Over the last two decades, the Vermont Catamounts have been a paragon of excellence in the America East with twelve regular season championships and nine tournament selections to their name.
Focusing on just the last seven seasons, head coach John Becker has led the Catamounts through quite a run: seven consecutive regular season championships, four conference championships and two straight tournament selections.
That level of consistency makes it clear that Becker and his squad never rebuild, they just keep reloading. Sounds familiar?
With twelve scholarships currently filled, the Catamounts are one of the few programs with a very clear outlook to the shape of their roster.
However, with four fifth-year senior guards graduating, there is a lot of talent and leadership to replace: Kevin Roberson Player of the Year honoree Finn Sullivan, rebounding and assist leader Robin Duncan, leading scorer Dylan Penn and perimeter weapon Kameron Gibson.
While the bedrock of Vermont’s success is from Becker and his staff’s ability to develop homegrown talent, most of the available minutes from the departing backcourt quartet will be filled by incoming transfers with Vermont being one of the most aggressive programs in the transfer portal.
Vermont’s first addition was Long Island native and Fairfield sharpshooter TJ Long. After shooting 50% from inside the arc and 40% from three in his freshman season, Long’s efficiency dropped as more shots came his way his sophomore season, averaging 10.5 ppg, but shooting just 43.5 2P% and 32.4 3p%.
While this might cause some alarm, it is important to note that TJ Long was faced with more of a broad responsibility on the offensive end entering his sophomore year, partially due to injuries in the backcourt and also necessitated by underwhelming seasons from backcourt mates Jake Wojcik and Jalen Leach. Mostly a catch-and-shoot bench piece as a freshman, Long looked more the part of a three-level scorer last season.
Arguably the biggest Fairfield fan in the world, Fairfield Frank (@FfldFrank) was kind enough to share his thoughts on Long: “TJ Long is a willing shooter who thrives best in volume shooting. Quick release and is streaky at times. Average defensively and struggles against quicker guards on staying in front of them.”
Most likely, the 6’4 190 Long will provide a potent one/two punch with returning sophomore perimeter weapon TJ Hurley as low-turnover, high-efficiency perimeter shooters with good size.
Less than two weeks after landing Long, the Catamounts received word that two-time Sixth Man of the Year Aaron Deloney removed his name from the transfer portal and announced his return to Burlington for his extra year of eligibility. Reaching career highs in minutes played, points, rebounds, assists, three-points made and three-point percentage (11.6p, 2.3r, 1.8a, 1.9 3p%, 40.3 3P% in 22.9 mpg) last season, expect Deloney to start and achieve career highs yet again in many of these metrics.
The retention of Deloney on a Tuesday tapped off Vermont’s biggest week of the offseason. Just two days later former America East compadre Brenton Mills committed to Vermont after two seasons at Bowling Green.
There is quite a dichotomy between Mills’ performance at Binghamton (11.2p, 1.9 3P%, 36.8 3p%) compared to Bowling Green (4.7p, 0.6 3PM, 27.4 3p%). Partly, the MAC is more competitive than the America East but also Michael Huger’s frenetic-paced offense did not yield strong shooting efficiency (Bowling Green never ranked higher than 7th in the MAC in EFG% in both of Mills’ seasons).
Becker’s offensive system prioritizes shot selection over pace, so it comes to no surprise that newer Catamounts last season like Dylan Penn and Kam Gibson achieved career highs in three-point percentage in the greener pastures of Burlington. Expect a similar uptick in efficiency with Mills and Long.
With three shooters in the fold, Vermont’s next additions shored up the team’s defensive versatility and snarl, starting with the commitment of UC San Diego guard Jace Roquemore.
The 6’5 170 Roquemore played every backcourt position for the Tritons, finishing the season averaging 6.4p, 3.0r, 2.6a, 1.6 TO, 1.1s, and an eye-popping 43.3 3P% after shooting just 25.6% from the perimeter in the previous two seasons. Finishing the season with the team’s fourth highest defensive efficiency rating, according to EvanMiya.com, Roquemore’s length, athleticism and instincts will make him one of the Catamounts most versatile defenders.
While Roquemore brings defensive switchability, former Tarleton State guard Shamir Bogues is likely to become the key defensive catalyst for the Catamounts.
