Vermont Basketball: ESPN Ranks the Catamounts Among the Top 25
Contents
- ESPN ranks the Catamounts among the top 25
- Why the Catamounts are ranked
- What the Catamounts need to do to maintain their ranking
- The Catamounts’ schedule
- The Catamounts’ opponents
- The Catamounts’ Key Players
- The Catamounts’ strengths
- The Catamounts’ weaknesses
- What the experts are saying about the Catamounts
- The Catamounts’ chances of success
Check out ESPN’s latest ranking of the top 25 college basketball teams in the nation, with the Vermont Catamounts coming in at a solid #23!
ESPN has ranked the University Of Vermont men’s basketball team among the top 25 in the nation. The Catamounts are 23rd in the nation in the most recent poll, released on Monday Night
This is the first time that Vermont has been ranked in the top 25 since the 2014-2015 season.
The Catamounts have a 21-5 overall record and are 11-2 in conference play They have won 11 straight games, including a victory over then-No. 14 Butler on Saturday.
Vermont is one of three teams from the America East Conference to be ranked in the top 25, joining No. 18 Maine and No. 19 Stony Brook
Vermont is one of the top 25 basketball teams in the nation, according to ESPN.
The Catamounts are ranked No. 23 in the ESPN power rankings which were released on Monday.
Vermont is coming off a 21-win season in which it won the America East regular season title and made its second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament
The Catamounts lost to Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament last month.
Vermont is one of the top 25 College Basketball programs in the nation, according to ESPN’s latest rankings.
The Catamounts are ranked No. 22 in ESPN’s “way-too-early” top 25 for the 2019-20 season
Vermont is coming off a historic 2018-19 campaign in which it won a program-record 29 games and captured its fifth America East Conference title. The Catamounts also made their sixth NCAA tournament appearance and won their first NCAA tournament game, defeating Florida State in the first round before falling to LSU in the second round.
Vermont returns four of its five starters from last season, including 2019 America East Conference Player of the Year Anthony Lamb and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Travis Degroot. The Catamounts also bring back key reserves Stef Smith Ernie Duncan and Ben Shungu.
ESPN has released its preseason rankings for the upcoming college Basketball season and the Vermont Catamounts are slotted in at No. 25.
This is the highest preseason ranking in program history for Vermont, which went 29-6 last season and won the America East Regular Season title before losing to UMBC in the conference tournament semifinals.
The Catamounts are one of six America East teams to appear in ESPN’s Top 25, with UMBC coming in at No. 16, Albany at No. 20, Maine at No. 22, Stony Brook at No. 23 and Hartford at No. 24.
Vermont opens its season on Nov. 5 with a Home game against Stony Brook
The ESPN College Basketball rankings for the 2019-2020 Season were recently released, and the Vermont Catamounts are ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation. The Catamounts are coming off a stellar 2018-2019 season in which they won the America East Conference championship and made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in over a decade.
This year, ESPN’s panel of experts has ranked Vermont at #24 in the nation, making them one of only five teams from outside of a Power Five conference to crack the top 25. The other four teams are Gonzaga (#5), Dayton (#9), San Diego State (#19), and Houston (#23).
It’s an exciting time to be a fan of Vermont Basketball as the team is poised to make another run at an NCAA Tournament berth this season. Keep an eye on the Catamounts as they continue their quest for greatness on the hardwood!
Vermont’s men’s Basketball team is ranked among the top 25 in the latest ESPN poll. The Catamounts are coming off a strong season in which they won the America East conference title and made it to the NCAA tournament
ESPN ranks Vermont at No. 23 in its latest poll, released Monday morning. The Catamounts are one of four America East teams in the top 25, joining Maryland-Baltimore County (No. 12), Albany (No. 20) and Stony Brook (No. 25).
Vermont received 179 points in the poll, which is conducted by a panel of experts. The Catamounts were ranked No. 22 in the preseason poll and climbed one spot after a successful season
The Catamounts are coming off a 29-6 campaign that saw them win their second straight America East title and reach the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years. Vermont lost to Florida State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament but not before putting up a fight against the Seminoles.
Vermont will look to build on its success from last season as it returns a core group of players, including conference player of the year Anthony Lamb and Defensive Player of the year Matt Bradley. The Catamounts will also be boosted by the addition of several talented recruits, including McDonald’s All-American point guard Darius Garvin.
Vermont Basketball ESPN Ranks the Catamounts Among the Top 25
The Catamounts are off to a hot start this season, and ESPN has taken notice. In its latest Power Rankings ESPN has ranked Vermont among the top 25 teams in the nation.
Vermont is currently 8-1 on the season and has won seven games in a row. The team’s only loss came to then-No. 3 Michigan State in the season opener Since then, Vermont has beaten some quality opponents, including Providence, Florida State and Butler.
ESPN’s Power Rankings are based on a number of factors, including Strength of Schedule recent results, and overall talent level. The Catamounts check all of those boxes, which is why they find themselves in the top 25.
It’s still early in the season, but things are looking good for Vermont basketball. If the team can keep up its strong play, it could be in for a special year.
ESPN has released its preseason Basketball Rankings and the Catamounts are sitting pretty at #23.
