By Joe Budzelek
Since the 2002–03 season, the Vermont Catamounts have been a model of excellence in the America East, capturing thirteen regular-season championships and earning ten NCAA Tournament appearances.
Under head coach John Becker, that standard has become so ingrained in Burlington that even a 22-win season can feel like a disappointment, especially with the program waiting for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2024.
After finishing 22–12 overall and 12–4 in conference play last season, Vermont fell short of its ultimate goal, losing to UMBC in the America East championship game. For Becker, the result was a frustrating reminder that regular-season consistency means little without a championship to show for it.
“We were really frustrated that we weren't able to win the championship game,” Becker said in his America East Media Day interview on The Field of 68. “Credit to UMBC and Coach Ferry. They beat us, and we weren't good enough.”
Now, as Becker and his staff look to rebuild the roster and return to the NCAA Tournament, Vermont enters the 2026–27 season with a different challenge: replacing significant production while finding the right mix of newcomers and returning players to reclaim its place atop the America East.
“The staff has done a really good job of assembling a group of guys we believe have a chance to win a championship,” says Becker.
Fellow America East coaches agree. For the fifth consecutive season and the tenth time in the last eleven years, Vermont has been picked to finish atop the preseason polls, with seven of the conference’s nine coaches ranking the Catamounts first.
Anchoring Vermont’s lofty preseason expectations is the return of junior center Gus Yalden, the only returning player named to last season’s America East All-Conference First or Second Team.
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| Vermont's Gus Yalden (#19) soaks in the adoration from the home crowd |
Despite standing six-foot-nine and weighing 270 pounds, Yalden is among the America East’s best three-point shooters and passers. He is also an elite rebounder on both ends of the floor, with an impressive combination of low-post skills, footwork and efficiency. Simply put, with the conference’s highest usage rate and the nation’s 11th-highest mark, Yalden is one of the most versatile and productive big men the America East has seen in years.
Now in his second season with the Catamounts, Yalden spent the offseason working to improve his conditioning and become a more consistent defender. The goal is to limit the fatigue that can lead to occasional lapses on that end of the floor.
“Gus has really worked hard in the offseason to improve his conditioning,” says Becker. “He understands that, to play as hard defensively as we're going to demand and to fulfill his role as the hub of our offense, he needed to be in better shape. He's done a good job of that so far this year. With Gus, we're really pushing for day-to-day consistency. He continues to have some ups and downs, but we're working to get him to be as consistent as possible.”
The yin to Yalden’s yang, Noah Barnett—the longest-tenured Catamount returning for his fourth year with the program—will likely start again this season as Vermont’s lunch-pail yeoman. Barnett brings energy, rebounding and defensive versatility, combining physicality around the basket with the ability to switch across the lineup. While his offensive impact remains limited, he has shown himself to be an effective roller and cutter, converting more than 73% of his attempts around the rim.
Thanks to the size, skill and effort of Vermont’s frontcourt duo, the Catamounts should continue to excel on the defensive glass, sustaining John Becker’s signature rebounding prowess. Vermont has ranked among the nation’s top-ten in defensive rebounding rate in four of the past five seasons.
Beyond that duo, Vermont’s frontcourt depth consists largely of players making their Division I debuts. Six-foot-11 Italian import Mario Brunetto is a lean floor spacer who knocked down 36% of his threes at Arizona Western College, potentially giving the Catamounts their truest frontcourt shooting threat since Matt Veretto. Six-foot-8 French freshman Sublime Gbiegba averaged nearly thirteen points, eight rebounds and three assists per game for Cholet Basket’s U21 team, making him one of Vermont’s more intriguing passing bigs. German freshman Marko Masic, a 6-foot-9 forward with professional experience at Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg, also brings scoring potential after averaging double figures and hitting nearly a third of his three-point attempts.
While starting frontcourt duo Gus Yalden and Noah Barnett account for two of Vermont’s three returning rotation players from last season, sophomore guard Momo Nkugwa is the only returning backcourt player who logged meaningful minutes. After shooting just 25% from three as a freshman, the six-foot-three combo guard has shown encouraging progress entering his sophomore season. “Momo has taken a nice jump from his freshman to sophomore year. He’s shooting the ball really well, and I think that’s going to be really important for us,” Becker said.
