Wider court vision nets strong recruiting class for UVM

The shine of the University of Vermont men's basketball team's second NCAA tournament victory, a triumph over Lamar in 2012, had yet to fade before assistant coach Kyle Cieplicki hit the recruiting trail in Minnesota.

Cieplicki spotted Ernie Duncan, a highly-regarded sophomore point guard from Indiana who, at the time, had given his verbal commitment to Division I Evansville, a Missouri Valley Conference program in Duncan's hometown.

A year later and in Dallas for another recruiting trip, Cieplicki caught a second glimpse of Duncan, who had re-opened his college search and was in the midst of an All-State career at Harrison High School.

"Ernie blew up (in Dallas) and we were hot after Ernie after that," Cieplicki said.

Duncan became the Catamounts' most coveted recruit for the freshman class of 2014, and they landed him, in July of last year, in what turned out to be tipping point in the program's bold venture:

Head coach John Becker and his staff have gone west in search of filling out the program's roster, a strategy that has paid off since Duncan's commitment.

The five other freshmen who join Duncan on this year's Catamounts squad — Cam Ward (Marshall, Wisc.), Brandon Hatton (Independence, Ky.), Drew Urquhart (Vancouver, British Columbia), Zach McRoberts (Carmel, Ind.) and Trae Bell-Haynes (Toronto, Ontario) — all hail from outside the Northeast, the region Vermont had relied on during the program's rise from America East also-ran to one of the top mid-majors in the country over the course of the last decade.

"It was never a conscious decision to say, 'let's get outside this region,'" said Becker, who has steered UVM's program since taking over for Mike Lonergan after the 2010-2011 season. "But I also told (the assistants) to recruit whoever we like, let's not worry about where they go to school or where they are from.

"We missed on a couple Midwest kids in my first couple years. Now, all of a sudden, we landed some of them."

A new frontier

Led by big man and Vermont native Taylor Coppenrath, high-scoring guard T.J. Sorrentine and coach Tom Brennan, the 2004-2005 Catamounts wrapped up an unprecedented run in the program's long history: Three league tournament crowns, three NCAA tournament appearances, four straight 20-win seasons and, of course, one mighty, program-altering upset of Syracuse in March of 2005.

Of the 49 players to come through the program since the Catamounts' historic NCAA tournament first-round win, only nine listed their hometowns away from the East Coast or Northeast region. And of those nine, five players were at a Northeast prep school or college the year before joining the Catamounts. Another, Maurice Joseph, a transfer from Michigan State, has Montreal roots.

The Catamounts continued that success under Lonergan and now with Becker, advancing to three NCAA tournaments and tacking on seven more 20-win campaigns, including six straight, since 2005.

So why did Becker and his staff widen their search?

Why tweak a recruiting approach that had contributed to the Catamounts' greatest era?

The rise in New England prep schools and their impact on the recruiting landscape played a significant role. Prep schools can lure recruits away from Vermont, and they have also opened the door to bigger programs and conferences across the country to compete with Vermont and its local and conference foes.

"We still recruit in those areas but I think the big thing is the New England prep league, which we recruited for a really long time and had a lot of success, has gotten so good now the rest of the country is coming in," Cieplicki said. "Everybody from the America East to the Pac-12 is coming in to recruit those guys."

Becker, an assistant under Lonergan for five seasons prior to his promotion, learned from his former boss the best route to recruit and not overreach.

"I've been here long enough I know where our sweet spot is and be effective and find the right players to fit in," Becker said. "And (Lonergan) did a great job to help me prepare and understand what we are and what our sales pitch is, what our product is and what kids we have a realistic chance of getting."

But by expanding their search, the Catamounts aren't overextending — or shooting too high, Becker says. The staff, in the case of the six freshmen, targeted a specific type of player, from talent to character.

The Catamounts also made wholesale changes to their offense prior to last season — switching to ball-screen motion — to appeal to this generation of players.