Kyle McDonald of WAC Hoops Digest (@WACHoopsDigest) was kind enough to provide me in-depth report on Bogues: “Catamounts got a good one. Bogues has the length, athleticism and good size for a guard who can play multiple positions. He’s not flashy or a guy that’s going to get 15-20 every night although he has the ability to do just that. He outworks players, uses great length, usually defends an opponent’s best player and causes problems. He can finish at the rim and knock down a perimeter shot but scoring isn’t his game although he can be streaky. Just look at the Sam Houston game in January where he went for 24 points on 9-15 shooting. It was the only time he had 20-plus points against a D1 team in 2022-23. At 6’4, but with great length, he can defend all three guard positions and even the four at times.”
Between Deloney, Hurley and the four transfer additions, Vermont’s backcourt is restocked with a cavalcade of shooters and defensive weapons.
As it stands with just one scholarship remaining, Vermont’s frontcourt, on the other hand, is flush with familiar faces.
Most notably, Matt Veretto is back after penning one of the more unique stories in college basketball. Playing his freshman season at Delaware, the 6’8 220 Veretto transferred to UConn to take three years off organized basketball, only to spurn a job on Wall Street and return to the court at Vermont.
A rotation piece from day one, Veretto’s value skyrocketed after stepping into Nick Fiorillo’s starting role after sustaining an injury. Across the final twenty games of the season, Veretto averaged 11.7 points, 2.2 three-points made at 44.4% and 0.8 blocks, solidifying him as a no-brainer starter for the upcoming season.
It will be seen, however, whether Veretto will start alongside the previously Willy Pipp-ed Nick Fiorillo. Blossoming into an efficient three-level shooter and strong defensive rebounder as a sophomore, Fiorillo was unable to look like his former self in his return from injury, so a full offseason will only help the steady, veteran frontcourt piece.
In the wake of Fiorillo’s injury, another forward who forced his way onto more playing time was Rhode Island transfer Ileri Ayo-Faleye. The 6’8 210 incoming junior split his time between both frontcourt positions, backing up both Robin Duncan and Veretto. The athletic, rim-running Ayo-Faleye was also able to diversify his offensive game, shooting 54.5 2P% and 30.0 3P% throughout a small sample size of 64 field goal attempts.
While guard Robin Duncan started all but one game last season at the “power forward” position, expect some combination of Veretto, Fiorillo and Ayo-Faleye to play most of the key minutes in projected to be the team’s tallest starting frontcourt since the 2017-18 season with 6’9 Drew Urquhart and 6’8 Payton Henson.
Three-star frontcourt prospects Perry Smith (North Carolina Central) and Jorge Ochoa (undecided) both departed, leaving redshirt sophomore Sam Alamutu with an opportunity to carve out a more consistent role in the rotation after averaging 9.6 mpg in 24 games last season.
The 6’5 215 wing out of Alax, Ontario, the hometown of former Catamount great Stef Smith, Alamutu profiles as a physical and versatile weapon who averaged a double-double in high school and also has the vision and passing skills to facilitate from the elbow at either forward position.
Redshirted last year entering campus at a lithe 6’7 170, Jackson Skipper’s smooth shooting will earn him his first ticket into the rotation, but his length and potential as a rim-running, three-level scoring power forward could combine to make up Skipper’s ceiling when all is said and done. For now, Skipper will mostly be a perimeter piece as he continues to gain strength and experience.
Out of Orchard Park, NY, the 6’9 225 Seth Joba is Vermont’s sole high school recruit of the Class of 2023. Committing in January, Joba is a lefty-shooting big who combines traditional toughness and skill with an ability to stretch the floor. Committing to Vermont over eleven other offers, Joba will start the season deep in the depth chart and be able to develop at his own pace, but his long-term potential is obvious.
Between Deloney and Veretto leading a cast of six returning rotation pieces and an exciting half-dozen additions to mix and match, yet again, Vermont will be a no-brainer pick to sit atop the America East preseason ranks.
Much of Vermont’s early season non-conference matchups are still up in the air, but a visiting tilt at a consistently strong Toledo squad and an invitation to the Myrtle Beach Invitation, along with Charleston, Coastal Carolina, Furman, Liberty, Saint Louis, Wichita State and Wyoming, will make up one of the most competitive mid-major tournaments this upcoming season.
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