Get to know Duke basketball NCAA Tournament opponent, the Vermont Catamounts
The Duke basketball season has been a rollercoaster of emotions, effort, energy, and results.
In a down year for the ACC, Duke showcased its strength beating all the teams they were supposed to and at times, struggling against stronger or equal-level teams. Jon Scheyer is aiming for a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament following the elimination in the second round last year.
Unfortunately, it may feel a bit like deja vu with an injury as Duke heads into the tournament. Caleb Foster likely will not be suiting up for the Blue Devils for the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Although Duke had a rough stretch to the end of the season, including a tough loss at home to rival UNC and an unexpected early exit from the ACC Tournament, here is how they stack up against the rest of the field.
NET: 10
KenPom Overall: 8
KenPom Offense: 7
KenPom Defense: 26
Record: 24-8
Strength of Schedule: 75
Conference Record: 15-5
Quad 1 Record: 5-4
Duke earned a No. 4 seed and will face the No. 13 Vermont Catamounts in Brooklyn.
Vermont has been one of the most consistent mid-major teams over the past 25 years. Its America East Tournament win makes it three years in a row, which is such an impressive feat regardless of the level.
This is how they stack up against Duke.
KenPom Overall: 104
KenPom Offense: 161
KenPom Defense: 61
Record: 28-6
Strength of Schedule: 244
Conference Record: 15-1
Quad 1 Record: 0-2
This is a Vermont team that loves to play slow, they have the 349th slowest pace of play in the country. For Duke fans, that is only a few slots higher than Virginia.
Junior guard T.J. Long led the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game and will be a player to watch when the Catamounts take the floor. They also have another solid player in Tarleton State transfer Shamir Bogues who made an immediate impact, earning America East Newcomer of the Year honors with 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
Vermont is a very deep team and extremely well-balanced when it comes to their production. They have seven players averaging at least seven points per game. This is a team that is 40th in the country in terms of the number of 3-pointers taken each game but they average 34-percent as a team.
This Vermont team does a great job on the defensive boards but also is one of the worst teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounding rate. The Catamounts do a fantastic job of not turning the ball over, they are the No. 11 in the country with a 13.8 turnover percentage. On the other hand, they do not do a good job of turning their opponents over as they rank toward the bottom of the entire country.
Duke will have a clear height and size advantage at almost every position. This should bode well for Kyle Filipowski, who should come out aggressive in the early going. Duke will need to be on the attack offensively and not allow a team like Vermont to hang around as they are capable of getting hot and putting real game pressure on the Blue Devils.
Normally when Duke plays in New York they have a clear home-court advantage. While they certainly will have more fans than Vermont, the proximity for their fanbase will not be as big of an advantage as Duke is used to.
Jon Scheyer has the week to get the Blue Devils rested and prepared for his second tournament run. Dating back to the beginning of the year I have said this team is assembled for a Sweet 16 run, beyond that remains to be seen.