"We wanted to get kids who were experienced with that, are comfortable with that offense," Becker said. "And also get kids with a good feel for the game, good IQ, coachable, things that we value here."

By many scouting measures, the 2014 freshman class is a slam dunk.

"A lot of prospects are starting to notice what's going on with the Vermont program," said N.D. Kendrick, the director of Duncan's AAU basketball team, Pocket City. "You could tell there is a change in focus of UVM's recruiting just within the state of Indiana.

"It's a smart move if they are looking to continue to win games."

The graduation of six seniors — one of the most decorated classes in program history — also gave Vermont another angle in its sales pitch: The opportunity to play and compete. Match that with Vermont's standing in America East and the school's academic profile, and the coaches had their own opportunity to land their most targeted recruits.

And it began with Duncan.

The key to the class

Before the Catamounts started their pursuit, Duncan hadn't heard of the Vermont program, much less about the 2005 tournament win.

But once UVM's accolades were laid out for Duncan, that was a game-changer.

"The No. 1 thing was definitely the success. It really opened my eyes," Duncan said. "I want to play in the tournament, that's my No. 1 goal and I will do whatever it takes to get there.

"The chance to do that every single year (at UVM) was just too big to pass up."

A three-time team MVP at Harrison, where he graduated as the program's all-time leading scorer, Duncan averaged 20 points, six assists and four rebounds in his senior season. Also the city's all-time leader in assists, Duncan is in position to continue the Catamounts' long stretch of four-year point guards.

"I needed to get a point guard who could come in right away and play a lot of minutes," Becker said. "Ernie was the top guy, the one we really wanted. Everything fell into place after that.

"He really gave us some credibility out in Indiana and the Midwest."

Ward commits, Hatton follows next day

Six weeks after Duncan announced his verbal commitment, Ward and Hatton offered theirs on back-to-back days in late August.

Ward, at 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds, put up 26.7 points and 7.8 assist per game last season to graduate as Marshall's top scorer and sixth all-time in Wisconsin (2,384 career points).

The excitement with UVM's offense was a big reason why Ward committed — on his unofficial visit to campus.

"When I was making my decision, it was a perfect fit (with the offense)," Ward said. "Just like any other player, I like to run up and down the court and score a lot ... and I really buy into the defensive end. It was a great game plan and I really like (Becker's) style."

Hatton, at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, overcame back surgery prior to his senior season to become Dixie Heights' all-time leader in points (3,045 points) and 3-point field goals (367) after a varsity career that began in the seventh grade. He averaged 25 points per game as a senior and was the 31st player in Kentucky to eclipse 3,000 points.

Hatton welcomes the task that lies ahead.

"There will be some growing pains, but coaches aren't going to lower expectations for us. They are going to hold us to the same accountability like everyone else," Hatton said. "I think that's great and I think that's why we have such a good program. We are going to be expected to come in and do what we need to do to win games."

Same-day decisions from McRoberts, Urquhart

The frontcourt players in the freshman class committed to the Catamounts within hours of each other last November, on the eve of UVM's season.

The 6-foot-6, 185-pound McRoberts — known more for his defense and as a glue guy on back-to-back Carmel state title teams in 2012 and 2013 — is likely to take Luke Apfeld's role of guarding the opponent's top offensive player.

Joining a program that is returning just one starter appealed to McRoberts, whose brother, Josh McRoberts, recently signed with the Miami Heat. But that's not a guarantee for minutes, he said.

"I think anywhere you have to earn playing time. I didn't come here for an easy opportunity to play," McRoberts said. "I want to earn it and be a part of a successful program."

Urquhart put up 27 points and 15 rebounds per game as a junior in Vancouver but had to sit out his senior year due to transfer issues at his new school, Eastside Catholic, located near Seattle.

