Lets jump into this right away. What do we know about them? Strengths, weaknesses, etc
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/261/vermont-catamounts
Currently on a 15 game win streak including winning the last 4 by double digits.
This is the game we need to focus on. Nothing will be easy. Vermont has nothing to lose. Win this and go from there.
They shoot the three well and limit turnovers. Can't rebound.
Cracked Sidewalks called Vermont a dream match up.
"The Catamounts are always an upset darling, but they haven't played a top-100 kenpom team since December and went 0-5 against such opposition, losing by an average of 18 points. They are terrible on the offensive glass and the worst defensive team in the mix for a 14-seed. Vermont has stayed close to NCAA opponents in recent years, but John Becker is 0-4 in Thursday/Friday NCAA games and this doesn't look like the year he breaks that streak."
What the hell was going on with Vermont early in the year? Started the year 1-5.
26 point loss to St Mary's
21 point loss to Iona
29 point loss to Yale
No good wins.
They'll be tough but there's no excuse here.
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on March 12, 2023, 05:45:26 PM
Cracked Sidewalks called Vermont a dream match up.
"The Catamounts are always an upset darling, but they haven't played a top-100 kenpom team since December and went 0-5 against such opposition, losing by an average of 18 points. They are terrible on the offensive glass and the worst defensive team in the mix for a 14-seed. Vermont has stayed close to NCAA opponents in recent years, but John Becker is 0-4 in Thursday/Friday NCAA games and this doesn't look like the year he breaks that streak."
Weakest Vermont team to make the dance in awhile. Can probably muck things up, make some dumb shots but Marquette wins by 20+
MU opens -13.5.
This is a trap game
Quote from: 5DollarPitcher on March 12, 2023, 05:42:19 PM
This is the game we need to focus on. Nothing will be easy. Vermont has nothing to lose. Win this and go from there.
Can we get all the "focus on the first game" and "don't look ahead" stupid posts out of the way today?
One thing to know is they will hustle their butts off, If they get hot from 3 it could get uncomfortable. Need to play with the energy we brought against XU last night.
Zero athleticism, no size and limited depth. Buy your Sunday tickets now
Quote from: 🏀 on March 12, 2023, 05:44:18 PM
They shoot the three well and limit turnovers. Can't rebound.
Exactly. Watched them yesterday, almost losing to UMass Lowell in like a high school gym. Maybe you can find game on YouTube or something to actually see them as opposed to speculation stuff.
One big guy, Verato (sp) like 6 ft7. No one else even close to that height. No one
Play four guards, one guy named Penn, pretty good.
Shot lots of threes.
MU going to destroy them on boards, for once. Vermont will not know what hit them after first ten minutes.
Whatever the spread is, going MU all in in this game
Quote from: PointWarrior on March 12, 2023, 05:51:04 PM
Can we get all the "focus on the first game" and "don't look ahead" stupid posts out of the way today?
Would you like to bypass our first game entirely and then look like a blithering nincompoop when we, against all odds, get upset by a 15 seed? Or would you rather just watch and talk about the actual game on the schedule? Your choice.
Quote from: 5DollarPitcher on March 12, 2023, 05:56:26 PM
Would you like to bypass our first game entirely and then look like a blithering nincompoop when we, against all odds, get upset by a 15 seed? Or would you rather just watch and talk about the actual game on the schedule? Your choice.
The team should focus on Vermont.
We can talk about whatever the hell we want.
Quote from: 5DollarPitcher on March 12, 2023, 05:42:19 PM
This is the game we need to focus on. Nothing will be easy. Vermont has nothing to lose. Win this and go from there.
The players and the coaches need to focus on this game ( and I'm certain they will).
But why is this the game WE need to focus on. Never understood that in a million years.
Quote from: BM1090 on March 12, 2023, 06:00:17 PM
The team should focus on Vermont.
We can talk about whatever the hell we want.
This. One game at a time is important for the coaches and players. Since we have zero play into the outcome and this is the NCAA tournament where the entire country plays games of looking ahead, we are free to do so.
Quote from: 5DollarPitcher on March 12, 2023, 05:56:26 PM
Would you like to bypass our first game entirely and then look like a blithering nincompoop when we, against all odds, get upset by a 15 seed? Or would you rather just watch and talk about the actual game on the schedule? Your choice.
I will take my chances on being a blithering nincompoop.
A+ word choice for your rebuttal. Please laser lock focus on Vermont so I don't have to.
Hell, I am more worried about Purdue losing and not making it to a rematch with us
Vermont does seem to be one of those teams loaded with veteran players. Those teams always seem to be disciplined if not overly blessed with raw talent.
Vermont start 2-7 this year.
They are currently on a 15 game winning streak to end the season.
Anyway, the Final 4 game against Alabama is going to be great. They aren't going to win over any neutral fans after their off-court bs this year.
Quote from: PointWarrior on March 12, 2023, 06:04:43 PM
I will take my chances on being a blithering nincompoop.
Love the enthusiasm.
Feel like the BEAST tournament was a great dry run. Dealt with adversity, played close games blew a team out.
Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on March 12, 2023, 06:08:54 PM
Vermont start 2-7 this year.
They are currently on a 15 game winning streak to end the season.
Their conference is worse than the big 10
Quote from: wisblue on March 12, 2023, 06:08:15 PM
Vermont does seem to be one of those teams loaded with veteran players. Those teams always seem to be disciplined if not overly blessed with raw talent.
When I was watching Vermont in their conference title game yesterday, I actually said to myself, MU or any BE team would demolish either of these teams in the tournament.
Maybe find the game online and watch.
Quote from: panda on March 12, 2023, 06:12:02 PM
Their conference is worse than the big 10
Don't say things you can't take back.
It's a much better draw than UNC last year, or Murray State, or South Carolina like we had in the past! I will take the Catamounts.
I think we played them at the Bradley Center a long time ago!
Game time set for 1:45 PM CT which probably means 2 PM CT
Quote from: panda on March 12, 2023, 06:12:02 PM
Their conference is worse than the big 10
That's a low bar. 😊
https://youtu.be/HgXtffDcCsE
Every basket from their Conference Title game for anyone that wants to see them before Friday.
They are small and they don't turn the ball over.
We'll see how they handle our guys flying around.
They could get hot but I feel like MU is well equipped to guard a team that plays five out.
MU fans in Columbus, make sure the MU is prominently displayed and that you aren't just walking around in Blue and Gold.
"Is Marquette in Michigan?" might be a life or death question.
Quote from: Uncle Rico on March 12, 2023, 05:48:21 PM
Weakest Vermont team to make the dance in awhile. Can probably muck things up, make some dumb shots but Marquette wins by 20+
Second game in a row that Marquette plays one of my daughter's schools.
Seen a few times this year. Exactly as Rico said, this is not a typical UVM team. They rolled everyone in conference but had a tough time out of conference. They usually play better out of conference but not this season.
Quote from: PointWarrior on March 12, 2023, 05:51:04 PM
Can we get all the "focus on the first game" and "don't look ahead" stupid posts out of the way today?
Not a chance!
Quote from: Skatastrophy on March 12, 2023, 06:09:44 PM
Anyway, the Final 4 game against Alabama is going to be great. They aren't going to win over any neutral fans after their off-court bs this year.
Anyone else think it was "cringy" when he mentioned the whole murder situation in the same breath as he said they were the number 1 seed. Gave then about 8 seconds to enjoy it.
Quote from: MUEng92 on March 12, 2023, 07:24:40 PM
Anyone else think it was "cringy" when he mentioned the whole murder situation in the same breath as he said they were the number 1 seed. Gave then about 8 seconds to enjoy it.
I did. They would have been better off saying nothing rather than the way they (mis)handled it so badly.
Quote from: MUEng92 on March 12, 2023, 07:24:40 PM
Anyone else think it was "cringy" when he mentioned the whole murder situation in the same breath as he said they were the number 1 seed. Gave then about 8 seconds to enjoy it.
deservedly so, f*ck Alabama. Whether he was involved or not they dropped the ball and showed that winning games was more important that a woman's life. No matter what happens there season will always be tarnished.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/stats/_/id/261
That is a whole bunch of 6'3-6'5 guys.
We'll have every physical advantage it's possible to have in a basketball game. I trust Shaka and the team to be prepared mentally. We should roll.
Vermont plays mostly seniors and have been in the NCAAs 3 out of the last 4 years, so the players have been there before.
I'll be nervous since MU hasn't won a NCAA game since 2013 and Shaka's teams have lost 7 NCAA games in a row. Lots of monkeys to get off our backs.
