MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
No. 13 Vermont (28-5, 17-1 AE) will face No. 4 Arkansas (25-8, 13-5 SEC) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday (Mar. 17) in Buffalo, N.Y. The opening tip is set for 9:20 p.m. at KeyBank Arena.
 
TELEVISION & BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday night's matchup between the Catamounts and Razorbacks will be nationally televised on TNT with Brad Nessler, Brendan Haywood and Evan Washburn on the call. Scott Graham and Jon Cripsin will provide commentary for Westwood One on the national airwaves. Locally, Brian McLaughlin will have the call on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield on The Game, which will air on 97.1 FM in Burlington, 105.9 FM in Plattsburgh, and 960 AM around the rest of the region.
 
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Game Notes: Vermont | Arkansas
 
PEP RALLY
Fans in the Buffalo area are invited to attend the Vermont Catamounts Pep Rally, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Cobblestone Bar & Grill. There will be light appetizers provided, as well as a cash bar and full menu available. No RSVP required.
 
WATCH PARTIES
Fans in the Burlington area are invited to the Windjammer & Upper Deck Pub, and the UVM Alumni House, for Watch Parties on Thursday night. The Windjammer & Upper Deck Pub will be staying open late to accommodate for the 9:20 p.m. tip. The Alumni House doors will open at 8:30 p.m. – light snacks and drinks will be provided.
 
SCOUTING THE RAZORBACKS
Arkansas enters Thursday's game ranked 17th in the country, but recently suffered an 82-64 loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament. The Razorbacks finished the regular season fourth in the SEC standings. In league play, Arkansas was rated at the top No. 16 in the country. Offensively, the Razorbacks rank No. 40 in offensive efficiency (111.0), but shoot 44.0% from the field and 30.7% from deep. JD Notae leads the offense, averaging 18.4 points and 3.7 assists per game. The guard was named to the All-SEC First Team along with Jaylin Williams (10.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg). Williams averaged a double-double (13.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg) in SEC play, with 11 double-doubles against league opponents.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
The Catamounts and Razorbacks meet for the first time in series history. Vermont is searching for its first win over an SEC opponent in its 16th try. UVM faced Arkansas' head coach Eric Musselman when he was at Nevada. The Catamounts suffered an 86-72 loss to the Wolf Pack in the 2016 CBI.
 
LUCKY 13?
Vermont earns the No. 13 seed for the fourth time in program history, matching its highest seed. The Catamounts are 1-3 as a No. 13 seed, registering its historic victory over No. 4 Syracuse in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Thirty-one 13 seeds have advanced out of the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, including two teams (Ohio and North Texas) in 2021.
 
CLOSE TO HOME
The Catamounts play an NCAA Tournament game in the Northeast for the sixth time in program history and the third time in Buffalo. Vermont last appeared in Buffalo for the 2010 NCAA Tournament when it faced No. 1 Syracuse.
 
DOMINANT IN THE AE PLAYOFFS
UVM was dominant en route to its league-record ninth America East Championship, defeating No.2 UMBC 82-43 in the title game on Saturday (Mar. 12). The 39-point victory was the largest in a conference championship game since 1989 when South Alabama beat Jacksonville by 46. The Catamounts outscored opponents by 110 points in the three America East Playoff games, which was the largest scoring margin in a conference tournament in over 40 seasons.
 
Key Motors of South Burlington is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball