MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont hosts a pair of regional rivals this week to begin a three-game home stand. Dartmouth visits Patrick Gym on Wednesday night (Dec. 7) at 7 p.m. followed by former America East rival Northeastern on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 10) at 1 p.m. All UVM men's basketball games can be heard on ESPN 101.3 FM and online at 1013ESPN.com with Sam Hyman on the call. Free live video is available at AmericaEast.TV by clicking the links below.
 
RELATED LINKS
Dartmouth: Video | Live Stats | Audio | Tickets
Northeastern: Video | Live Stats | Audio | Tickets
Game Notes: Vermont (.pdf) | Northeastern (.pdf)
NCAA Men's Basketball Media/Fan Video
 
PROMOTIONS
Saturday's game against Northeastern is Family Fun Day – presented by Able Paint and Glass. The first 100 students in attendance will receive a free t-shirt with the new student section name! A face painter will be on hand and families can have their picture taken with Rally.
 
SETTING THE SCENE
The Catamounts return to Patrick Gym where the team has enjoyed 70 home victories since the 2010-11 season, the second-most among current America East programs. UVM is shooting 47.1% from the floor this season which ranks second in America East behind UMBC. In the last two seasons, Vermont is 25-5 when outshooting its opponents. The Cats have accrued a 20-5 record in 2015-16 and hold a perfect 5-0 mark this year. Payton Henson sits fifth in the league with a 54.8% (40-for-73) shooting percentage and ranks 13th overall in scoring at 12.7 points per game.

NCAA RULES
The NCAA released a video for men's basketball media and fans to highlight rule modifications and points of emphasis during the 2016-17 season. Click here to view the video.
 
AMERICA EAST WEEKLY ROOKIE HONORS
Anthony Lamb claimed his second America East Rookie of the Week honor of the season last week after the freshman averaged 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Lamb's weekly honor marks the second straight season where Vermont had a rookie earn the honor twice in one season. Ernie Duncan was named America East Rookie of the Week on November 16, 2015 and February 29, 2016 a year ago. 
 
LAST TIME OUT | South Carolina Highlights
Vermont went into last Thursday in search of its first-ever win over a Southeastern Conference (SEC) foe but could not pull off the upset over 20th-ranked South Carolina. The Catamounts fell on the road to the Gamecocks 68-50 in non-conference action. UVM was led by Lamb and his team-high 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. The freshman grabbed three rebounds off the glass and recorded a steal. Dre Wills followed with eight points, five rebounds, and made 4-of-5 free throw attempts. Henson posted a game-high eight boards, including four on the offensive glass. 

SCOUTING DARTMOUTH
The Big Green have struggled to start the 2016-17 season at 0-6 overall for the first time since 2006-07. Dartmouth is one of five Division I programs still in search of its first win this season. Dartmouth is coming off an 88-70 loss at Boston College on Saturday. BC shot 55.7% (34-for-61) from the floor and made 11 three-point field goals, the second-most surrendered by the Big Green's defense this year. Evan Boudreaux has been one of the Ivy League's top players. Boudreaux has either been the team's leading scorer or tied atop the box score in every game to date. The sophomore leads the Ivy by posting 8.5 rebounds per contest and holds a share of the top spot with a pair of double-doubles. The sophomore ranks third in the league in defensive rebounds per game (6.3), free throw attempts (40) and free throws made (30) and points per game (18.2).
 
SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN
The Huskies started the new campaign with a pair of victories over Boston University and UConn, but have cooled off with a 4-5 overall record. In the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Northeastern is the second-best long distance shooting team at 38.4% and third-best from the floor with a 46.3% shooting percentage. T.J. Williams has been one of the top players in the country this season. Williams ranks second in free throw attempts (84) and fifth in free throw attempts (64) while dishing the 12th-most assists (53). The senior guard boasts a 22.8 points per game average – good enough for 12th among Division I leaders.

SERIES HISTORY
Despite trailing 43-57 in the all-time series against Dartmouth, Vermont has won 27 of the last 32 meetings dating back to the 1989-90 season. The Catamounts have won eight straight games over the Big Green which is tied for the second longest active streak for UVM over a Division I opponent. Vermont's longest active streak is 19 games against UMBC.
 
Northeastern holds a 42-28 lead over Vermont in the head-to-head series, but the Catamounts have made a valiant push to even the record against their former conference rival since the turn of the century. UVM is 13-4 since the 1998-99 season and won six of the last eight overall contests.  
  
WHO'S NEXT
Vermont caps off the three-game home stand next week on Saturday, December 17 with a visit from Eastern Michigan at 1 p.m. Single game tickets can be purchased at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Patrick Gym Box Office on gameday. All UVM men's basketball games can be heard on ESPN 101.3 FM and online at 1013ESPN.com with Sam Hyman on the call. The game can be seen live for free in HD via AmericaEast.TV.