MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Second-seeded Vermont (10-4, 10-4 AE) will host fourth-seeded Hartford (13-8, 8-6 AE) in the 2021 Hercules Tires America East Semifinal on Saturday afternoon (March 6). The opening tip is set for 4 p.m. on the hardwood of Patrick Gymnasium.
 
TELEVISION AND RADIO COVERAGE
All of the action will be streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with a paid subscription. Fans can also listen live on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield IMG College, on 101.3 The Game or online at Catamounts All-Access with Brian McLaughlin on the call. 
 
RELATED LINKS
Hartford: Video | Live Stats | Audio
Game Notes: Vermont | Hartford
 
CATS ON THE ALL-AMERICA EAST TEAMS
The Catamounts had three student-athletes honored on the All-America East Teams last week. Ryan Davis was named America East Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Conference honors. UVM has won the last five conference Player of the Year awards. Ben Shungu made the All-Conference Second Team and All-Defensive Team, plus classmate Stef Smith joined Shungu on the All-Conference Second Team.
 
WELCOME BACK TO THE SEMIFINAL
Saturday will mark the 12th consecutive America East Semifinal appearance for the Cats and 19th in the last 20 years. Historically, UVM has an all-time record of 14-7 in the America East Semifinal but has won its last five games dating back to 2016. The 14 wins are twice as many as any current member - UAlbany has six semifinal victories while Stony Brook follows with five.
 
SEMIFINAL STEF
Smith has scored 20-plus in each of his last two America East Semifinal games. He has put up 24.0 points per game with a 61.3 field-goal percentage and 50.0% three-point clip in the two-game set. As a sophomore in 2019, he scored 28 points and set the conference semifinal record with eight triples in an 84-51 rout of seventh-seeded Binghamton. Last year, he notched a 20-point game versus UMBC.
 
WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
Saturday is a rematch of what would have been last year's America East Championship Game. The contest was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By rule, UVM was crowned conference champion as the highest remaining seed in the tournament.
 
SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Hartford will ride a three-game hot streak into Saturday's semifinal game. Under the new tournament format, the Hawks earned the No. 4 seed and hosted one of the two playoff pods last weekend. Hartford beat No. 9 Binghamton 77-60 on Saturday, then held off No. 5 UAlbany 83-77 on Sunday. Like the Cats, the Hawks had three players honored on the All-America East Teams. Traci Carter was an All-Conference and All-Defensive Team selection. Austin Williams landed on the All-Conference Third Team and Hunter Marks made the All-Academic Team.
 
INSIDE THE PLAYOFF SERIES
Saturday will be the seventh playoff meeting between the rivals and first since a double overtime thriller in 2012. The Catamounts have won the last four matchups. In Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker's rookie season 10 years ago, he guided the Green and Gold to a 77-73 double overtime win in the semifinal round in West Hartford. UVM bested Hartford 81-62 in the quarterfinal round back in 2007 and again in the 2004 semifinal 61-48. The winning streak started with a 67-51 victory in the 2003 semifinal.
 
Hartford posted its two wins in the 1990s – both in the quarterfinal round. The Hawks beat the Cats 70-44 in 1997 and earned an 85-65 win in 1991 when future NBA lottery pick Vin Baker was a sophomore.
 
Key Motors of South Burlington is the presenting sponsor of the 2020-21 Vermont men's basketball season