MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Thirteenth-seeded Vermont (28-6, 15-1 AE) clashes with fourth-seeded Duke (24-8,15-5 ACC) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night (Mar. 22) in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tip-off is set for 7:10 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Friday's matchup will broadcast nationally on CBS with Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, and Tracy Wolfson on the call. The broadcast will be available for streaming on Paramount+. Westwood One will carry a national radio broadcast, led by Chris Carrino and Jon Crispin. Fans can listen to the game for free 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. The radio broadcast is also available via the
Varsity Network App with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
RELATED LINKS
NCAA Tournament Central
Watch on Paramount+
Listen on Varsity Network App
Live Stats
March Madness Live
Game Notes: Vermont | Duke
CatamounTV Press Conference: Becker | Long | Ayo-Faleye
INSIDE THE 2024 TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE
The 2024 NCAA Tournament marks the first time that Vermont has made appearances in three consecutive seasons since 2005. UVM is a No. 13 seed for the fourth time in its last five trips to the Big Dance.
DEJA VU?
Vermont's only trip out of the Round of 64 came in 2005 when the Cats last won three straight titles. The 13th-seeded Cats upset No. 4 Syracuse 60-57 (OT) in Worcester, Mass. TJ Sorrentine hit the iconic three pointer "from the parking lot" in overtime. The game also tipped off at 7 p.m. on a Friday night on CBS.
NCAA APPERANCES SINCE 2016-17
UVM will be making its fifth NCAA Tournament in the last eight seasons. Gonzaga is the only mid-major to have made more NCAA Tournament appearances than Vermont since 2016-17.
HOW WE GOT HERE
The Catamounts defeated No. 2 UMass Lowell 66-61 in the Jersey Mike's America East Championship, winning a league record 11th title.
Shamir Bogues was named Reggie Lewis Most Outstanding Player, averaging 14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.3 steals, and 3.0 assists in the playoffs.
TJ Long and
Ileri Ayo-Faleye received All-Championship recognition.
SCOUTING DUKE
The Blue Devils carry a two-game losing streak into Friday's matchup, falling most recently to 10th-seeded NC State (L, 74-69) in the ACC Quarterfinals. Duke's other loss came in the regular season finale when seventh-ranked North Carolina recorded a 84-79 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils are led by All-American Kyle Filipowski, who has recorded team-highs in scoring (17.1 ppg), rebounds (8.2 rpg), and blocks (1.6 bpg). Duke's entire starting five averages double figures, including senior guard Jeremy Roach (14.0 ppg). Five-star recruit Jared McCain averages 13.4 points per game in his rookie season. Mark Mitchell (12.3 ppg) and Tyrese Proctor (10.5 ppg) round out the starting five. Duke is 119-40 (.748) all-time in the NCAA Tournament, marking the best winning percentage in tournament history by a team with a minimum of 20 games played. Duke's 119 wins are also third-most in the event's history.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Vermont and Duke will meet for the fourth time in series history and first time since a closely fought battle at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 2013. Hector Harold scored a career-high 24 points as UVM fell 91-90. The Catamounts outscored the Blue Devils 47-40 in the second half, and were tied 90-90 when Candon Rusin completed a four-point play with 10.4 seconds remaining. A free throw by Rodney Hood with 0:05 left was the deciding marker as Duke escaped the upset bid.
WINNING PCT.
UVM has recorded the fourth-highest winning percentage (.780) in the country over the last eight seasons. The Catamounts trail Gonzaga (.889), Houston (.822), and Kansas (.789). Duke is one spot behind Vermont with a .766 winning percentage since the start of the 2016-17 season.
CATS VS TOURNEY TEAMS
The Catamounts are 2-1 against members of the 2024 NCAA Tournament field, earning wins over College of Charleston (W, 73-64) and Yale (W, 66-65). UVM's loss came to Colgate (L, 77-71) on Dec. 9.
BECKER AWARDS
John Becker was named NABC All-District I Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his career earlier this week. The UVM bench boss was also named a finalist for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year award, which is awarded to the top mid-major coach in the country.
28 WINS
Vermont's 28 wins are tied for the second-highest single-season total in program history with the 2021-22 team. A win against Duke will match the program record (29) set by the 2016-17 Catamounts.
McGee Automotive Family is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball
