Men’s Basketball Preview: Vermont

With the rest of the College off for break, The Back Page is keeping up with the Harvard men’s basketball team as it wraps up its non-conference schedule. In the first in a series of previews of the squad’s upcoming match-ups, David Freed looks at what Vermont brings to the table.

At the 10-game mark, the only blemish on the Crimson’s resume is a road loss to Spencer Dinwiddie and his Colorado Buffaloes. Harvard (9-1) will take on another quality non-conference opponent on Saturday when it meets the Catamounts at Lavietes Pavilion. Vermont, which put up 90 points and nearly took out Duke last month, plays to the quality of its opponents—with a ceiling that belies its current 4-7 record.

Coach

The Catamounts are led by head coach John Becker, who has tallied 45 wins in his first two seasons with the team. Becker served as the program’s assistant coach for five years before taking the reins in 2011-2012.

During Becker’s time as head coach, Vermont twice has finished second in the America East league, winning the league and qualifying for the NCAA tournament in his first campaign. Vermont won its first game over Lamar before falling to North Carolina in the second round of March Madness.

Roster

Like Harvard, Vermont brings a balanced roster to the floor. Three players average at least nine points per contest, while seven average at least six and a half. The team is led by big man Clancy Rudd, who notches nearly 16 points and seven rebounds a game. Just a 47 percent shooter a year ago, Rudd shoots nearly 57 percent from the floor thus far this season.

While Rudd anchors the post, the team’s floor leader is senior Brian Voelkel. A preseason All-Conference first-teamer, Voelkel averages nearly seven points, seven assists, and eight rebounds a game from the forward position. At 6’6, Voelkel will likely be guarded by Harvard junior wing Wesley Saunders, whose blend of size and physicality is best suited to deal with the uniquely gifted point forward.

Nonconference Play

The most notable game of the season for Vermont was its 91-90 loss to Duke. Ranked sixth at the time, the Blue Devils needed a statement game (26 points on 16 shots) from superfrosh Jabari Parker to escape at Cameron Indoor. Three different Catamounts put up at least 16 points and the team shot 55 percent from the field. With 31 points off the bench and 50 in the paint, Vermont showed what kind of team it could be when playing well.

However, the Catamounts have not displayed the same intensity in its other non-conference matchups. The loss to Duke was the team’s fifth in its first six games, including three double-digit defeats. Against Bryant—a team Harvard handily dispatched—Vermont suffered a 23-point loss. The Catamounts have rebounded to win three of five, but wins against Illinois State, Sonoma State, and UMass Lowell are not considered statement victories. 

Series History

Over the last two years, Vermont and the Crimson have split their pair of meetings. In 2011, Harvard welcomed the Catamounts to Cambridge with a 55-48 victory. Vermont returned the favor the next year, winning, 85-78, behind 16 points from Rugg and 25 from then-junior Sandro Carissimo. Harvard shot 56 percent from deep while Saunders, then-junior Laurent Rivard, and then-freshman Siyani Chambers combined for 54 points in the loss.

Overall Matchup

Harvard rolls into this weekend’s contest with five consecutive wins, including back-to-back victories against Northeastern and Boston University. In those two games, the Crimson faced better versions of Rugg and Carissimo in Northeastern’s Scott Eatherton and BU’s Maurice Watson Jr. The Crimson has not lost at home in 2013, and may have revenge on its mind when it takes the floor on Saturday. If Saunders can limit the effectiveness of Voelkel, who gives the ball away in spurts (36 turnovers in 11 games), the Crimson will have a good chance at keeping its current win streak alive.