The Frontrunner: Vermont
Over the last six seasons, head coach John Becker has led the Catamounts through quite a run: six consecutive regular season championships, three conference championships and three 13-seeds in the tournament. That level of consistency makes it clear that Becker and his squad never rebuild, they just keep reloading.
Entering the offseason, Vermont was faced with replacing their top-four scorers, who together represented 64% of last year’s scoring. Amongst those four, South Burlington’s Ben Shungu (16.2p, 41.4 3p%) and skilled big Ryan Davis (17.3p, 44.1 3p%) are the most talented graduates to replace.
In late April, Becker’s staff found an instant replacement for Shungu, Bellarmine grad transfer Dylan Penn. The 6’3 190 athletic point guard led Bellarmine in points (16.6) and assists (5.0) last season. In addition to Penn, the backcourt will be filled with three returning fifth-year seniors (Finn Sullivan, Robin Duncan and Kameron Gibson) and senior Aaron Deloney.
The 5 spot vacated by Davis will be filled with a combination of 6’7 210 junior Nick Fiorillo, a rugged returnee who can do a little bit of everything and 6’9 225 freshman Perry Smith Jr., Vermont’s highest rated recruit, according to 247, who had six high-major offers out of high school.
While the Bryant Bulldogs, last year’s NEC champions, will definitely help make the America East a more competitive league, Vermont’s talent and depth will continue to persuade voters to pick the Catamounts to dominate the top of preseason polls.
The Challenger: Bryant
In just four seasons, Jared Grasso has helped build up the Bryant program from a perennial loser (a combined 23-81 record in the three seasons previous to Grasso’s hire), to the team with the quirky recruiting strategy of “offering every recruit ever”, to Northeast Conference Champions to the top challenger to compete against Vermont in the America East.
Last season, the face of the Bryant Bulldogs was Peter Kiss, the spirited guard who led the nation in scoring (25.2 ppg). With his graduation, senior guard Charles Pride is ready to take on the lead after finishing last season averaging 17.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals with solid efficiency averaging just 1.7 turnovers per game, a 53.5 2p% (a career best), 32.6 3p% and a 76.7 ft%
Bryant’s eight-man transfer haul brings volatility but obvious talent with former top-40 recruit from Miami and incoming Memphis transfer Earl Timberlake poised to make the most immediate impact. The 6’6 220 lefty power wing originally out of powerhouse high school program DeMatha Catholic, Timberlake is a versatile defender who will likely play the 4 at Bryant. In 36 career games, Timberlake is already a physical load inside the arc (48.3 2p%) and a willing passer (3.7 assists per 40), but will need to work on his outside shot (18.2 3p%) and limiting turnovers (3.9 per 40) in order to help reach his immense potential.
Other incoming transfers with the most realistic chance to earn starting roles include fifth-year stretch big Antwan Walker (Rhode Island), dynamic mighty mite scorer Chauncy Hawkins (St. Francis Brooklyn), versatile wing Sherif Kenney (La Salle) and March Madness darling Doug Edert (Saint Peter’s).
With so many new pieces added over the offseason, there is certainly a buzz around Bryant joining the America East, but while Vermont is still the cream of the crop in the conference, Bryant has early non-conference opportunities to impress early and prepare for conference play: away games at Syracuse, Cincinnati and Tulane, a home game against Towson and a neutral site game against Liberty in Springfield, MA.
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