But if MU plays with the energy and focus they did Saturday night at MSG they will be hard to beat.
Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on March 12, 2023, 06:53:04 PM
https://youtu.be/HgXtffDcCsE
Every basket from their Conference Title game for anyone that wants to see them before Friday.
They are small and they don't turn the ball over.
Thanks for posting . We have to make sure Catamounts don't get clean looks cause they can make them. These kind of teams can hang around and make 3s. So our defense of last 3 games needs to continue.
It would help our cause to get some early separation , build on it and let our freshman get some tournament minutes .
Quote from: Norm on March 12, 2023, 07:49:15 PM
Vermont plays mostly seniors and have been in the NCAAs 3 out of the last 4 years, so the players have been there before.
I'll be nervous since MU hasn't won a NCAA game since 2003 and Shaka's teams have lost 7 NCAA games in a row. Lots of monkeys to get off our backs.
But if MU plays with the energy and focus they did Saturday night at MSG they will be hard to beat.
Huh?
Quote from: Daniel on March 12, 2023, 06:44:37 PM
It's a much better draw than UNC last year, or Murray State, or South Carolina like we had in the past! I will take the Catamounts.
I think we played them at the Bradley Center a long time ago!
The benefit of being a 2 seed and not anything higher....
Quote from: Herman Cain on March 12, 2023, 07:50:13 PM
Thanks for posting . We have to make sure Catamounts don't get clean looks cause they can make them. These kind of teams can hang around and make 3s. So our defense of last 3 games meds to continue.
It would help our cause to get some early separation , build on it and let our freshman get some tournament minutes .
MU will destroy them. They will not know what hit them and if they get in any foul trouble, it only multiplies. Georgetown would beat this team easily.
If MU happens to lose (not), it would be worse loss in MU history in tournament and definitely Shaka's career.
Chill out on the cause stuff, demolition crews are enroute to Columbus.
Quote from: Norm on March 12, 2023, 07:49:15 PM
Vermont plays mostly seniors and have been in the NCAAs 3 out of the last 4 years, so the players have been there before.
I'll be nervous since MU hasn't won a NCAA game since 2003 and Shaka's teams have lost 7 NCAA games in a row. Lots of monkeys to get off our backs.
But if MU plays with the energy and focus they did Saturday night at MSG they will be hard to beat.
And I thought we had ALL you COLES on the run. Somebody sic a dobie on this guy.
Quote from: Norm on March 12, 2023, 07:49:15 PM
Lots of monkeys to get off our backs.
Catamounts are cats, not monkeys.
Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on March 12, 2023, 06:53:04 PM
https://youtu.be/HgXtffDcCsE
Every basket from their Conference Title game for anyone that wants to see them before Friday.
They are small and they don't turn the ball over.
Watching that, I already don't like them. Maybe their leading score, but the rest? Don't like 'em one bit.
Quote from: MUfan12 on March 12, 2023, 06:55:15 PM
We'll see how they handle our guys flying around.
They could get hot but I feel like MU is well equipped to guard a team that plays five out.
my basic bball knowledge says 3 2 zone? No way can they deal with our length and speed on the arc. If we bring the energy and hunger, it'll be over at half
Quote from: pbiflyer on March 12, 2023, 08:30:25 PM
Watching that, I already don't like them. Maybe their leading score, but the rest? Don't like 'em one bit.
As in you don't like the matchup for Marquette? Don't like them to have a chance to win?
Quote from: rocky_warrior on March 12, 2023, 08:03:00 PM
Catamounts are cats, not monkeys.
Season 3 Episode 24: To Serve Man
Respectfully submitted for your perusal — a
Kanamit Catamount. Height: a little over nine feet. Weight: in the neighborhood of three hundred and fifty pounds. Origin: unknown. Motives? Therein hangs the tale, for in just a moment, we're going to ask you to shake hands, figuratively, with a Christopher Columbus from another galaxy and another time. This is the Twilight Zone.
Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on March 12, 2023, 08:32:49 PM
As in you don't like the matchup for Marquette? Don't like them to have a chance to win?
No, I think we handle them just fine. They seem just unlikeable.
Quote from: MUeng on March 12, 2023, 08:32:02 PM
my basic bball knowledge says 3 2 zone? No way can they deal with our length and speed on the arc. If we bring the energy and hunger, it'll be over at half
Zone would play to their strengths. Unless we're concerned they'll penetrate the lane off the bounce, which I don't see why we would be we'll man up and pressure the hell out of them I reckon
Quote from: NickelDimer on March 12, 2023, 08:48:54 PM
Zone would play to their strengths. Unless we're concerned they'll penetrate the lane off the bounce, which I don't see why we would be we'll man up and pressure the hell out of them I reckon
Yeah, I think we pressure the ever lovin' crap out of them and see if they can deal with it.
1:02:50 mark the coach of Vermont is interviewed
https://www.youtube.com/live/om1GEiC_4GY?feature=share
Q: "What's the 1st thought when you hear Marquette is your matchup?"
A: "Uh oh"
Coach said he knows Tyler Kolek well but doesn't seem as though he knows too much of Marquette's personnel quite yet.
I don't think I've ever seen this before. Vermont's starting "center", Matt Veretto, played his freshman year at Delaware where he put up moderate numbers for a freshman. He then stopped playing basketball, transferred to UConn as a non-athlete student, finished his his undergraduate degree over the next three years, then went to Vermont for his graduate degree and decided to play another year of basketball.
Quote from: rocky_warrior on March 12, 2023, 08:03:00 PM
Catamounts are cats, not monkeys.
Also known as mountain lions, pumas, or cougars. Lots of Cougars among college teams. Surprisingly no Mountain Lions or Pumas.I guess Mountain Lions is a little long, but why no Pumas? Strange.
I remember happily watching Vermont, lead by Taylor Coppenrath, bounce Syracuse out in the 1st round back in 2005.
This Vermont team has no near as talented as Taylor Coppenrath on their roster.
Quote from: Goatherder on March 13, 2023, 01:26:52 AM
Also known as mountain lions, pumas, or cougars. Lots of Cougars among college teams. Surprisingly no Mountain Lions or Pumas.I guess Mountain Lions is a little long, but why no Pumas? Strange.
Penn St Nittany Lions are close....their mascot is a mountain lion named after nearby Mount Nittany.
The nickname was originally coined by a Penn State baseball player who used the full longer name of "Nittany Mountain Lions."
Quote from: TAMU, Knower of Ball on March 12, 2023, 11:31:47 PM
I don't think I've ever seen this before. Vermont's starting "center", Matt Veretto, played his freshman year at Delaware where he put up moderate numbers for a freshman. He then stopped playing basketball, transferred to UConn as a non-athlete student, finished his his undergraduate degree over the next three years, then went to Vermont for his graduate degree and decided to play another year of basketball.
Ian Markolf lost the will to play for UW and then resurfaced elsewhere.
Quote from: Daniel on March 12, 2023, 06:44:37 PM
It's a much better draw than UNC last year, or Murray State, or South Carolina like we had in the past! I will take the Catamounts.
I think we played them at the Bradley Center a long time ago!
Yup...long time ago...had to be 6+ years as I was childless. My wife and I went down to MKE for the wknd to see the Christmas Carol and a MU game. We were checking into the Hilton as thy were, and I said something to her like "they must be a D3 team in town to play MSOE or Concordia." Then I saw some Vermont gear...
If I remember correctly, they had a win or two many years ago with a really solid coach. Brennan, Brennehan, or something.
MU only an 11 point favorite. Pressure the hell out of them, and funnel everything to Oso? If I'm Vermont...I'm running 5 out...with 5 shooters...and hoping to hit a ton of 3s.
Quote from: Goatherder on March 13, 2023, 01:26:52 AM
Also known as mountain lions, pumas, or cougars. Lots of Cougars among college teams. Surprisingly no Mountain Lions or Pumas.I guess Mountain Lions is a little long, but why no Pumas? Strange.
St Joseph's College in Rennselaer Indiana , which is no longer around, were the Pumas.
The reason Vermont started so poorly and then turned it on later in the season is that they weren't any competition for the P6 teams they faced ... and then they got to compete in a terrible conference, where they were the best of the mediocre (and the bad).
It's a great draw for Marquette, and it will be a nice way for our guys to get the tourney nervousness out of the way early en route to the Final Four and more.
