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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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 21: Sean McDermott #22 of the Butler Bulldogs guards against Anthony Lamb #3 of the Vermont Catamounts in the first half at Hinkle Fieldhouse on December 21, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Key returning players and impact newcomers for the Catamounts

One of the biggest reasons Vermont is considered such a big favorite this season is that they do return seven of their top eight scorers, including reigning conference Player of the Year, senior guard Anthony Lamb. They aren’t without holes to fill, however, guard Ernie Duncan and his 13 points per game and 44% three-point shooting have graduated as has forward Samuel Dingba who averaged 14 minutes per game across 31 contests.

In addition to Lamb, junior guard Stef Smith and Ben Shungu return as starters. Smith was a key cog for the Catamounts, as the team’s third double-digit scorer (12.4) and at 6-1 was the team’s second-leading rebounder with 4.2 per game. Also returning are two members of the Duncan family pipeline; both guards including Everett, a 6’6 redshirt-senior who averaged six points per game and 98 of his 146 shots coming from beyond the arc. Sophomore Robin averaged just 4.4 points, but where Robin could really step up for Vermont is as a distributor, averaging a team-high 2.5 assists last year. Another key contributor returning is sophomore forward Isaiah Powell, who if he can be more efficient from the floor could find himself with more consistent minutes off the bench.

The newcomers to the program should provide some immediate impact. Three-star commit Anthony Deloney from Oregon could help fill some of the distribution questions for the Catamounts and Erick Beckett is a 6-4 shooting guard who attended the Tilton School in neighboring New Hampshire. The two transfers that will suit up for Vermont could make an immediate impact in the frontcourt, Duncan DeMuth is a 6-8 forward who played one season at Oklahoma State and Daniel Giddens is a 6-11 center played three seasons at Alabama, and moving to a conference like America East could make him a force.

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