Nkugwa is expected to remain a key backcourt option off the bench, but the Catamounts leaned heavily on the transfer portal to rebuild a backcourt that lost two of its most dynamic offensive weapons in recent years: 2026 America East Player of the Year TJ Hurley and steady shooter TJ Long.
Becker and his staff didn’t have to look far for replacements. Saint Anselm transfer Will Davies earned 2025–26 Northeast-10 Player of the Year honors under former Catamount Chris Santo, while UMass Lowell transfer Darrel Yepdo began his career at Division II Saint Michael’s, where he earned Northeast-10 All-Conference Second Team and All-Defensive Team honors in 2025. The two bring proven production and familiarity with the region to a retooled Vermont backcourt and are two of the team’s most likely guards to lead the team in games started.
The six-foot-five, 195-pound Davies is expected to become one of Vermont’s most potent facilitators after averaging 14 points, four rebounds and seven assists per game while shooting 32% from three. Though his on-court impact at the Division I level remains to be seen, Becker has been impressed by Davies’ leadership, work ethic and feel for the game.
“We’re not just going to hand someone the ball, but he’s in the process of earning that responsibility,” Becker said. “He’s a big point guard with a really good feel for the game, a little like Robin Duncan. His work ethic is off the charts. He’s been in the gym every morning at 6 a.m. since he got here, and his shooting has been better than it was before and better than I expected.
“He’s been really impressive. He’s the same kid every day, and he has a lot of leadership qualities. He’s tough, and I think he’s going to have a really good year.”
Listed at six feet and 180 pounds, Yepdo gives the Catamounts another steady floor general with a versatile skill set, allowing him to start alongside Davies or take over as the primary ball-handler when Davies rests. One intriguing question is how Yepdo’s impact and efficiency will translate from Pat Duquette’s fast-paced, transition-oriented offense to Becker’s more deliberate, precision-focused half-court system.
At the same time, Yepdo’s comfort in an up-tempo offense reflects a broader offseason emphasis on athleticism over shooting. Vermont could sacrifice some of its traditionally strong transition defense in exchange for greater offensive rebounding and second-chance opportunities, making the balance between athleticism, shot-making and defensive discipline an important storyline to watch.
Iona transfer Khalil Badru and South Alabama transfer John Broom add two more athletic guards to the rotation, bringing size, energy and defensive versatility that should help balance Vermont’s backcourt.
“Khalil Badru has been really impressive, too,” Becker said. “He’s a guy who doesn’t necessarily shoot it great, but he impacts every practice in some way. He’s a high-level athlete with great size who can play multiple positions. He’s going to excite our fan base with the things he can do, whether it’s tip dunks or getting out in transition.
“John Broom has been really good, too. He’s coming from a winning program at South Alabama, and he’s been a really impressive two-way player. He’s probably been our best two-way player so far.”
Between the two guards, Broom may be the more likely to secure a starting role, as his size, defensive ability and career 37.3% three-point shooting fit well alongside Vermont’s projected starters.
Six-foot-six Loyola Chicago transfer Daniil Glazkov is another candidate to start, but he should be a key rotational piece on the wing regardless of his role. After playing primarily at the three and occasionally at the two in Drew Valentine’s rotations, Glazkov looks like a natural fit in John Becker’s patient, inside-out motion offense, which emphasizes spacing, intelligent passing and exploiting mismatches. His steady three-point shooting (37.5% last season) makes him an appealing small-ball frontcourt option, while his positional strength on the offensive glass adds another dimension; he averaged 2.1 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes. Before committing to Loyola Chicago, the IMG Academy product received an offer from UConn and was also recruited by Rutgers, LSU and Oregon State.
While Vermont may struggle to replicate last season’s top-end offensive firepower, only four Catamounts averaged more than six points per game, compared with six or seven players reaching that mark on each of Becker’s last three NCAA Tournament teams. With an offseason emphasis on adding athleticism and defensively sound depth, Vermont should be better equipped to distribute its scoring across the lineup. The result could be a team that more closely resembles Becker’s best squads of the past, capable of winning in a greater variety of ways.
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