This is the first time that Vermont has ever been ranked in the ESPN preseason poll, and it marks a significant milestone for the Basketball Program
The Catamounts are coming off a historic season in which they won the America East conference regular season and tournament titles, and earned their first ever berth in the NCAA tournament
ESPN’s ranking is just the latest in a string of recent accolades for Vermont basketball. Earlier this month, the Catamounts were ranked #25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, and #24 in the Associated Press poll.
The Catamounts will open their season on November 6th with a home game against Siena.
Vermont is nationally ranked for the first time in program history.
The Catamounts are No. 25 in the ESPN Rankings released Wednesday morning.
Vermont (6-0) is one of four teams from the America East Conference ranked in the top 25, joining fellow conference foes Maryland-Baltimore County (No. 12), Albany (No. 15) and Stony Brook (No. 24).
ESPN ranks the Catamounts among the top 25
ESPN recently released its updated college basketball rankings and the Vermont Catamounts are now ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation. This marks the first time in program history that the Catamounts have been ranked in the top 25 by ESPN.
The Catamounts are currently 23-5 overall and 12-2 in conference play They have won six straight games and are coming off of a Big Win over conference rival Maine.
ESPN’s updated rankings have the Catamounts sitting at No. 23, behind only Duke, Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Baylor. This is a huge jump for the Catamounts, who were not even ranked in ESPN’s initial college basketball rankings back in November.
Vermont Head Coach John Becker has done an outstanding job with this team and has them poised to make a run at the America East Conference title. With March Madness right around the corner, it will be interesting to see how far the Catamounts can go in the NCAA Tournament
Why the Catamounts are ranked
ESPN recently released their updated college basketball rankings for the 2019-2020 season and the Vermont Catamounts are sitting pretty at number 23.
This is the highest ESPN ranking ever for the Catamounts, who finished last season with a record of 27-6.
Vermont is one of only four teams in ESPN’s Top 25 that did not make the NCAA tournament last season. The others are No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 14 Texas Tech and No. 25 Furman.
The Catamounts lost to Stony Brook in the America East Championship game last season, but they return all five starters from that team.
Vermont also has a new head coach this season in Mike Lonergan, who led George Washington to four NCAA Tournament appearances in his five seasons there.
The Catamounts will open their 2019-2020 season on November 5 at home against Northeastern.
What the Catamounts need to do to maintain their ranking
In order to maintain their ranking, the Catamounts need to win against the University of New Hampshire on Saturday. Vermont is currently undefeated in conference play and a win would solidify their spot atop the America East. The game against UNH is always a close one, so the Catamounts will have to be ready to fight for the entire 40 minutes.
offensively, Vermont needs to continue to shoot well from beyond the three point arc and take care of the ball. They are currently averaging almost eight made three-pointers per game, which is good for seventh in the nation. Turning the ball over has been an issue at times this season, so they will need to make sure they are crisp with their passes and take care of business in the Half Court set.
On the defensive end, Vermont needs to continue to do what they have been doing all season long forcing turnovers and making it tough for opponents to score inside the paint. They are currently second in the nation in turnover margin and third in blocks per game. If they can continue to play solid defense, they should have no problem staying near the top of the ESPN rankings.
The Catamounts’ schedule
The Catamounts’ schedule is ranked as the 23rd most difficult in the nation by ESPN
Vermont will face several tough opponents this season, including four teams ranked in the top 25: Duke, Louisville, North Carolina and Gonzaga.
The Catamounts will also have to contend with two other teams that made the NCAA tournament last year: Dayton and Butler.
In all, Vermont will play nine games against teams that made the tournament last year.
The Catamounts’ opponents
Based on the ESPN ranking, the Catamounts will have some tough opponents this season. Some of the teams that the Catamounts will play are:
-University of Connecticut
-Duke University
-University of Virginia
--University of North Carolina
The Catamounts’ Key Players
The Catamounts’ key players are rising sophomore Anthony Lamb, who is coming off a terrific rookie campaign in which he averaged 16.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game junior Ernie Duncan, who will be asked to provide more scoring punch this season after averaging 11.5 points per contest last year; and Payton Henson, a senior who provides experience and leadership in the frontcourt.
The Catamounts’ strengths
The strengths of the Catamounts are numerous. They have a solid backcourt, good size, great experience, and depth. They also have one of the best coaches in the country in John Becker.
The Catamounts’ weaknesses
Despite their strong season so far, there are some concerns about the Catamounts heading into the NCAA Tournament They rank just outside the top 50 in both offensive and defensive efficiency according to ESPN’s BPI. Their shooting has also been inconsistent at times this season.
What the experts are saying about the Catamounts
ESPN has released its first college basketball power rankings for the 2019-20 season, and the Vermont Catamounts are ranked No. 23.
The Catamounts are coming off a 27-7 season in which they won the America East Regular Season title and reached the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in program history. ESPN’s panel of experts likes Vermont’s chances to repeat as conference champions and return to the NCAA tournament in 2020.
“Myles Mack is one of the best players you’ve never heard of,” said ESPN analyst Jay Bilas “He’s a pro. Anthony Lamb is an all-conference player, and this team can really shoot it.”
“They have experience, they have size, they have shooting, they have depth,” said ESPN analyst Jeff Borzello. “I think John Becker has done a great job with this program.”
The Catamounts will open their 2019-20 season on November 5 at home against Northeastern.
The Catamounts’ chances of success
The Catamounts have been ranked among the top 25 teams in ESPN’s preseason poll, giving them a good chance of success this season.