Sorry ... I didn't mean to mention aiming for the Final Four. We fans have to concentrate only on the mighty, mighty Catamounts because if we so much as think of any possible future opponent, we will have doomed our Warrior Eagles to certain first-round defeat.
Everyone knows every single Kansas fan was laser-focused on Texas Southern in the days leading up to their first-round matchup last season, never once thought of the possible second-round matchup with Creighton or of winning the title. And because every single Kansas fan thought only about Texas Southern, the team was able to eventually win the championship. I mean, that's just science.
Marquette matches up well with Vermont because we can defend 5 out.
1. Ball pressure: make them start their offense far away from the basket.
2. Deny the pass: force Vermont to catch the ball running away from the hoop and get some timely steals.
3. Switch when necessary: Vermont doesn't have the personnel to create a lot of one on one matchup advantages. Switch out to shooters to deny open threes.
4. Mobile 4/5s: O-Max and Oso have the speed to defend on the perimeter. Joplin is less consistent on D but has played well at times. Chase Ross could even get some run in a 4 guard lineup. I don't expect to see Gold very much, except in garbage time.
This is one of the things I love about Shaka's roster construction. I know a lot of people want a big bruiser that can go toe to toe with Sanago, Kalkbrenner, Nunge, Soriano, etc. But sometimes you have to play a tournament game versus mid majors that play 5 out small ball. Marquette has the matchup flexibility to win against all styles.
Quote from: Juan Anderson's Mixtape on March 13, 2023, 09:31:23 AM
Marquette matches up well with Vermont because we can defend 5 out.
1. Ball pressure: make them start their offense far away from the basket.
2. Deny the pass: force Vermont to catch the ball running away from the hoop and get some timely steals.
3. Switch when necessary: Vermont doesn't have the personnel to create a lot of one on one matchup advantages. Switch out to shooters to deny open threes.
4. Mobile 4/5s: O-Max and Oso have the speed to defend on the perimeter. Joplin is less consistent on D but has played well at times. Chase Ross could even get some run in a 4 guard lineup. I don't expect to see Gold very much, except in garbage time.
This is one of the things I love about Shaka's roster construction. I know a lot of people want a big bruiser that can go toe to toe with Sanago, Kalkbrenner, Nunge, Soriano, etc. But sometimes you have to play a tournament game versus mid majors that play 5 out small ball. Marquette has the matchup flexibility to win against all styles.
Yep, yep, yep and yep.
Pull Ellis's red-shirt and really mess these guys up.
What a terrible idea. MU will be fine.
Just run them off the 3 point line like they did the past few games in New York, they'll be fine.
Vermont is a sloooow tempo, good trey shooting, low turnover team. Grinders. The type of team MU underperforms against (according to Vegas). Jfp61 and I had this argument earlier in the season...let's hope I am wrong and MU blows them out early.
As was said, pressure them and run them off the line. The next game is the most important.
More than being active on defense, defensive discipline will be very important. Have to communicate on switches, can't overhelp (which we've been prone to do), can't lose cutters, etc. They look to run a very structured offense and patiently wait for the defense to make a mistake
Super slow tempo and don't turn it over. Half court offense is going to have to be good. MU wins, would be nice to have it going away.
+50% 3fg% from them is the wildcard that could make things interesting if they are in fire/lucky. #pray
Watching some replays of their games, they have two guys who initiate the offense. Dylan Penn and Robin Duncan.
Penn will have the ball in hands more often than not. He's quick and strong enough to take (America East level) defenders off the bounce. If he can beat his man he is pretty craft around the hoop. If he can't, he goes into a post up and tries to back down his defender. He's skilled enough in the post that he can score on guards with his back to the basket. However, he is really doing that so he can see his four teammates on the perimeter and is looking for an open man to begin a series of quick perimeter passes which forces the defense to rotate and leads to open shots.
Duncan is a taller guard (6'5") and is the more creative passer of the two. He is good at skip passes and dump offs and is usually the guy who finds the open shooter. He himself can't shoot and his scoring is pretty limited. He is a smart player though and knows when and where to cut.
I think we will see OMax on Penn. His size and length should be more than enough to contain Penn and will neutralize his post up ability, meaning we won't need to help on him and can play him as a passer. Duncan has some creative passing ability but I don't think his skip passes will work well against our guys, there will be plenty of interception opportunities. I'd put Kolek or Kam on Duncan and have them sag to dare him to shoot and take away his passing ability.
Other key to the game will be limiting Matt Vertto. He's their starting "center" who during their current winning streak is shooting 45% from three. He has the potential to go nuclear and hit a bunch of treys. I think Oso should be more than a match for him. Tell Oso to run him off the line. He has some ability to put it on the floor but not against our level of defense. If Oso stays home, Veretto shouldn't be able to get shots off.
Vermont also has the conference player of the year on their team in Finn Sullivan. His numbers are very muted for a conference POY and he doesn't seem all that potent on offense. Stick Stevie "Off Night" Mitchell on him and I think he'll be out of the picture.
Their defense struggled to stop America East opponents at times. We should eviscerate them on that end.
Game may have a smaller margin of victory than we expect just because of how SLOW Vermont is, but I expect us to be comfortably in control for 40 minutes.
Quote from: TAMU, Knower of Ball on March 13, 2023, 10:48:41 AM
Watching some replays of their games, they have two guys who initiate the offense. Dylan Penn and Robin Duncan.
Penn will have the ball in hands more often than not. He's quick and strong enough to take (America East level) defenders off the bounce. If he can beat his man he is pretty craft around the hoop. If he can't, he goes into a post up and tries to back down his defender. He's skilled enough in the post that he can score on guards with his back to the basket. However, he is really doing that so he can see his four teammates on the perimeter and is looking for an open man to begin a series of quick perimeter passes which forces the defense to rotate and leads to open shots.
Duncan is a taller guard (6'5") and is the more creative passer of the two. He is good at skip passes and dump offs and is usually the guy who finds the open shooter. He himself can't shoot and his scoring is pretty limited. He is a smart player though and knows when and where to cut.
I think we will see OMax on Penn. His size and length should be more than enough to contain Penn and will neutralize his post up ability, meaning we won't need to help on him and can play him as a passer. Duncan has some creative passing ability but I don't think his skip passes will work well against our guys, there will be plenty of interception opportunities. I'd put Kolek or Kam on Duncan and have them sag to dare him to shoot and take away his passing ability.
Other key to the game will be limiting Matt Vertto. He's their starting "center" who during their current winning streak is shooting 45% from three. He has the potential to go nuclear and hit a bunch of treys. I think Oso should be more than a match for him. Tell Oso to run him off the line. He has some ability to put it on the floor but not against our level of defense. If Oso stays home, Veretto shouldn't be able to get shots off.
Vermont also has the conference player of the year on their team in Finn Sullivan. His numbers are very muted for a conference POY and he doesn't seem all that potent on offense. Stick Stevie "Off Night" Mitchell on him and I think he'll be out of the picture.
Their defense struggled to stop America East opponents at times. We should eviscerate them on that end.
Game may have a smaller margin of victory than we expect just because of how SLOW Vermont is, but I expect us to be comfortably in control for 40 minutes.
Great write up. I think there is a good chance we can impose our pace on them with how active (and deep) our defense is. The key will be imposing our pace there to force them into "uncharacteristic" turnovers. Establish a good lead early and we can really force them into that sort of pace and get out of sorts.
Also just happy that "Off Nite" is catching on.
Quote from: lawdog77 on March 13, 2023, 07:31:57 AM
St Joseph's College in Rennselaer Indiana , which is no longer around, were the Pumas.
Yep. I went there my freshman year. Being the only Pumas was one of our few claims to fame.
Based on the state of affairs at the school when I was there, I was surprised it actually survived another 35 years after I left.
St Joseph's is still around. They are offering a bunch of unaccredited two year and certificate programs.
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on March 13, 2023, 11:21:45 AM
St Joseph's is still around. They are offering a bunch of unaccredited two year and certificate programs.
Is their campus still completely shut down?
Quote from: warriorchick on March 13, 2023, 11:32:27 AM
Is their campus still completely shut down?
I don't believe so.
Quote from: TAMU, Knower of Ball on March 13, 2023, 10:48:41 AM
Watching some replays of their games, they have two guys who initiate the offense. Dylan Penn and Robin Duncan.
Penn will have the ball in hands more often than not. He's quick and strong enough to take (America East level) defenders off the bounce. If he can beat his man he is pretty craft around the hoop. If he can't, he goes into a post up and tries to back down his defender. He's skilled enough in the post that he can score on guards with his back to the basket. However, he is really doing that so he can see his four teammates on the perimeter and is looking for an open man to begin a series of quick perimeter passes which forces the defense to rotate and leads to open shots.
