MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (7-3, 7-3 AE) returns to the hardwood for a two-game series with Stony Brook this weekend. The Cats and Seawolves will play on Saturday (Feb. 13) at 2 p.m. and Sunday (Feb. 14) at 12 p.m.
 
TELEVISION AND RADIO COVERAGE
All of the action will be streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with a paid subscription. Fans can also listen live on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield IMG College, on 101.3 The Game or online at Catamounts All-Access with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
Stony Brook: Video | Audio | Live Stats
Game Notes: Vermont | Stony Brook
 
MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY PRESENTED BY MILTON CAT
UVM Athletics is proud to partner with Milton Cat to present Saturday's Military Appreciation game, and to benefit the Josh Pallotta Fund. The Josh Pallotta Fund was created by a group of Veterans, family, and community members in memory of Joshua R. Pallotta. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Veterans and Service Members by combining local and national resources, emergency services, and research to provide Veterans the resiliency, transition and reintegration tools to help them sustain or return to full and healthy lives. To donate to the Josh Pallotta Fund please click here.
 
HALF TIME WITH ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JEFF SCHULMAN '89
Join Athletic Director Jeff Schulman '89 as he hosts UVM Basketball Alumnus Luke Apfeld '14 during halftime of Saturday's game at go.uvm.edu/halftime. Tune-in right when the first half ends to get Luke's analysis of the first half and hear about his experience at UVM as well as get an update from Jeff about what's happening in the athletic department. Participation is limited to the first 100 fans to join. If you need a call-in number, have trouble joining or have any questions, please contact our Victory Club office at Victory.Club@uvm.edu.
 
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
Vermont has a 35-3 record against New York schools since the start of the 2016-17 season. The run includes non-conference victories over Marist, Hofstra, Siena, St. Bonaventure and St. John's while topping conference rivals UAlbany, Binghamton, and Stony Brook. The losses were to the Bonnies in 2017, Stony Brook in last year's league opener, and this year's setback to UAlbany.
 
DYNAMIC DUO
In last year's series with Stony Brook, Stef Smith and Ben Shungu averaged double figures. Smith paced the team with an 18.5 scoring average and 42.9% clip from downtown. Shungu ranked third on the squad with 12.0 points per game and pulled down 7.0 boards per game. Shungu was also the team leader with seven offensive rebounds.
 
7-3 STARTS
The Catamounts are off to a 7-3 start through the first 10 games for the third time in the last five years. It's also the seventh time since 2001-02 and the last five 7-3 starts have resulted in a postseason berth – trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2019, 2017, and 2005 plus the NIT in 2011 and CBI in 2009.
 
SCOUTING STONY BROOK
The Seawolves stumble into the weekend after dropping three of their last four games, including a sweep by UMBC last weekend. Despite the struggles, Stony Brook is the top rebounding team in America East. SBU has averaged 38.2 boards per game and has gathered 202 offensive rebounds. Juan Felix Rodriguez leads the team with a 12.1 scoring average and he's one of only two Seawolves to start all 18 games. He posted 13.0 points per game and shot 41.7% from long range in the UMBC series. Mouhamadou Gueye has averaged 3.2 blocks per contest – the fourth-highest rate in the country. In Saturday's matchup with the Retrievers, he swatted away eight shots, one shy of matching the school's single-game record.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
The Catamounts lead the head-to-head series 32-12 and have won nine of the last 11 meetings. Last year, the Seawolves ended a seven-game winning streak by the Cats with an 81-77 win at Patrick Gym on January 8, 2020. The Green and Gold got revenge a month later with a 63-54 victory on Long Island. Historically in America East, the two programs have combined to win 11 of the last 12 regular season conference titles.
 
Key Motors of South Burlington is the presenting sponsor of the 2020-21 Vermont men's basketball season