It requires a 3,000-mile trip, but the University of Vermont men?s basketball season remains alive thanks to the College Basketball Invitational.
The day after falling to Albany in the America East Conference championship game at Patrick Gymnasium, the Catamounts accepted an invitation from the CBI and will play at Santa Clara University in the first round Tuesday night. The opening tip is slated for 10 p.m.
UVM coach John Becker said the Cats have ?turned the page? on Saturday?s devestating loss, which dashed their hopes of going to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year, and are anxious for a chance at redemption in the CBI.
?Obviously, we?d rather be in the NCAA tourney,? Becker said, ?but anytime you can play the postseason, against good competition, it?s good for the program.?
This is the fifth straight year UVM has played in a postseason tournament.
The 16-team CBI is less prestiguous than the NCAA tourney, where the Catamounts played last year, and the National Invitation Tournament, their destination in 2011.
Still, Becker is excited to see how his team stacks up with Santa Clara, a northern California school that finished fourth in the rugged West Coast Conference.
The Broncos are 21-11 after being upset by Loyola Marymount in the quarterfinals of the MWC tournament, which was won by Gonzaga.
Kevin Foster, a 6-foot-2 senior guard who averages 17.9 points a game this winter, is Santa Clara?s all-time leading scorer, impressive considering NBA players Steve Nash and Kurt Rambis are alumni. Foster paces a balanced Bronco squad that?s averaged 73.9 points a game this season.
The Broncos are also the top shot-blocking team in the Mountain West, 6-foot-9 senior Marc Trasolini leading the way with 49.
Perhaps UVM?s biggest challenge: Logistics. After learning their opponent late Sunday night, Becker said his staff scurried to draw up a scouting report and travel plans. The Catamounts bused to Boston on Monday, where they were scheduled to take a 7 p.m., direct flight to San Francisco, then board another bus for an hour drive to Santa Clara.
?It?s a really tough turnaround but it is what it is,? Becker said. ?It will be a condensed scouting report and just one practice.?
The Catamounts, also 21-11, last played in the CBI in 2009, when they won at Wisconsin-Green Bay before falling in overtime at Oregon State.
?It?s a good chance to keep our season going and get our freshmen some postseason experience,? Becker said.
If UVM advances past Santa Clara, it will play at the winner of the game beween Purdue and Western Illinois in the quarterfinals March 25. The tournament is reseeded for the semifinals, setting up a best-of-three championships series.
The day after falling to Albany in the America East Conference championship game at Patrick Gymnasium, the Catamounts accepted an invitation from the CBI and will play at Santa Clara University in the first round Tuesday night. The opening tip is slated for 10 p.m.
UVM coach John Becker said the Cats have ?turned the page? on Saturday?s devestating loss, which dashed their hopes of going to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year, and are anxious for a chance at redemption in the CBI.
?Obviously, we?d rather be in the NCAA tourney,? Becker said, ?but anytime you can play the postseason, against good competition, it?s good for the program.?
This is the fifth straight year UVM has played in a postseason tournament.
The 16-team CBI is less prestiguous than the NCAA tourney, where the Catamounts played last year, and the National Invitation Tournament, their destination in 2011.
Still, Becker is excited to see how his team stacks up with Santa Clara, a northern California school that finished fourth in the rugged West Coast Conference.
The Broncos are 21-11 after being upset by Loyola Marymount in the quarterfinals of the MWC tournament, which was won by Gonzaga.
Kevin Foster, a 6-foot-2 senior guard who averages 17.9 points a game this winter, is Santa Clara?s all-time leading scorer, impressive considering NBA players Steve Nash and Kurt Rambis are alumni. Foster paces a balanced Bronco squad that?s averaged 73.9 points a game this season.
The Broncos are also the top shot-blocking team in the Mountain West, 6-foot-9 senior Marc Trasolini leading the way with 49.
Perhaps UVM?s biggest challenge: Logistics. After learning their opponent late Sunday night, Becker said his staff scurried to draw up a scouting report and travel plans. The Catamounts bused to Boston on Monday, where they were scheduled to take a 7 p.m., direct flight to San Francisco, then board another bus for an hour drive to Santa Clara.
?It?s a really tough turnaround but it is what it is,? Becker said. ?It will be a condensed scouting report and just one practice.?
The Catamounts, also 21-11, last played in the CBI in 2009, when they won at Wisconsin-Green Bay before falling in overtime at Oregon State.
?It?s a good chance to keep our season going and get our freshmen some postseason experience,? Becker said.
If UVM advances past Santa Clara, it will play at the winner of the game beween Purdue and Western Illinois in the quarterfinals March 25. The tournament is reseeded for the semifinals, setting up a best-of-three championships series.
