Vermont Discussion Game Time 1:45 CT

[GoldenEagles03]

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.

[Miss Katie’s]

View from the opposing fans if anyone has interest...

http://thenamesvermont.blogspot.com/2023/03/marquette-vs-vermont-rapid-react.html?m=1

[5DollarPitcher]

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.

[mreezybreezy]

Pretty clear at this point Marquette has given up losing for Lent, and Easter falls well after the championship game this year!!

[Goatherder]

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.

[Norm]

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.

[GoldenEagles03]

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

[PointWarrior]

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...

[MarquetteDano]

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!

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

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.

[Galway Eagle]

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.

[MU82]

What's really impressive about that list is the number of 15 seeds who defeated 2 seeds twice in the same tournament!

[NCMUFan]

Awesome it is on CBS.

[Galway Eagle]

What's really impressive about that list is the number of 15 seeds who defeated 2 seeds twice in the same tournament!

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

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.

[Its DJOver]

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.

[MarquetteDano]

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.

[Galway Eagle]

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!"

[panda]

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.

[wadesworld]

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.

[willie warrior]

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.

[brewcity77]

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.

[HowardsWorld]

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?

[wadesworld]

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.

[wisblue]

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".