By Joe Budzelek
This summer, I will be profiling various East Coast "destination" mid-majors, programs that have been a consistent source of excellency throughout the ebbs and flows of the college basketball landscape.
Since the 2002–03 season, the Vermont Catamounts have been a model of excellence in the America East, with thirteen regular season championships and ten NCAA Tournament appearances to their name.
Focusing on just the decade prior to last season, head coach John Becker led the Catamounts on an impressive run, capturing nine regular season titles, five conference championships, and earning three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths.
Heading into last season, Vermont’s low roster turnover — the Catamounts ranked in the top 20 nationally in minutes continuity, according to KenPom.com — combined with a strong recruiting class that blended talented freshmen with the transfer addition of Howard forward Shy Odom, positioned the team to maintain its usual dominance.
However, early non-conference losses to solid but unremarkable regional mid-major programs like Merrimack, Iona, Fairfield, Brown, and Colgate foreshadowed the offensive struggles that would plague Vermont throughout the season. The situation worsened when TJ Long, the team’s leading scorer and top three-point shooter, reinjured a lower-body injury just seven games in — ironically, during a matchup with his former team, Fairfield — ending his season prematurely.
All in all, it was Vermont’s least efficient offensive season under John Becker. According to KenPom.com, the Catamounts ranked 304th nationally in offensive efficiency, with turnover rates, two-point and three-point shooting percentages, and assist-to-field goal ratios all falling into the bottom half of national ranks.
Heading into the offseason, Becker and his staff hit the recruiting trail hard and reeled in a talented seven-man transfer class, the largest in program history, that put a heavy priority on offensive skill, particularly three-point shooting.
Before we dive into the new additions, Vermont’s perimeter attack will once again be led by senior TJ Hurley, who made a significant leap in production last season and returns as the only First Team All-Conference selection in the America East this year. While Hurley is best known for his three-point shooting, he is an outstanding all-around offensive creator, capable of generating opportunities across the frontcourt while also posting the lowest turnover rate in the conference. That rare combination of efficiency and volume firmly places Hurley on the shortlist of conference Player of the Year contenders.
Thanks to an approved medical waiver, the aforementioned TJ Long will return for his fifth year of college basketball. Given the severity of Long’s previous injury and the depth of Vermont’s revamped frontcourt, it wouldn’t be surprising if he begins the season coming off the bench, gradually working his way into a more consistent starting role as conference play approaches.
Even with Hurley – and eventually, TJ Long – locked into key roles in the backcourt, Bellarmine transfer Ben Johnson is the one guard addition with arguably the clearest role on next year’s team. The 6’3 195 senior averaged double-digit scoring in each of his three seasons at Bellarmine, with about 60% of his field goal attempts coming from the perimeter, converting 37% of his career three-point tries. Last season, Johnson added a facilitating dimension, averaging 2.2 assists per game.
New Hampshire transfer Trey Woodyard appeared in just six games last season, but the 6’6", 196-pound graduate transfer brings a versatile and efficient offensive skill set to the frontcourt. During the 2023–24 season, Woodyard ranked within the top 500 nationally with a 55.0% two-point field goal percentage and a 39.1% three-point percentage. He also ranked in the top 25 in conference play in both offensive rebounding and turnover rate. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Woodyard will be heavily counted on as a rotational piece.
After playing his sophomore season at Oral Roberts, Tulsa native Jackson Skipper returns to Vermont for his junior season. The 6’6 190 floor-spacer has made over 38% of his career three-point attempts and is expected to be a key bench piece.
After battling injuries earlier in his career and missing most of last season recovering from cancer surgery, Loyola (MD) grad transfer Chris Kuzemka will join Vermont as a walk-on. The 6’0 183 guard is a steady perimeter threat, making 38% of his career three-pointers. Expect Kuzemka to compete for backup guard minutes alongside Vermont’s unproven homegrown underclassmen, sophomores Ben Wesson and Sincere Clemons, as well as freshman Momo Nkugwa. A walk-on his freshman season, Clemons is now on-scholarship while prior to committing to Vermont, while the 6’3 Nkugwa was offered by ten D1 programs, all of which are Northeast regional mid-majors.
