Seminoles wary of upset threat
Vermont dangerous No. 13 seed with length, rebounding ability
The Florida State Seminoles were hoping to start the NCAA Tournament in Jacksonville.
But after the selection committee awarded LSU and Purdue, two teams FSU defeated this season, higher seeds and more favorable locations, the Seminoles learned they will head to Hartford, Conn., to face a Vermont team looking to pull off an upset.
The No. 13 seed Catamounts enter the NCAA Tournament after defeating UMBC 66-49 in the America East Tournament Championship Game on Saturday. Vermont posted a 27-6 overall record and went 14-2 in conference play.
College basketball fans are familiar with the America East Conference after UMBC represented the league last season and defeated top-seeded Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Vermont’s roster features Anthony Lamb, the reigning America East Player of the Year. The 6-foot-6 junior is a versatile scorer who averaged 21.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season. He has expanded his game to include outside shooting and knocked down 37 percent of his 3s.
Lamb is joined by team sharp shooter Ernie Duncan, a 6-foot-3 guard who hit 41.4 percent of his 3-point shots. Duncan’s younger brothers, Everett and Robin, are contributors to the team as well.
Vermont has three players taller than 6-foot-8 and five players who are 6-foot-6. They use what length they have to protect the rim, ranking 38th in the nation in interior defense. The Catamounts are also skilled at keeping opponents off the offensive glass, ranking second nationally in defensive rebounding by grabbing 78.2 percent of possible defensive boards.
The Seminoles rely primarily on Christ Koumadje and Mfiondu Kabengele to provide a post presence and interior defense.
They have seen Phil Cofer in the middle when coach Leonard Hamilton opts for a small ball lineup.
During the ACC Tournament, Kabengele and Koumadje struggled a bit to stay out of foul trouble, with a number of those fouls being committed while going for rebounds. Koumadje said defensively, they have to be more aware of what’s going on so they can be in better position to make plays while avoiding foul trouble.
“We’ve got to be in help defense. The way our defense is set up, we’re always in help,” Koumadje said. “As big guys, we’ve got to be more away and just walling up and letting guys have to finish over our length. I know everyone is aware and everyone’s going to do a good job of helping, but we’ve got to be more aware and that was a problem … just us not helping and the big guys being open for the dump off.
“Then we have to make silly fouls because nobody was there to crack down.”
While the Catamounts have faced an ACC opponent in the Louisville Cardinals this year, they are not very familiar with FSU. Vermont head coach John Becker told the Burlington Free Press his initial thoughts on stopping FSU is to force the Seminoles outside.
“My guess, athletically, I don’t love it, but we’ll have to see what we can do and how they score,” Becker said. “Clark Kellogg said on [CBS] that they are not a great shooting team and maybe that’s something we can exploit.”
The Seminoles are making their seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament during the Hamilton era and are trying to improve on last year’s Elite Eight appearance.