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Vermont Basketball: Catamounts finish conference play undefeated with win over Stony Brook

By Drew Dinnhaupt

Dec 21, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Vermont Catamounts guard Dre Willis (24) shoots the ball as Butler Bulldogs guard Sean McDermott (22) defends at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler defeats Vermont 81-69. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Vermont Catamounts guard Dre Willis (24) shoots the ball as Butler Bulldogs guard Sean McDermott (22) defends at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler defeats Vermont 81-69. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Vermont finishes conference play undefeated and earns the regular season American East title with its win over Stony Brook.

For the first time in program history, the Vermont Catamounts have finished conference play undefeated after their win over Stony Brook Saturday afternoon. Vermont finishes the season at 26-5 overall. The five non-conference losses came to Providence (80-55), Houston (72-71), then-No. 20 South Carolina (68-50), Northeastern (59-57) and then-No. 13 Butler (81-69).

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The Catamounts have been beyond dominant throughout conference play. 12 of their 16 conference wins were decided by double figures, two of which were to Stony Brook and New Hampshire, the respective second and third finishers of the conference.

Vermont is an incredibly deep and balanced group. Ten Catamounts averaged over 10 minutes per game during the regular season and seven averaged more than six points per outing.

Vermont is led by a trio consisting of freshman Anthony Lamb (11.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG), Trae Bell-Haynes (11.6 PPG, 3.8 APG) and junior Payton Henson (11.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG). Perhaps the most all-around player is senior guard Kurt Steidl, who posts 8.3 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, 1.3 assists per game, and a combined 1.5 steals/blocks per game. Steidl is among only three seniors on this extremely young group.

According to Joe Lunardi of ESPN, Vermont is expected to get a 13 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, assuming the Catamounts win the American East tournament. If Vermont falls short of winning the conference tournament, an at-large bid looks unlikely for the Catamounts, considering its weak schedule.

A tournament win looks doubtful for the Catamounts, despite their impressive momentum coming into March, as long as they win their conference tournament. Vermont faced two ranked teams in the non-conference portion of its schedule, both of which were double-digit losses to Butler and South Carolina. Both the Bulldogs and the Gamecocks look to be four seeds in March, which, according to Lunardi, will be Vermont’s opponent in the Round of 64.

Considering they lost both contests to probable four seeds, Vermont will likely be sent home before the first weekend of the tournament. However, March is very unpredictable.

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Gonzaga (17-0) and Princeton (11-0) are the only other Division I programs that remain undefeated in conference play at this point.

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