Duncan is a taller guard (6'5") and is the more creative passer of the two. He is good at skip passes and dump offs and is usually the guy who finds the open shooter. He himself can't shoot and his scoring is pretty limited. He is a smart player though and knows when and where to cut.
I think we will see OMax on Penn. His size and length should be more than enough to contain Penn and will neutralize his post up ability, meaning we won't need to help on him and can play him as a passer. Duncan has some creative passing ability but I don't think his skip passes will work well against our guys, there will be plenty of interception opportunities. I'd put Kolek or Kam on Duncan and have them sag to dare him to shoot and take away his passing ability.
Other key to the game will be limiting Matt Vertto. He's their starting "center" who during their current winning streak is shooting 45% from three. He has the potential to go nuclear and hit a bunch of treys. I think Oso should be more than a match for him. Tell Oso to run him off the line. He has some ability to put it on the floor but not against our level of defense. If Oso stays home, Veretto shouldn't be able to get shots off.
Vermont also has the conference player of the year on their team in Finn Sullivan. His numbers are very muted for a conference POY and he doesn't seem all that potent on offense. Stick Stevie "Off Night" Mitchell on him and I think he'll be out of the picture.
Their defense struggled to stop America East opponents at times. We should eviscerate them on that end.
Game may have a smaller margin of victory than we expect just because of how SLOW Vermont is, but I expect us to be comfortably in control for 40 minutes.
Having not seen them at all, How do they utilize Vertto? Is he running of screens around the perimeter? If so, is there someone else we can stick Oso on while we have OMax chase him around the perimeter like he did with Hawkins? And then we use Stevie on Penn to stay in front and just don't budge on the back downs.
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on March 13, 2023, 11:21:45 AM
St Joseph's is still around. They are offering a bunch of unaccredited two year and certificate programs.
It wasn't for a few years. Looks like it reopened as a juco?
Their most famous alums I think are Gol Hodges and Ed Vrdolyak.
I think this game is somewhat similar to our home game against Butler. We will basically drive to the basket and score whenever we really need to.
Thanks for the scouting report, TAMU. If your current gig ever stops working for you, you have a future in scouting.
Looking forward to Friday's resounding victory, a nice start to our big tourney run.
Vermont roster by points per game:
Dylan Penn - 13.5 ppg - 54% FG, 33% 3P, 84% FT - Senior/3 years exp
Finn Sullivan 11.9 ppg - 43% FG, 33% 3P, 73% FT - Senior/5 years exp
Aaron Deloney - 11.6 ppg - 45% FG, 41% 3P, 72% FT - Senior/4 years exp
Matt Veretto - 8.8ppg - 51% FG, 42% 3P, 76% FT - Senior/2 years exp (3 year gap playing bball)
Robin Duncan - 7.8 ppg - 53% FG, 21% 3P, 47% FT - Senior/5 years exp
Kameron Gibson - 7.9 ppg - 45% FG, 37% 3P, 72% FT - Senior/5 years exp
TJ Hurley - 5.3 ppg - 40% FG, 44% #P, 100% FT - Freshman/1 year exp
Nick Fioillo - 4.5 ppg - 41% FG, 17% 3P, 56% FT - Junior/3 years exp
Ileri Ayo-Faleye - 3.1 ppg - 38% FG, 50% 3P, 72% FT - Sophomore/2 year exp
Sam Alamutu - 2.4 ppg - 60% FG, 100% 3P, 25% FT - Freshman/1 year exp
Perry Smith Jr. - 2.0 ppg - 43% FG, 0% #P, 30% FT - Freshman/1 year exp
During the season all the players listed above averaged 10+ minutes per game, but the bottom four only averaged about 2-3 minutes per game in their conference tournament.
Watching them on YouTube, I am not overly concerned about the Catamounts.
On defense, I see Kam and Tyler getting to the rack at will without fear of a shot blocker.
If there is an NCAA tourney record for scoop shots, we may break it.
On offense, they seem to rely on capitalizing on slow/bad switches, which is NOT us.
They average just 9.3 turnovers a game, but I'd put the over at 16 on Friday.
This will not be close.
Quote from: Norm on March 13, 2023, 12:37:30 PM
Vermont roster by points per game:
Dylan Penn - 13.5 ppg - 54% FG, 33% 3P, 84% FT - Senior/3 years exp
Finn Sullivan 11.9 ppg - 43% FG, 33% 3P, 73% FT - Senior/5 years exp
Aaron Deloney - 11.6 ppg - 45% FG, 41% 3P, 72% FT - Senior/4 years exp
Matt Veretto - 8.8ppg - 51% FG, 42% 3P, 76% FT - Senior/2 years exp (3 year gap playing bball)
Robin Duncan - 7.8 ppg - 53% FG, 21% 3P, 47% FT - Senior/5 years exp
Kameron Gibson - 7.9 ppg - 45% FG, 37% 3P, 72% FT - Senior/5 years exp
TJ Hurley - 5.3 ppg - 40% FG, 44% #P, 100% FT - Freshman/1 year exp
Nick Fioillo - 4.5 ppg - 41% FG, 17% 3P, 56% FT - Junior/3 years exp
Ileri Ayo-Faleye - 3.1 ppg - 38% FG, 50% 3P, 72% FT - Sophomore/2 year exp
Sam Alamutu - 2.4 ppg - 60% FG, 100% 3P, 25% FT - Freshman/1 year exp
Perry Smith Jr. - 2.0 ppg - 43% FG, 0% #P, 30% FT - Freshman/1 year exp
During the season all the players listed above averaged 10+ minutes per game, but the bottom four only averaged about 2-3 minutes per game in their conference tournament.
Yes, those are statistics against the likes of Albany, NJIT, Bryant, Binghamton, UMBC, not UCONN, Xavier, Creighton, Nova. Never the less not playing in a big arena as opposed to very small venues.
The only comp on the schedule is St.Marys, who pummeled them. In that game, they did play numerous players, the bottom of their roster wouldn't be walk-ons on MU.
Boxscore:
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401489013
Quote from: nyg on March 13, 2023, 12:49:21 PM
Yes, those are statistics against the likes of Albany, NJIT, Bryant, Binghamton, UMBC, not UCONN, Xavier, Creighton, Nova. Never the less not playing in a big arena as opposed to very small venues.
The only comp on the schedule is St.Marys, who pummeled them. In that game, they did play numerous players, the bottom of their roster wouldn't be walk-ons on MU.
Boxscore:
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401489013
Iona is a much better comp to us than st Mary's. Vermont lost on a neutral floor to them by like 25
Quote from: barfolomew on March 13, 2023, 12:39:26 PM
Watching them on YouTube, I am not overly concerned about the Catamounts.
Do they have any highlight reels/mix tapes ala Dexter Akanno?
Quote from: panda on March 13, 2023, 12:52:40 PM
Iona is a much better comp to us than st Mary's. Vermont lost on a neutral floor to them by like 25
St. Marys ranked 19 and believe a 6 seed, Iona who knows....
But you at least get the point, especially the neutral court. Stats on this team are not relevant because the level of competition is so far below the BE. I get that they are best in their conference and won a bunch in a row, but this team might win one game in the BE if they shoot 85% from three and the field.
Pick and roll all day long. And this may be Ben's big break out game.
Quote from: nyg on March 13, 2023, 12:58:11 PM
St. Marys ranked 19 and believe a 6 seed, Iona who knows....
But you at least get the point, especially the neutral court. Stats on this team are not relevant because the level of competition is so far below the BE. I get that they are best in their conference and won a bunch in a row, but this team might win one game in the BE if they shoot 85% from three and the field.
Without watching every game, it's hard to tell how much better they've gotten over the course of the year but yeah...pretty much anybody that's decent has blown them out of the water.
I remember we played them in 2017-2018 and I was pretty jacked to go to that game since I knew they were supposed to be good that year. They gave us a good game and hit a bunch of threes. We won by 10. Hoping that worse case scenario it ends up like that game.
Quote from: CountryRoads on March 13, 2023, 01:06:26 PM
Without watching every game, it's hard to tell how much better they've gotten over the course of the year but yeah...pretty much anybody that's decent has blown them out of the water.
I remember we played them in 2017-2018 and I was pretty jacked to go to that game since I knew they were supposed to be good that year. They gave us a good game and hit a bunch of threes. We won by 10. Hoping that worse case scenario it ends up like that game.
I know...Watch, MU will win by 10 and I'll have to eat crow after all the barking I have done on this topic. But after watching their conference final game and comparing them to MU and BE, I still think MU pulverizers them.
Quote from: barfolomew on March 13, 2023, 12:39:26 PM
Watching them on YouTube, I am not overly concerned about the Catamounts.
On defense, I see Kam and Tyler getting to the rack at will without fear of a shot blocker.
If there is an NCAA tourney record for scoop shots, we may break it.
On offense, they seem to rely on capitalizing on slow/bad switches, which is NOT us.
They average just 9.3 turnovers a game, but I'd put the over at 16 on Friday.
This will not be close.
The pick and roll for Kam/Tyler and Oso should be lethal. Kam and Tyler are good at getting to the bucket off a screen but if they are stopped by a body then Oso at the rim should be all day. They have no one go prevent buckets at the basket.
Sort of weird that USC played Vermont earlier this year. Only won by 2. So theoretical matchup there that could happen.
I am going to hope it doesn't, but definitely a quirk in the scheduling.
Quote from: nyg on March 13, 2023, 12:58:11 PM
St. Marys ranked 19 and believe a 6 seed, Iona who knows....
But you at least get the point, especially the neutral court. Stats on this team are not relevant because the level of competition is so far below the BE. I get that they are best in their conference and won a bunch in a row, but this team might win one game in the BE if they shoot 85% from three and the field.
To clarify - we're stylistically much more similar to Iona than St. Mary's.
My only concern is Vermont plays zone and we play really dumb against it. Their only hope is to muck it up, get hot from 3, and hope to pull out a close one.
If Marquette plays like the first BET game, it'll be close. If they play with the same poise, confidence, and intensity we saw in the other two BET games, it'll be a comfortable victory.
Quote from: panda on March 13, 2023, 01:19:59 PM
To clarify - we're stylistically much more similar to Iona than St. Mary's.
Here is the last thing I'll mention/attach and it could happen. But MU on a roll and Shaka will be teeing the team up, the matchup is well in MU's favor.
At least its a good read prior to Friday and gives some context
https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2022-03-17/history-2-seeds-vs-15-seeds-march-madness
Trying to decide who will score most in this one -- Kam, TK, O-Max or Oso.
I think I'll go with Oso getting a season-high 20 points (or maybe even besting his career high, 22). Kolek will get double-digit assists, largely because nobody will be able to stop Oso's dunks, layups and short hooks.
Quote from: MU82 on March 13, 2023, 01:36:13 PM
Trying to decide who will score most in this one -- Kam, TK, O-Max or Oso.
I think I'll go with Oso getting a season-high 20 points (or maybe even besting his career high, 22). Kolek will get double-digit assists, largely because nobody will be able to stop Oso's dunks, layups and short hooks.
Sean Jones could eat them alive with his speed. Same with Stevie.
Quote from: pbiflyer on March 13, 2023, 01:02:55 PM
Pick and roll all day long. And this may be Ben's big break out game.
He sure needs one. Hasn't done squat in quite a while
Quote from: Juan Anderson's Mixtape on March 13, 2023, 01:25:20 PM
My only concern is Vermont plays zone and we play really dumb against it. Their only hope is to muck it up, get hot from 3, and hope to pull out a close one.
MU is difficult to zone because Oso and Kolek are such good passers and the rest of our teams moves well without the ball. When teams have gone zone against us, Kolek has been going right to the middle. Now, he's at the top of the key with a variety of options. And, Vermont doesn't have the size to keep the ball out of the middle. Please Vermont, go zone.
Quote from: pbiflyer on March 13, 2023, 01:02:55 PM
Pick and roll all day long. And this may be Ben's big break out game.
I don't see Ben playing a lot of minutes in this game. I would expect MU to go small if Oso were to get in foul trouble.
Quote from: Juan Anderson's Mixtape on March 13, 2023, 01:25:20 PM
My only concern is Vermont plays zone and we play really dumb against it. Their only hope is to muck it up, get hot from 3, and hope to pull out a close one.
If Marquette plays like the first BET game, it'll be close. If they play with the same poise, confidence, and intensity we saw in the other two BET games, it'll be a comfortable victory.
I think they would struggle to play a zone against us for a few reasons
1) Marquette is good at forcing turnovers (even against teams that don't turn it over) and getting buckets in transition.
2) They are small and not athletic. Marquette countered the zone at MSG by putting Kolek at the free throw line to catch and attack or lob. The Big East teams can prevent the lob but Vermont has no one to do that against Oso or even OMax and Kolek won't be bothered by a shot blocker.
View from the opposing fans if anyone has interest...
http://thenamesvermont.blogspot.com/2023/03/marquette-vs-vermont-rapid-react.html?m=1
I predict a big time pick and roll game. When they inevitably have to start doubling the roll man, Joplin, Kam, Stevie, Chase will bury them with 3s.
Pretty clear at this point Marquette has given up losing for Lent, and Easter falls well after the championship game this year!!
Quote from: avid1010 on March 13, 2023, 06:53:41 AM
Yup...long time ago...had to be 6+ years as I was childless. My wife and I went down to MKE for the wknd to see the Christmas Carol and a MU game. We were checking into the Hilton as thy were, and I said something to her like "they must be a D3 team in town to play MSOE or Concordia." Then I saw some Vermont gear...
If I remember correctly, they had a win or two many years ago with a really solid coach. Brennan, Brennehan, or something.
MU only an 11 point favorite. Pressure the hell out of them, and funnel everything to Oso? If I'm Vermont...I'm running 5 out...with 5 shooters...and hoping to hit a ton of 3s.
We played them once long ago at the Mecca because the BC was not available. They were also noted for having one of the toughest trips to their game ever. They played at Dayton, then had to fly out west somewhere, but the flight got cancelled because of the weather. They ended up hopping to a string of different cities before arriving late the night before the game. Ah, the struggles of a low major.
Quote from: Miss Katie's on March 13, 2023, 02:06:52 PM
View from the opposing fans if anyone has interest...
http://thenamesvermont.blogspot.com/2023/03/marquette-vs-vermont-rapid-react.html?m=1
They seem to like their chances against MU. Focusing on MU's lack of traditional big man and not so great rebounding. They also claim their defense drives the team so that will help against MU.
Quote from: Norm on March 13, 2023, 02:39:07 PM
They seem to like their chances against MU. Focusing on MU's lack of traditional big man and not so great rebounding. They also claim their defense drives the team so that will help against MU.
Vermont
99th KenPom Offense
153rd KenPom Defense
If Vermont makes this a game it will likely be because of their pace and offense, not defense.
Marquette
8th KenPom Offense
47th KenPom Defense
Quote from: Norm on March 13, 2023, 02:39:07 PM
They seem to like their chances against MU. Focusing on MU's lack of traditional big man and not so great rebounding. They also claim their defense drives the team so that will help against MU.
it's very cute they think they have a chance...
Quote from: PointWarrior on March 13, 2023, 02:50:18 PM
it's very cute they think they have a chance...
They have a chance.. if you gave me 25-1 odds on Vermont winning I would take Vermont.
But 150+ defense on KenPom is no bueno. That is Wojo level defense!
I agree with all the points about how Marquette should attack the zone. I'm a big believer that the key to beating a zone is passing and movement. Kolek and Oso give us two great hubs vs zone.
Their only hope would be the zone disrupts us mentally. Poor shot selection against a set defense and they clean the defensive glass, then we could have a real grinder.
If Marquette stays poised, runs their zone offense correctly, and takes good shots then MU should come out on top.
Plus, I'm still confident our defense can disrupt them on offense more than they can disrupt us.
Quote from: PointWarrior on March 13, 2023, 02:50:18 PM
it's very cute they think they have a chance...
They certainly have a chance, remember texas to albiene Christian had a certain coach?
Or any of these all of whom the 2 seed went in very cocky:
1991 Richmond def. Syracuse 73-69
1993 Santa Clara def. Arizona 64-61
1997 Coppin State def. South Carolina 78-65
2001 Hampton def. Iowa State 58-57
2012 Lehigh def. Duke 75-70
2012 Norfolk State def. Missouri 86-84
2013 Florida Gulf Coast def. Georgetown 78-68
2016 Middle Tennessee def. Michigan State 90-81
2021 Oral Roberts def. Ohio State 75-72
2022 Saint Peter's def. Kentucky 85-79
Not saying I don't think we win, but 15 seeds have certainly gotten better and less prone to rolling over as of late.
What's really impressive about that list is the number of 15 seeds who defeated 2 seeds twice in the same tournament!
Awesome it is on CBS.
Quote from: MU82 on March 13, 2023, 03:22:04 PM
What's really impressive about that list is the number of 15 seeds who defeated 2 seeds twice in the same tournament!
;D
Two of those 15 seed winners also had future NBA players. Steve Nash at Santa Clara and CJ McCollum at Lehigh. McCollum in particular was key to that upset. IIRC, he hung 30 on Duke.
Vermont doesn't have anyone of that caliber.
Kyle O'Quinn was on that Norfolk State team too. Certainly not to the level of Nash or McCollum, but a future NBA player nonetheless.
I don't like that Vermont doesn't turn it over. That is one of the keys of our defense.
I do like that they are a very poor offensive rebounding team. They only get 20% of their misses, which is awful. That really hides one of big defensive issues.
So 12 didnt have an NBA guy to go nuts, again I'm not saying I think we lose but I'm definitely not going to go in thinking "bring on Michigan St or USC!"
Quote from: MarquetteDano on March 13, 2023, 03:56:50 PM
I don't like that Vermont doesn't turn it over. That is one of the keys of our defense.
I do like that they are a very poor offensive rebounding team. They only get 20% of their misses, which is awful. That really hides one of big defensive issues.
Iona turns up the pressure in the half and full court like we do and they turned it over a ton that game.
Quote from: Norm on March 13, 2023, 12:37:30 PM
Vermont roster by points per game:
Dylan Penn
Finn Sullivan 30 minutes, 2/7 from the field, 1/5 from 3, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover
Aaron Deloney 19 minutes, 2/8 from the field, 0/3 from 3, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover
Matt Veretto
Robin Duncan 19 minutes, 2/3 from the field, 1/1 from 3, 2 assists
Kameron Gibson
TJ Hurley
Nick Fioillo 7 minutes, 0/1 from the field, 0/1 from 3, 1 assist, 1 steal
Ileri Ayo-Faleye
Sam Alamutu
Perry Smith Jr.
Stats from the players who played in last year's 4 point loss to Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament as a 13 seed.
Quote from: Miss Katie's on March 13, 2023, 02:06:52 PM
View from the opposing fans if anyone has interest...
http://thenamesvermont.blogspot.com/2023/03/marquette-vs-vermont-rapid-react.html?m=1
Yep. They seem pretty confident. F#$k em.
Vermont looks like a tourney darling on paper, but I think they are more of a paper tiger in that regard (as much as a 15 can be).
Sorting T-Rank, I compared them to Marquette against quadrants:
Q1+2 - Marquette #7 / Vermont #211
Q3+4 - Marquette #29 / Vermont #85
They are a team that was terrible when matched up against high-level opponents and high-major talent. The positives in their analytic rankings are all based on pounding a weak America East (#25 ranked conference per kenpom). Admittedly, Marquette had some "play with their food" tendency against weaker opposition like Vermont, but I don't think focus will be an issue in the NCAA Tournament.
They will slow the pace, don't turn it over, and are a decent shooting team, but I just don't see the defense to slow our offense. If they had a lights-out offense, maybe they would have a chance, but this isn't a team that will be able to score with us considering their defensive deficiencies.
There will also be a lot of talk about their age. While they do have plenty of D1 experience in terms of years, this isn't last year's Vermont team that played Arkansas close. Four of the five starters from that team are gone. Most of what's left are guys that were good enough to win the America East, but not good enough to play on last year's team.
Nothing is guaranteed. If they can slow it enough and have a hot shooting night, anything's possible. But while they shot 36.2% as a team on the season, that number was just 29.2% against Q1+2 opponents like Marquette. Their offense is #99 overall, but #232 against Q1+2. I think this is a team we beat relatively comfortably, somewhere in the 8-13 range, and if we play like we have in Big East play, it won't be that close.
Quote from: Norm on March 13, 2023, 02:39:07 PM
They seem to like their chances against MU. Focusing on MU's lack of traditional big man and not so great rebounding. They also claim their defense drives the team so that will help against MU.
What are they supposed to say, that their team is going to get taken to the woodshed?
Scoop is basically saying the same thing as they are. Slow it down, don't turn it over, get hot, and see if you can steal one in a close game down the stretch. That's what they'll try to do.
March Madness NCAA Bracket Busters: Cinderella teams in position to pull off an upset
https://sports.yahoo.com/march-madness-ncaa-bracket-busters-cinderella-teams-in-position-to-pull-off-an-upset-175221299.html
This guy sees Vermont as a "pesky draw".
Quote from: HowardsWorld on March 13, 2023, 04:52:39 PM
What are they supposed to say, that their team is going to get taken to the woodshed?
Didn't check their site, anyone named NoLongerCatamounts there? If so, they would say it.
Side note on how they became the Catamounts:
On February 6, 1926, the UVM Cynic (the student newspaper) asked undergraduates whether they wanted a mascot and offered a ballot with lynx, wildcat, or other as options. They received a limited response. So, they tried again with a vote later in the year.
Only male students were allowed to vote and the ballot this time included tomcat, camel, cow, or catamount. Catamount won by a vote of 138-126.
Quote from: wadesworld on March 13, 2023, 04:55:09 PM
Scoop is basically saying the same thing as they are. Slow it down, don't turn it over, get hot, and see if you can steal one in a close game down the stretch. That's what they'll try to do.
+1
And if you are them, and you know you struggle against big teams that offensive rebound well, you are also looking at MU compared to the other 2's and thinking...well at least they aren't big, strong offensive rebounding behemoths.
They seemed pretty rationale. They probably do match up the best against us compared to the other 2's when you compare their weaknesses to the strengths of the 2 seeds.
Quote from: lawdog77 on March 13, 2023, 05:42:47 PM
Didn't check their site, anyone named NoLongerCatamounts there? If so, they would say it.
Side note on how they became the Catamounts:
On February 6, 1926, the UVM Cynic (the student newspaper) asked undergraduates whether they wanted a mascot and offered a ballot with lynx, wildcat, or other as options. They received a limited response. So, they tried again with a vote later in the year. Only male students were allowed to vote and the ballot this time included tomcat, camel, cow, or catamount. Catamount won by a vote of 138-126.
When I think of Vermont, the first thing that comes to mind is a camel.
You can vote for a new name, but no votes for Warriors will be accepted.
Quote from: lawdog77 on March 13, 2023, 05:42:47 PM
the ballot this time included tomcat, camel, cow, or catamount. Catamount won by a vote of 138-126.
138-126 against the field? Or they nearly became the cow's?
Quote from: rocky_warrior on March 13, 2023, 08:20:43 PM
138-126 against the field? Or they nearly became the cow's?
Camel instantly comes to mind when you think of Vermont.
Someone said Vermont is ranked 200 in defense.... Is that true??
Quote from: Daniel on March 14, 2023, 03:13:04 PM
Someone said Vermont is ranked 200 in defense.... Is that true??
153rd in KenPom overall. 191st in effective fg% defense
Seems like the mismatch of the game, if i'm being honest
Kam and O Max should be able to get to the rim whenever they want. And without a shot blocker, at 6'4" and 6'8" they should have no problem finishing.
Just don't settle for jumpers and Marquette will me more than fine.
March Madness: 5 squads in danger of busting brackets with early NCAA tournament exits
https://sports.yahoo.com/march-madness-5-squads-in-danger-of-busting-brackets-with-early-ncaa-tournament-exits-221802715.html
This guy has Marquette on Upset Alert.
I'll wait to see where the sharps lay their money. Public just looking for the next St. Peter's
Fade the public, especially in the NCAA tourney
Some random cinderella dork on Titus show has Vermont as his upset pick.
Says that Marquette is better than St Johns but just like them in that we cant defend unless a team turns it over.
That was it, that was the analysis.
Quote from: PGsHeroes32 on March 15, 2023, 08:20:40 AM
Some random cinderella dork on Titus show has Vermont as his upset pick.
Titus might be the least knowledgeable college basketball head out there. His national champion has been knocked out in the first weekend like 4 years running. He's trying to be a comedian not an analyst.
Quote from: 5DollarPitcher on March 15, 2023, 08:26:06 AM
Titus might be the least knowledgeable college basketball head out there. His national champion has been knocked out in the first weekend like 4 years running. He's trying to be a comedian not an analyst.
Well, Titus has MU going to the Final Four so I guess we're screwed.
The good thing is you're not really right, but that's okay and pretty expected.
Quote from: wadesworld on March 15, 2023, 09:20:45 AM
Well, Titus has MU going to the Final Four so I guess we're screwed.
The good thing is you're not really right, but that's okay and pretty expected.
From his own twitter account:
My last four national champ picks:
2018 – Virginia loses in 1st round
2019 – UVA wins national title
2021 – Ohio State withdraws due to COVID
2022 – Kentucky loses in 1st round
No sugar coating it: This is a legacy year. Biggest bracket of my life on tomorrow's show.
Quote from: 5DollarPitcher on March 15, 2023, 09:37:07 AM
From his own twitter account:
My last four national champ picks:
2018 – Virginia loses in 1st round
2019 – UVA wins national title
2021 – Ohio State withdraws due to COVID
2022 – Kentucky loses in 1st round
No sugar coating it: This is a legacy year. Biggest bracket of my life on tomorrow's show.
Ohio State didn't "withdraw due to COVID" in 2021. They lost to Oral Roberts in the first round.
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on March 15, 2023, 09:41:56 AM
Ohio State didn't "withdraw due to COVID" in 2021. They lost to Oral Roberts in the first round.
That's his joke. That's why I said he's an unserious analyst and more of a comedian. Thanks.
Quote from: wadesworld on March 15, 2023, 09:20:45 AM
Well, Titus has MU going to the Final Four so I guess we're screwed.
The good thing is you're not really right, but that's okay and pretty expected.
Nah it's only if he had us as champs that we'd be screwed
Quote from: 5DollarPitcher on March 15, 2023, 09:43:47 AM
That's his joke. That's why I said he's an unserious analyst and more of a comedian. Thanks.
Gotcha. I guess I expect jokes to be funny, but alas...
Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 15, 2023, 09:48:07 AM
Nah it's only if he had us as champs that we'd be screwed
Yeah I was more saying that if Titus is the least knowledgeable analyst out there and his bracket is always hot garbage (because that's definitely a great method to determine who "knows ball"), then we're in trouble because he thinks we'll be advancing pretty deep.
Quote from: wadesworld on March 15, 2023, 09:57:45 AM
Yeah I was more saying that if Titus is the least knowledgeable analyst out there and his bracket is always hot garbage (because that's definitely a great method to determine who "knows ball"), then we're in trouble because he thinks we'll be advancing pretty deep.
I think champ out in the first weekend (first round really for him) is definitely a sign that dude doesn't know ball.
If a team is so flawed they are getting upset in Rd 1 and you picked them to win the whole thing you don't know what you're talking about.
Quote from: 5DollarPitcher on March 15, 2023, 09:59:35 AM
I think champ out in the first weekend (first round really for him) is definitely a sign that dude doesn't know ball.
If a team is so flawed they are getting upset in Rd 1 and you picked them to win the whole thing you don't know what you're talking about.
He picked two one seeds (one of which won it all) and two two seeds. Let me guess. You've picked Kansas, Baylor, covid, Virginia, Nova, UNC, Nova, Duke, UCONN, Louisville (and predicted it'd be vacated later), Kentucky, UCONN, Duke since 2010, in order from most recent to 2010? And you filled them out ahead of the seasons, so when there wasn't even covid19 you knew ahead of time.
What we really need is college basketball podcasts led by the people who don't follow the sport but win their office pools by picking teams based on uniform colors or mascots. Those people definitely know ball.
Quote from: PGsHeroes32 on March 15, 2023, 08:20:40 AM
Some random cinderella dork on Titus show has Vermont as his upset pick.
Says that Marquette is better than St Johns but just like them in that we cant defend unless a team turns it over.
That was it, that was the analysis.
Jake Marsh is a Vermont homer, of course he's going to pick UVM.
Quote from: lake on March 15, 2023, 10:30:09 AM
Jake Marsh is a Vermont homer, of course he's going to pick UVM.
Yeah, I think he was their radio play by play or something for a bit. Traveled with the team and everything.
I know some of us are probably to the point where we are starting to get jitters.
Marquette needs to get over that tournament hump and the wait is just agonizing. Factor in Vermont being on a 15 game win streak with the line seemingly dropping each day and that doesn't help the nerves.
Here's the thing. Marquette is simply put, the better team by a wide margin. That doesn't guarantee anything, but Marquette is 19-2 since Christmas (in the Big Freakin' East). I'll still be anxious up until the final buzzer but I fully trust this team to come out and bring it from the tip. Can't wait!
Quote from: PGsHeroes32 on March 15, 2023, 08:20:40 AM
Some random cinderella dork on Titus show has Vermont as his upset pick.
Says that Marquette is better than St Johns but just like them in that we cant defend unless a team turns it over.
That was it, that was the analysis.
Ask UConn or Xavier if Marquette can defend.
Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on March 15, 2023, 10:55:05 AM
I know some of us are probably to the point where we are starting to get jitters.
Marquette needs to get over that tournament hump and the wait is just agonizing. Factor in Vermont being on a 15 game win streak with the line seemingly dropping each day and that doesn't help the nerves.
Here's the thing. Marquette is simply put, the better team by a wide margin. That doesn't guarantee anything, but Marquette is 19-2 since Christmas (in the Big Freakin' East). I'll still be anxious up until the final buzzer but I fully trust this team to come out and bring it from the tip. Can't wait!
If Marquette played vermonts's schedule, they would be undefeated.
Vermont lost to Yale by 29.
Quote from: wadesworld on March 15, 2023, 10:31:06 AM
Yeah, I think he was their radio play by play or something for a bit. Traveled with the team and everything.
Yes- and he said that is the only reason he picked them- and picks them every year.
Quote from: lake on March 15, 2023, 10:30:09 AM
Jake Marsh is a Vermont homer, of course he's going to pick UVM.
It wasnt Marsh
Its some guy who only attends mid major games making him "a mid major" expert. Which kinda collapses since he isnt watching the big dogs play.
Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on March 15, 2023, 10:55:05 AM
I know some of us are probably to the point where we are starting to get jitters.
Marquette needs to get over that tournament hump and the wait is just agonizing.
I'm sure the wait is agonizing for the team too. This is one of the reasons I am astounded that there were/are fans out there who say, "I'd rather lose in the first round of the Big East tournament so our guys will have time to rest up for the NCAA tournament." Honestly, it's one of of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard a fan say. I really think that our guys will be fine with five full days of rest. I'm pretty they'd have been OK even if we had been slotted into one of the Thursday locations. To lose early in the BET and have 7+ days off? No thank you.
If we didn't get our doors blown off our last three tourney appearances, as a collective I think there would be much less worry.
I just want that first one out of the way, after that it's golden.
Keep the disrespect coming. The team feeds off of it.
Quote from: PointWarrior on March 15, 2023, 10:59:47 AM
Ask UConn or Xavier if Marquette can defend.
Not on a sustained basis aina
Quote from: PGsHeroes32 on March 15, 2023, 11:08:54 AM
It wasnt Marsh
Its some guy who only attends mid major games making him "a mid major" expert. Which kinda collapses since he isnt watching the big dogs play.
He also has been horrendous on his betting recommendations on games. I credit his hustle and coming up with a different angle of "finding Cinderella," but an expert he is not.
Quote from: tower912 on March 13, 2023, 09:40:34 AM
Pull Ellis's red-shirt and really mess these guys up.
What a terrible idea. MU will be fine.
Ellis hasn't worn him warmups in weeks. He sits on the bench, in uniform, as if he just came out of the game for a quick blow.
If we got into foul/injury trouble, and are in a close game, where playing Ellis could be the difference between going home, or advancing- you absolutely pull his shirt off. Luckily, he isn't wearing a warmup with nothing under it. He's in uniform, and ready to go!
I'm not going to worry about 4 years from now, if we have a chance at a Final 4. I doubt Emarion or Shaka would worry about the future either.
I don't think EE plays in any circumstances.
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on March 15, 2023, 01:09:04 PM
I don't think EE plays in any circumstances.
I think if there is a brawl an 7 MU players were ejected, EE plays
Of course, nobody is predicting he's going to play. But, if Shaka NEEDS him, he'll play him.
Quote from: PGsHeroes32 on March 15, 2023, 11:08:54 AM
It wasnt Marsh
Its some guy who only attends mid major games making him "a mid major" expert. Which kinda collapses since he isnt watching the big dogs play.
Yeah I just caught up on today's ep, him liking three 15 seeds is absurd. That guy has a tweet saying one of the reasons UVM will win is because they rebound well, so not sure where he gets his info.
Quote from: lake on March 15, 2023, 02:19:30 PM
Yeah I just caught up on today's ep, him liking three 15 seeds is absurd. That guy has a tweet saying one of the reasons UVM will win is because they rebound well, so not sure where he gets his info.
They say that in their game preview as well...
http://thenamesvermont.blogspot.com/2023/03/ncaa-tournament-preview-15-vermont-vs-2.html?m=1
After watching a few Youtube highlights on Vermont:
1. Teams always look a bit pedestrian when you see them playing in an oversized high-school gym. Its deceptive, looked like Hoosiers regular season.
2. #15 is good....probably on the level of a decent shooting forward in the Big East. POY in their league. But no Wally Szczerbiak....he can't just win it for them.
3. their Point with the dreads is decent. But we've played against better.
How do we possibly lose:
"lid on the basket" + "crazy awkward turnovers" + "they shoot lights out"+"foul trouble"
BUT even if every one of those things happens in the first half....we would get it together and make it right. Losing to Vermont is almost another universe.
Quote from: lake on March 15, 2023, 02:19:30 PM
Yeah I just caught up on today's ep, him liking three 15 seeds is absurd. That guy has a tweet saying one of the reasons UVM will win is because they rebound well, so not sure where he gets his info.
They are very good DEFENSIVE rebounding team. But a poor OFFENSIVE rebounding team. Like really, really poor. The latter are the teams that gives us fits on defense. So, if they hold form, will limit our offensive rebounds.
We shoot well enough and take care of the basketball so that our offensive rebounding does not seem to matter too much. I would be more concerned about a really good offensive rebounding team... which Vermont certainly is not.
He becomes a "mid major expert" by picking a bunch of upsets. If they don't hit it's a, "Well, I took a shot, we all know there will be upset, I just picked the wrong one." When a 15 happens to win and he's the guy that made the pick (even if he picked 2 others incorrectly) it's a crazy good pick.
but they are coming in on a 15 game win streak, they beat the murder's row of the lowly AE conference (with Kenpom ranking)
15 wins against:
UMBC 235
Maine (2x) 282
New Hampshire 287
Bryant 210
Albany (2x) 347
NJIT (3x) 331
Binghamton (3x) 311
UMass Lowell (2x) 138
Vermont is the king of a crap conference. Their cling to hope is they almost beat USC in one game. Yale beat them by 29.
Marquette is the king of a top conference in basketball. This will not be close without absurd abnormalities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJL4cOp29-0
Coach Becker previews the game.
It just kinda interesting to compare the confidence levels of this tourney run compared to say 2012.
I don't think there's much argument that this is Marquettes best team since the 2012 one (even though 2013 went further)
Maybe it was me being a naive and less cynical freshman, I had zero doubt that Marquette was gonna roll through BYU and Murray State, in Kentucky.
But even with a higher seed, better record, probably better all around team, I'm still so apprehensive about the first weekend.
People were apprehensive about BYU here. It was similar, nervous apprehension to what we are reading about Vermont.
Quote from: ChitownSpaceForRent on March 15, 2023, 11:14:08 PM
It just kinda interesting to compare the confidence levels of this tourney run compared to say 2012.
I don't think there's much argument that this is Marquettes best team since the 2012 one (even though 2013 went further)
Maybe it was me being a naive and less cynical freshman, I had zero doubt that Marquette was gonna roll through BYU and Murray State, in Kentucky.
But even with a higher seed, better record, probably better all around team, I'm still so apprehensive about the first weekend.
Take two High Lifes and watch this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YjbukzAJvk&list=PLzqRtxGmacTdwekhBMqX6gnvg0QRxnDfQ&index=6
The cure for COLEitis. Trust me, I'm a doctor.
Quote from: ChitownSpaceForRent on March 15, 2023, 11:14:08 PM
It just kinda interesting to compare the confidence levels of this tourney run compared to say 2012.
I don't think there's much argument that this is Marquettes best team since the 2012 one (even though 2013 went further)
Maybe it was me being a naive and less cynical freshman, I had zero doubt that Marquette was gonna roll through BYU and Murray State, in Kentucky.
But even with a higher seed, better record, probably better all around team, I'm still so apprehensive about the first weekend.
I was terrified of that Murray St team. 30+ wins don't come east in any conference and they had a ton of experience.
I know we've dabbled with chat rooms before .. this game might break MUScoop with the number of people watching from work, posting.
Test out this chat room:
https://y99.in/r/975199
password = Warriors
Quote from: Galway Eagle on March 16, 2023, 07:37:05 AM
I was terrified of that Murray St team. 30+ wins don't come east in any conference and they had a ton of experience.
I also remember people being upset that we didn't know who our opponent was until Tues/Wed and they had a game under their belts already, with regards to BYU.
I think it's normal to be anxious, especially with our lack of success in March. This on paper seems like a good matchup for us and the team sounds ready. Now we just have to execute.
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on March 16, 2023, 03:30:52 AM
People were apprehensive about BYU here. It was similar, nervous apprehension to what we are reading about Vermont.
Yeah that BYU team had a lot of people thinking we could lose. Probably due to their religion making a 14 seed a play in for the only time ever. But yeah we were a pretty trendy upset pick outside of scoop as well.
Manhandled them
Quote from: ChitownSpaceForRent on March 15, 2023, 11:14:08 PM
It just kinda interesting to compare the confidence levels of this tourney run compared to say 2012.
I don't think there's much argument that this is Marquettes best team since the 2012 one (even though 2013 went further)
Maybe it was me being a naive and less cynical freshman, I had zero doubt that Marquette was gonna roll through BYU and Murray State, in Kentucky.
But even with a higher seed, better record, probably better all around team, I'm still so apprehensive about the first weekend.
Recency bias is a helluva drug. In 2012 we were coming off a great run to the Sweet 16 in 2011 where we took care of business against superior opponents (X and Cuse). Under Buzz we rarely lost to teams that we were supposed to beat. Of course we weren't worried about BYU and Murray St.
Since then, we've rolled into the NCAAs against a meh South Carolina team with a good defense and got steamrolled. Then got steamrolled by a mid major. Then got steam rolled against a meh UNC team that got hot at the right time.
This year's team is way better than either of those squads, and the opponent is not as strong. But yeah, I've got the jitters too.
I can't even imagine what retired Warrior fans are going through. I'm at my office and have a lot going on to keep me busy, but this is the longest morning I can remember, in a looooong time! 1:45 seems like such a long time from now!
Quote from: Lighthouse 84 on March 17, 2023, 10:31:18 AM
I can't even imagine what retired Warrior fans are going through. I'm at my office and have a lot going on to keep me busy, but this is the longest morning I can remember, in a looooong time! 1:45 seems like such a long time from now!
Watch the women on ESPN2 to pass the time
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on March 17, 2023, 09:14:53 AM
might break MUScoop with the number of people watching from work, posting.
Whoa, you didn't just tell your boss that your OTHER job required you to to be absent yesterday & today?
Seriously though, I think I've taken these 2 days off of work for the past 20 years. Why pretend to work?
Quote from: Lighthouse 84 on March 17, 2023, 10:31:18 AM
I can't even imagine what retired Warrior fans are going through. I'm at my office and have a lot going on to keep me busy, but this is the longest morning I can remember, in a looooong time! 1:45 seems like such a long time from now!
Yeah, feel it too. obviously MSUvUSC is a good watch at 11:15 to see who's who. In general I'm looking to see if one or the other wins big, plays confident and has good stats. that would concern me...otherwise we should beat either 4 out of 5 times.
Quote from: rocky_warrior on March 17, 2023, 10:52:18 AM
Whoa, you didn't just tell your boss that your OTHER job required you to to be absent yesterday & today?
Seriously though, I think I've taken these 2 days off of work for the past 20 years. Why pretend to work?
I forgot the air-quotes.
Working from home is always "working."
Less than an hour now.
GO MARQUETTE!!
(https://media.tenor.com/89S_LxnL5KwAAAAj/eagle-flying-eagle.gif)
Ugh my stomach is turning
I'm irrationally nervous so hopefully we get off to a great start.
Really enjoying the benefits of "working" remotely today.
https://twitter.com/claywsyx6/status/1636417359740301313?t=xD5ME1XlQhAim9rhf0Q1Aw&s=19
I'll have to look for it later but there was multiple videos I saw Kolek clutching his hand yesterday. You can briefly see it here just after the 15 second mark.