"It was hard for a long time but overall I think it was a beneficial experience. I got bigger, I got stronger, I gained 25 pounds and I still got to practice against the No. 2 team in the state," said the 6-foot-8, 225-pound Urquhart. "It was a tough year, but I would do it again if I had the choice."

Bell-Haynes secures final spot

Tracked late in the recruiting period, Bell-Haynes gave his commitment in March to UVM, the only school to make an offer at that point.

At 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, Bell-Haynes brings a change-of-pace quickness the coaching staff loves. He was the leader in scoring (18.7) and assists (7.6) for Bill Crothers Secondary School, which went 36-6 last season.

Just as it had with the other recruits, UVM stressed to Bell-Haynes the opportunity to compete. Bell-Haynes, who plans to major in actuarial mathematics, was also hooked by the school's academics.

"Just looking at UVM, it was the best academic option after Harvard and (UVM) has been competitive for a long time," Bell-Haynes said.

Downside to new recruiting?

Where Vermont's newfound recruiting strategy could backfire seems obvious: Players could transfer as result of growing homesick or lack of playing time. Yet those are concerns every school, big or small, must face.

"Having kids from all over the country is great. It's great for the overall experience these kids have, but the challenge is you have kids from far away," Becker said. "Family, friends live far away and so the challenge becomes keeping them here and doing a great job of creating a culture that they want to be a part of that out-weighs the distance and all that.

"That's something we will have to see down the road if it is or isn't a factor."

McRoberts and others brushed off that possibility of the distance being an issue. And Duncan couldn't wait to arrive in Burlington.

"We are motivated and I know we are going to put in the work," Duncan said. "Back in the winter, I just wanted to get there and start building that chemistry. I've been exciting to get here since I committed."

The push outside the region has also made it hard for a Vermont native to find a home on the state's basketball team.

For the first time in Becker's tenure, UVM will not have a Vermonter on its roster. Harrison Taggart, a seldom-used bench player from Mill River High School, left the team shortly after last season ended and transferred to St. Anselm.

"It's definitely important for me to have Vermonters and it's an unfortunate situation," Becker said. "But as far as scholarship guys, there hasn't been a lot of options. There are some young kids that maybe will have an opportunity, but I also think it's important we find the best guys who fit into the academic profile we have here and who will be successful."

The defections of assistants Matt O'Brien and Chris Markwood — O'Brien to Maine; Markwood to Northeastern — might have slowed UVM's next recruiting cycle, but Becker says it shouldn't be a problem. Markwood and Cieplicki split up the six freshmen as the lead-in recruiters.

"That's why I'm heavily involved in the recruiting process and I understand that assistants can come and go," Becker said. "That's the nature of this business, and I'm trying to get them to a point where they can run their own program."

Expectations remain high

Ethan O'Day is the only returning starter from last season's Catamounts squad that went 22-11 overall, won the league regular-season title with a 15-1 mark and played in the NIT. O'Day is also the only player on the roster to log minutes in a Catamounts uniform for more than one season (seniors Ryan Pierson and Hector Harold transferred to UVM; Brendan Kilpatrick redshirted last year).

That puts the pressure on the freshmen, who seem ready for the challenge.

"I would say that one of our goals is to win the America East and make it to the tournament," Ward said. "But we just don't want to make the tournament, we want to make some noise.

"Why can't we be one of those teams that upsets some of the big schools? We have to work hard for it but we think it's possible."

Added McRoberts of UVM's string of 20-win seasons: "We want to keep that going. We don't want to be that group that right away ruins that."

Next month the Catamounts hit the road for an exhibition tour in Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa — five games in five days — that will be a good litmus test for Becker's young group. Becker has also been encouraged by early progress in summer workout this month.

"These kids all have a chance to be really good but they haven't won one game yet and they haven't played one game yet," Becker said. "What is exciting about this time of year is these kids are on campus now and we can start to figure it out.

"I think this group, if they stick together for four years, has a chance to do some special things."

Contact Alex Abrami at 660-1848 or aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aabrami5