A big question surrounding Long’s return and Vermont’s backcourt transfer haul is how the personnel changes will affect Sean Blake’s playing time. As a freshman, Blake earned an immediate role off the bench, showcasing his quickness and long-term potential as a creative interior playmaker. However, like many freshmen, turnovers and mental lapses hindered his efficiency. That said, Blake brings a unique, electric dimension to the backcourt, and considering Vermont’s elite player development, along with some added muscle to his frame, it wouldn’t be surprising if he plays his way into a starting role as soon as this year.
While the return of TJ Long, TJ Hurley, and Sean Blake brings certainty and continuity to the backcourt, Vermont’s frontcourt returns just one player—sophomore Noah Barnett—who was part of the rotation last season. As a freshman, Barnett made an immediate defensive impact; the 6’9", 205-pound Poughkeepsie, NY native finished the season as Vermont’s second-most efficient defender, according to EvanMiya.com. A long, bouncy athlete, Barnett is easily the team’s most versatile and switchable defender. Having started four games during Nick Fiorillo’s absence, Barnett is certainly a candidate to start for Vermont—though there will be competition at the center spot.
Vermont’s most traditional center option is Seton Hall transfer Gus Yalden, who began his collegiate career redshirting at Wisconsin after committing to the program as a four-star prospect from the venerable La Lumiere School, a powerhouse in Indiana high school basketball. Listed at 6’9 258, Yalden is best described as a low-post tactician who combines effort and a chess-like cerebral approach to his deep bag of moves under the basket.
In his freshman season, Buffalo transfer Ben Michaels started fifteen games at the power forward position while also seeing occasional minutes as the Bulls’ small-ball five. Originally from England and a product of basketball powerhouse Long Island Lutheran, the 6’8", 210-pound Michaels showcased his potential last year, ranking within the MAC’s top ten in both offensive rebounding and block rates. Offensively, he finished the season as Buffalo’s fourth most efficient player, buoyed by top-500 national marks in turnover rate and a 56.7% two-point field goal percentage. While his 28.4% three-point shooting needs improvement, Michaels flashed three-level scoring potential, averaging about one made three per game. His physical tools and defensive tenacity show promise, though like many young players, his decision-making remains a work in progress. In terms of lineup fit, Michaels offers enough offensive versatility to play a power forward role similar to the one Ileri Ayo-Faleye held over the past two seasons.
San Diego transfer David Simon is one of the more unique diamond-in-the-rough additions in the America East. Born in Ethiopia and finishing his high school basketball career in Toronto, Simon is listed at 6’11", 190 pounds. He redshirted his first year at San Diego, and last season played a role similar to Ben Michaels—earning most of his minutes at power forward while also seeing occasional time at the five. With three years of eligibility remaining, it’s reasonable to expect that Simon will be carefully developed to help unlock his immense potential as a rim-running, floor-stretching shot-blocker. His average of thirteen minutes per game last season seems like a fair projection for the year ahead.
Arguably the most exciting wildcard in Vermont’s recruiting class is Spanish import Lucas Mari. Given the program’s history with international players, Catamount fans are more familiar with the Canadian pipeline, so the late addition of the Spanish swingman—especially when the roster was already loaded with talent and depth—was a major boost for the program. Playing in the Spanish Segunda FEB this past season, the 6’7", 19-year-old Mari showcased a versatile offensive profile, averaging 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists per game while converting nearly two-thirds of his two-point attempts and demonstrating a confident perimeter shot. His skill set is guard-like, but expect Mari to play up and down the lineup, similar to previous Vermont “big guards” like Sam Alamutu and Robin Duncan.
This deep frontcourt group also includes second-year Burlington native Drew Bessette, a 6’8 225 forward that is regarded for his strong rebounding under the boards and also his versatile offensive profile that has yet to be realized.
Overall, Vermont’s incoming roster has it all: positional size, a bevy of floor-spacers, a strong mix of returning talent that combines continuity with projectable growth, a diverse recruiting class that positively impacts all positions on both ends of the floor, and a handful of X-factors whose roles are hard to project but who ooze potential.
Throw last year away, Vermont is back as the kings of the America East.
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