Vermont Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for Catamounts

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 21: Robin Duncan #4 of the Vermont Catamounts looks on from the court near his brother Ernie Duncan #20 while playing the Florida State Seminoles during their first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 21: The Vermont Catamounts bench cheer on their teammates as they play against the Florida State Seminoles during the first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Vermont Basketball has dominated the America East conference for the last decade, will their reign continue in 2019-20?

Few teams in college basketball have dominated their conference over the last decade more than Vermont Basketball has dominated the America East Conference. Over that time, the team has five regular-season titles, four conference tournament championships and three other trips to the tournament final, so in seven of the last 10 seasons, Vermont has played for a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Last season John Becker’s team went 27-7, with a 14-2 conference, with the only losses coming at the hands of 2018 champion and tournament darling UMBC, but were able to exact some revenge with a 17-point win in the conference tournament final. In the NCAA Tournament Vermont gave No. 4 seed Florida State all they could handle, ultimately falling 76-69. The four non-conference losses that the Catamounts suffered were to Kansas, Louisville and two teams that made the finals of their respective conference tournament finals, Bucknell and Lipscomb. Once conference play hit, the Catamounts were dominant, with just four of their 14 wins coming by single digits.

Not much should change in 2019-20 as Vermont is expected to be the team to beat once again in America East. The Catamounts are looking to extend their dominance into the next decade and running back nearly the entire team that won 27 games last season is certainly a good start. But you don’t win games let alone tournaments on paper and things could certainly derail this juggernaut, but the 2020 version of the Vermont Catamounts could be even better than the last.

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