5 things to know about No. 13 Vermont before the NCAA Tournament
Do you really know what a Catamount is?
The University of Vermont is riding an extended wave of success back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. The champions of the American East Conference haven’t lost in 2017.
This year will be the sixth tournament appearance for Vermont, all of which have come since 2003. In the school’s tournament history, the lone win came in 2005 (with losses in the first round in every other year). In 2017, the Catamounts (a 13-seed) will face fourth-seeded Purdue on Thursday at 7:27 p.m.
Here are a few things to know about Vermont:
Longest streak: With 21 consecutive wins, Vermont currently holds the nation’s longest winning streak among D-1 men’s basketball teams. After losing 81-69 to fellow tournament team Butler (another four-seed) on Dec. 21, the Catamounts have run the table. In that span, 17 of the 21 wins have come by margins of 10 points or more.
Lucky 13: As a 13-seed, Vermont finds itself locked into a tough matchup with Purdue. The Boilermakers will be difficult opposition, but Vermont can draw inspiration from the school’s last tournament appearance as a 13-seed. In 2005, Vermont faced Hakim Warrick, Gerry McNamara and Syracuse. The Catamounts stunned the basketball world, upsetting Syracuse 60-57 thanks partly to T.J. Sorrentine nailing an overtime three “from the parking lot”:
Explaining what a Catamount is: The name of the Vermont mascot is technically not a reference to a specific species of cat. Rather, it’s a reference to “any of various wild cats,” according to Merriam-Webster. The word, traced back to original usage in 1664, is simply short for “cat-a-mountain.” The history of interactions between catamounts and boilermakers is limited.
Deceptive height: On the surface, Vermont appears to be a short team. Facing a Purdue roster that includes multiple seven-footers, Vermont’s tallest players stand at 6’8″. It looks like a mismatch. Yet according to CBS statistics, the average height of the Catamounts is actually an inch taller overall than their opposition. While no individual is especially colossal, many of the primary contributors on the team stand at 6’6″ or taller.
Player to know: Anthony Lamb. The freshman standout leads the team in points, rebounds and blocks. He’s also nailed 40.4 percent of his threes. He will be forced to confront Purdue’s top talent, Caleb Swanigan. This matchup will likely have enormous implications for the game itself.
