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Game Notes & Preview: Providence (0-0, 0-0) vs Vermont (1-0, 0-0) 11/14/16
Where: Dunkin’ Donuts Center – Providence, RI
When: 7:00pm EST
How: FS2 (Alex Faust & Dickey Simpkins)/WEEI 103.7 FM and Friars.com (John Rooke and Joe Hassett)/FriarTV
Game Notes
- Providence and Vermont will meet for the 8th time on Monday with the Friars leading the series, 7-0. The Friars are 78-11 all-time in regular season opening games, including being 81-8 in home openers. All games against Vermont have been played in Providence with the first game being played December 19, 1942 and the most recent game being played November 18, 2013. That most recent game resulted in a Providence win, 70-49.
- Providence is 54-6 all-time against teams from the America East conference. The last time the Friars played an America East opponent was December 2, 2015 and that was an 89-66 victory over Hartford at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
- Vermont is 1-0 on the season. The Catamounts are led by John Becker, who is in his 6th season at the helm of the Vermont program. The Catamounts beat Quinnipiac on November 12th to open the season with a road win. Freshman Anthony Lamb led the way with 23 points and junior guard Trae Bell-Haynes added 16 points and 8 assists in Vermont’s 94-70 victory over the Bobcats.
- Opening Line: Providence -3.5 vs Vermont 11/14/16
Game Preview
Vermont is coming off a road win over Quinnipiac to open the season on Saturday afternoon. The Catamounts scored 94 points and assisted on 18 of their 33 made field goals, which is a tremendous assist rate. They showed excellent ball movement against Quinnipiac with the majority of their offense in the halfcourt starting off high ball screen action.
The probable starters according to the game notes are:
Providence
- Kyron Cartwright – #24 – Junior
- Isaiah Jackson – #44 – Sophomore
- Jalen Lindsey – #21 – Junior
- Rodney Bullock – #5 – Junior
- Emmitt Holt – #15 – Junior
Vermont
- Trae Bell-Haynes – #2 – Junior
- Ernie Duncan – #20 – Sophomore
- Anthony Lamb – #3 – Freshman
- Kurt Steidl – #34 – Senior
- Payton Henson – #35 – Junior
The key to victory will be for Providence to shoot the ball well. The defensive side shouldn’t be a huge issue, though there is some concern about defending the guards in the pick and roll action to keep Trae Bell-Haynes out of the lane. But if Providence is able to shoot a solid percentage from beyond the arc and rebound the basketball they should win this game and get their 2016-17 season off to a good start against a team likely to win more than 20 games and win the America East conference. Look for Cooley to try to get some early looks for Ryan Fazekas when the sharpshooter is in the game and also for Emmitt Holt to be a bully down low against Vermont’s undersized frontcourt.
Prediction: Providence 75 Vermont 71
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