America East Basketball: Vermont is the Preseason Pick

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With two weeks before the opening night of the college basketball season, it’s time to take a look at the defending champions and the preseason choice to win the regular season title again, the Vermont Catamounts. On Monday during media day, Vermont was tabbed as the choice to win the conference crown again, and why not? All they did last season was go 15-1 in league play and 28-7 overall. They were a unanimous selection capturing all eight first-place votes.

They return seven of their top nine scorers from last season. Two of those players, TJ Long and Shamir Bogues, were named to the preseason All-Conference team. Long was named to the All-Tournament team during last spring’s playoffs and Bogues was named the Most Outstanding Player of those playoffs. Vermont is loaded once again and will be a difficult out for the rest of the conference.

Let’s take a look at the new faces that head coach John Becker has brought into the program. We start with a transfer portal pickup. 6-1 guard Gavin Perryman comes to Burlington, Vermont after spending three seasons with the Texas Longhorns. He saw game action in 18 games, including seven a season ago. He was a 2023 Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection a year ago.

Ben Wesson is a 6-4 freshman guard from Charlottesville, VA Albemarle High School. He scored over 1,000 points in his career at the school and led the team to district championships in both 2023 and 2024. He set a single-season record in points with 527 and three-pointers with 94.

Drew Bessette is a 6-8 freshman forward who hails from Milton, Vt. He went to Rice Memorial High School where he helped them to win three Vermont state high school basketball titles. All three championship games were played in his new home Parrick Gym. He was named the 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Vermont and was also named the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year.

Another portal pickup is Shy Odom, a 6-6 forward who played two seasons with Howard in the MEAC Conference. In 51 total games, Odom averaged 9.9 points and 4.1 rebounds. Last year he was named the MEAC preseason Player of the Year. He went out and averaged 8.4 points in 20 games.

Sincere Clemons is a 6-2 guard from Ithaca, NY who went to Northfield Mount Vernon. He was a two-sport star playing basketball and Track & Field. He chose Vermont because he believes the school gives him the best chance to excel both on the court and in the classroom.

Another member of the freshmen class is 6-2 guard Sean Blake He is from Mississauga, Ont. He went to the Royal Crown.

As usual, the Catamounts will play a tough non-conference schedule before league play begins. Four of their first five games will be on the road. It will include a trip to face #11 Auburn on November 6. They will also make a trip to Uncasville, CT. to play in the Hall of Fame Tip-off tournament. They will face Delaware and Fairfield.