The Vermont men's basketball team closes out its season-opening road trip with a Sunday matinee at #23/24 Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. Tipoff between the Catamounts and Boilermakers is at 2 p.m. from Mackey Arena.
 
Sunday's game can be seen on ESPN3 and heard locally with pregame coverage starting at 10:30 a.m. on 101.3 ESPN. AJ Kanell will have the call.

RELATED LINKS
Vermont Game Notes (.pdf)
Purdue Game Notes (.pdf)
Live Game Coverage: Live Video (ESPN3) -- Live Audio -- Live Stats
CatamounTV: Eastern Michigan Highlights
 
Last Time Out: In the first college basketball game between two Division I teams in 2015-16, Eastern Michigan turned 21 Vermont turnovers into 25 points and defeated the Catamounts, 70-50, to open the regular season. Vermont used a 15-2 run that spanned the final eight minutes of the first half to head into the locker room with a 30-27 lead. After the break, however, the Eagles clamped down in their 2-3 zone limiting UVM to 26.7% shooting (8-of-30) to run away with the win. Ernie Duncan scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds in his first official game action after redshirting his true-freshman season. Kurt Steidl recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
 
About Purdue: • Coming off a year that saw it advance to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time under head coach Matt Painter, Purdue returns an experienced and big group to West Lafayette (five seniors and five players 6-8 or taller). Purdue won its season opener 81-40 over North Carolina A&T  on Friday night. The Boildermakers have now won its of last two season openers by 40+ points. Six players scored in double figures in the win including freshman Caleb Swanigan who notched a double-double (11p, 11r) - the first by a freshman in the season opener in school history. The Purdue defense held NC A&T to 0-for-15 shooting from beyond the arc. Purdue was one of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten last season. It ranked fifth in field goal percentage defense (.401) and first in blocked shots per game (5.2). The Boilermakers return two seniors that averaged double-figure scoring in 2014-15. Guard Rapheal Davis and 7-foot big man AJ Hammons both averaged just north of 10 points per game. Davis was also named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2014-15.
 
Series History: This will be the first all-time meeting between the two schools.
 
Vermont vs. The Big Ten: Vermont is 2-17 all-time against current members of the Big Ten. The Catamounts beat Ohio State 77-76 in December of 1977 and Rutgers (then a member of the Big East) in 2009 by the final score of 77-71.
 
Vermont vs. Nationally Ranked Opponents: The last time Vermont beat a nationally ranked team in the regular season was in 2006-07 when the Catamounts knocked off Boston College, 77-63, in Chestnut Hill. Only two players on the current roster have played in games in nationally ranked teams. Ethan O'Day played against #23 UConn his freshman season (2012-2013) and Kurt Steidl played against #6 Duke during his freshman year, as well. Both Dre Wills and O'Day were on the team that played against the Blue Devils but sat out due to injury.
 
Preseason Poll: The University of Vermont was picked to finish third in the 2015-16 America East Men's Basketball Coaches Poll, while Ethan O'Day was named to the preseason all-conference team. Vermont has been picked in the top-four of the preseason poll in each of the last five years. The last time UVM was picked third was in 2011-12. That season saw Vermont finish the season in second place and go on to win its fifth America East title.
 
Postseason or Bust: Vermont has advanced to a postseason tournament in each of the last seven seasons and 11 of the past 13. Included in that 13-year span are five trips to the NCAA Tournament and three each to the NIT and CBI. UVM's most recent trip to the Big Dance in 2012 saw it defeat Lamar in the First Four before taking on top-seed North Carolina. Last season, the Catamounts advanced to the semifinals of the CBI taking down Hofstra on the road and Radford in the program's first-ever postseason home game before the season came to an end at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
 
Catamounts in New England: Since the 2002-2003 season, Vermont has amassed 281 wins, which is the second-most among Division I basketball programs in New England. The only team with more is UConn. Additionally, Vermont is the only school in New England with a current streak of seven-straight 20-win seasons.
 
Stingy D: Defense has been a point of pride for Vermont teams in recent years. Under John Becker, Vermont has held opponents to 59.9 points per game. In fact, UVM held opponents to 59.18 points per game in 2014-15, which is the fewest since 1950-51 when Vermont held opponents to 53.7 points per game.
 
Sixty for Sixty: In the four years with John Becker at the helm, Vermont is 60-8 when holding opponents to 60 points or less.  UVM was 17-0 in 2013-14 and 16-4 last season.
 
Diaper Dandies: With the 17th youngest team in the country last season, Vermont finished ranked first in 12 team statistical categories in America East including: scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense, free throws attempted and made, 3-point field goal percentage defense, blocked shots, total steals and assists.