might just be backup export pay-stubbing. As he was 67.9% on his FTA’s last year out in A&M’ville and you’d have to think some visiting Visa issued scout could find that desirous indeed. He is a natural Koufax or southpaw release and that only Bill Russell’s his stop-unit acumen all the mo’. He has hops in his feets as you can see during his International Team U.S.A. whiff of a cup of coffee to boot…
  This is a fun kid off-court and his big-Bro’ (Shannon Jr.) is already an exported Pro’ from S.F. Austin living that Dale Solomon best life. +1 fo’ glossing yourself: “2cold” as well.
• 6′4″, 186 lb., Aaron Deloney G3, Lindy’s All-American East Conference 2nd-string here as well. 10.1 ppg with 2.7 rpg and 2.8 apg on 41% long is decent work. 5th-year Experience and Learnving curve savvy kid who has brought himself up just a scosche each-n-every year. No real headroom remains… would that we could all say the sames. America East Academic Honor Roll and America East Sixth Man of the Year, twice: (2o22, 2o23). Kinda a backcourt Hondo’ for them if you will. Named Oregon High School Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior… won a Beaver State bling as a junior. Averaged just below 3o ppg out in Oregon H.S. hoops. Mo’ was prolly expected here. A Film and Television Studies major and he does have a late-game heroics tag. As Mister Deloney has knocked down a few winning J’s for Vermont in his cat-mounting days. +1 for the headband and bonus-sized ‘fro too.
• * Grad’-year, and nearly antediluvian, Matt Veretto, F1, their very own on Walton Pond flavored guy is back after some kinda 3-year Odessey to fight mythicals and then get back down to be a Vermont… Hommer. As he took 3-years off from life and college itself. Now he is back… and he is the only frontcourter who has much of anything back {sic: to the basket}. At: a third best 12.o ppg with 3.7 rpg and the team lead at nearly one swat (.9 bpg). Good F1, a mercurial woodsy one to be sure.  6′8″, 22o strapping lbs., on film as this is a very fit camper/outdoorsman-looking kid. ex-Delaware Hen… did get his Hen Party degree over @UConn before deciding to give the hardwood one mo’ (remaining eligibility cv19 wise), lap. Interesting… never read this one, this side of missionary Provo, Utah work before. The: America East Academic Honor Roll and the: America East All-Academic Team hits tell you he is not a dum’ jock. Good on VT.edu dat. Matty did help lead East Catholic High School to a Connecticut State Championship waaaay back in 2o15. After which he was a three-time CCC Champion; and then named the CIAC Connecticut Player of the Year! That’s scholastic all. Pursuing his Masters’ in Accounting… prolly likes campfire beans and the counting thereof you’d have to reckon… neat kid… prolly a fun one to wax poetic over a crafty brewski with. May St.Matthew bless.
• After ^^^that^^^, everything is via committee here.
• Tho’ did I mention their VTU.edu high marks, yet(s)? A very heady team here…

Vermont Weaknesses:

• This is a very well-rounded roundball squadron, to be sure… tho’ this incarnation of Vermont is a little lighter on the drown in Maple uppercase or at least semi-star power guys. Might be deeper, just not (quite) as top-heavy as some previous top-shelf years have been.
• These Cat’s are not said to be painters or keyers as they are basically only two, that’s (2) frontcourt deep on legit guys who ain’t space-eating stiffs.
• Vermont departed 80% of their ’22-’23 1’s and that is a lotta turnover from a typically tight-knit group. ≅40 ppg in their signature Quad-Guard line-up. Or, climbing towards ⅔’s of their last season medium-O. Which is quite a bit here.
• Hence, gelling and melding and getting on the same baseball literary page may have taken a moment or three thus far…

Catamounts Den: (depth=ALL!) Everyone plays… literally!

As in… and Eye’ve never ever seen and therefore never ever typed this one out… though Vermont uses everyone. All 13 schollie active roster guys ball at least ≥13-minutes/game. So, they are effectively an ocho or 8, deep. wowow!

Additionally, they rotate (situational) line-ups or rotations here-n-there or even game-to-game if so (opponent) warranted. Participation Trophies everywhere… rejoice!!!

true-Soph., TJ Hurley: is your: 6′5″, 19o lb., shooting-G in relief from the ‘mounts bullpen. 8.4 ppg with 3.o paired to right at 38% textbook pure robo-Qb clinically perfect mechanics later and you have a guy with N.b.a. range on your hands. Fun kid to watch, his form is so dang coached-up pure. Hurley was named a 2o22 Biosteel All-Canadian Team by Bob & Doug. And hooiser the dog too. Pelham, Ontario native baller who went head south young-man to Vermont. ‘nother smarty at: America East Academic Honor Roll honors. Only lists his pops and his sis’; so, all the mum Saint-hers bless on that. He was dinged a bit earlier in his career, Godspeed. Tho’ is a steady near ~double-digit ppg getter most nites off the pine and that is hard for mo’ cadies to be mentally ready to do. Prolly not a kid you wanna Ag.School mix with in “P.I.G.” or “H.O.R.S.E.” terms.

r-Jr., 6′8″, 21o lb., ex-of-Rhode Island: Ileri Ayo-Faleye F3 (5.3 ppg with 4.7 rpg and 4o% deep); and ex-Maine, 6′8″, 22o lb., Nick Fiorillo: and his F4, grad-year portfolio of: (7.6 2.8 rpg with 5o% long) are your skillful semi-bigs as substitutions at the scorer’s table goes. I.A-F was a late bloomer with zero scholastic offers prior to his senior scholastic season. Came up a bit out on the touring teams’ circuit as a shot-blocker/rebounder and there you go. Still developing on O though. Nicky is r-Grad baller (in his 5th year) and an America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll member in addition to that. This helps as a math major so me and Doc Crittenden expect. He won a few Maine regional H.S. rings and was all-Bear for it as a sweaty/worker-bee-flavored H.S. senior. Did score and rebound alike… kinda left wondering if mo’ was expected here…

6′5″, 215 lb. Sam Alamutu, is your stretch kinda David Rivers (N.Dame/La.Laker fame) looking off-G. Here we see a very sparingly looking late-Fall baller who nets you: 4.5 points tho’ skies for a stunning and (now) team-pacing 5.7 rebounds on a tradecraft savvy 6o% from 3-point-land. wow. Most Improved or breakout baller, much? As my preview mags did not have this kid listed at all.

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Catamounts who could mount @Tech=a handful'ish...

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is…

…you could be a bit taken with Vermont hoops. ’cause Vermont is #1.

That’s no.1 in all of my preseason magazines in America East Conference calling terms. Numeral Uno. The head-honcho. The big, maple-flavored cheese.

That does not suck and neither does this mighty mite of a basketball factory.

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They are kinda good to sneaky good most years… they of Roland Massimino (rollie) the baller fame J.I.C. you did not water-cooler trivia know.

They of 17 straight post-seasons’ fame… (less the cv19 drop).

They legit… and I have to expect this much roster turnover/volatility is only gonna get better.

And now would be the best time to not take these kitty-‘cats too lightly indeed.

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for an early ’24 hit me up here.

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… the other VeeTee is up a nearly downright useful-looking +6% in shooting percentage margin (just a little better on D and noticeably mo’ efficacious on O); the other VeeTee is also up +8% in 3-point percentage margin (basically the same as from the floor; just a mite stronger on 3-O and 3-D alike; dang…), and yet again, the other VeeTee us up +1-carom collected in rebounding margin year-to-date. (Their VeeTee is nearly a B— team at 13oth best backboarding overall; whilst our VeeTee be just breaking even off the fiberglass).

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… the ‘mounts are cat-calling and now up a nifty ~+7% in shooting percentage margin (due: to the F’n Gobblers bein’ F’n chilled-out of late, nearly icy; as both are average on overall D recently); in 3-point percentage margin things are very mixed, although the Hokies are technically up +6% here (from: better D as V.P.I. has defended the arc well of late; however, the Cat’s are up nearly +8% on the 3-O side and nearly en fuego of trifecta recency), and in rebounding margin… this one graded nearly awash. Only a couple of tenths in favor of either VeeTee on either end of collecting misses in the last fortnight of runs. Equilibrium rebound-dating or breaking even for both alike.

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

V.P.I. is up a whopping +12% at the charity stripe for the year!
VeeTee is a 1.oo host; whereas VeeTee is .5oo as a guest.
Vermont is up a useful +5 long-legs in R&R.

The Call...

No.137 Net Ranking Vermont @ no.58 Net Ranking Vah.Tech:

–oOo–

The VerdicT:

Vermont has been Final Exams down for over a week… and frankly, you have to wonder a bit mo’ about oxidization here with backcourts out in unfriendly lines-of-sight and lightening on a foreign court than you would re: a frontcourt-centric team.

That could play in our favor if these Catamounts can \not find the early-range or open late Autumn chilly over in the 771-mile sojourning So-by-So-West New River Valley.

Vermont is an eligible-to-win team if/when they do pop backcourt, clean.

Although their VeeTee is the more questionable or less certain VT as the VisiTor here.

Ditto Pedulla and his St.Philip help dingy right ankle.

🦃 <<< ??? >>> 🏀 <<< ??? >>> 🐆

The digits:

Here we see that our VeeTee had better not go Ichy Crane and Sleepy Hollow on their VeeTee here.

As we could be ‘available’ to being upset here if our Top-2 backcourtes are cut in, ½.
We are surely Vermont’s Grey Cup, Super Bowl, quad-play-off, and Stanely Cup, ‘eh‘.

And this one has that race to 6o— or maybe a S&B Texarkana race to double-nickles (55) itself written all over it. The first team there, wins.

Vermont is good enuff to turn the upsetting trick.
They will be a very live wire if/when they take to shooting in our, gym.

Therefore, ergo, to Whit… Eye do feel compelled to go’on and gar-ron-damn-tee a VicTory!

And although I do find the ESPN odds a bit long… I do favor a VeeTee to win, here.

Clever, ain’t eye???

 

(47% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=68, Vermont=69

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**