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Before the season began it was tough to find anyone who picked the Vermont Catamounts to repeat as America East champions. Having to replace four starters, most notably the conference's best player in Marqus Blakely, would make nearly any team a tough sell. But Mike Lonergan's Catamounts have found a way to not only survive but thrive, and a win over Maine tomorrow night would clinch the regular season title and at the very least a berth in the NIT.

In his latest coaches interview, CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with former Vermont head coach Tom Brennan, one of the more personable figures in college basketball. Brennan led the Catamounts to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2003-05), including the first Tournament win in school history when Vermont knocked off Syracuse in 2005. 

Jon Teitel: You graduated as the all-time leading scorer at Phillipsburg Catholic High School. How far did you think you could make it as a player?

College basketball is a game of history, exemplified by the stars of yesterday who set the bar for today's student athletes. Jon Teitel looks back at some of the forgotten (and not so forgotten) college basketball legends who made our game what it is today. Some of these names might bring back great memories, while others will mean nothing to you, but each of the player's below made an important mark on college basketball history.

 

 

As part of his 2010 NCAA Tournament Q&A series, Jon Teitel is joined by Marqus Blakely & Maurice Joseph, the Vermont Catamounts two leading scorers. They talk about their chances against #1 seed Syracuse amongst other things:

 

Vermont Catamounts

America East Conference (25-9, 12-4)

 

 

Being the best player on a Top 15 team is a recipe for earning CollegeHoops.net's Mid-Major Player of the Year honors. Gordon Hayward averaged 15.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg, and 1.8 apg in leading Butler to a 28-4 record. He's joined on the Mid-Major First Team by CAA Player of the Year Charles Jenkins, Cornell leader Ryan Wittman, and big men Keith Benson of Oakland and Art Parakouski of Radford.

 

One of the greatest players in the history of the University of Vermont is Taylor Coppenrath, a star on Tom Brennan-coached teams that made three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament and won a game in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, beating Syracuse in overtime. CHN's Jon Teitel had the honor of spending some time with the legendary Catamount. 

Jon Teitel: You did not play varsity basketball until your junior year of high school: were you a late bloomer, or did you just grow into your body/game?

Coastal Carolina (21-4, 11-2 Big South, 141 RPI)

IUPUI (17-8, 10-2 Summit, 103 RPI)

Lehigh (15-8, 6-2 Patriot, 169 RPI)

Morgan State (17-7, 9-0 MEAC, 133 RPI)

Oakland (18-8, 12-1 Summit, 68 RPI)

Robert Morris (16-8, 11-1 Northeast, 158 RPI)

Sam Houston St (16-5, 8-0 Southland, 76 RPI)

Stony Brook (16-7, 8-2 America East, 154 RPI)

Vermont (17-8, 8-3 America East, 164 RPI)

Other (Arkansas St, Denver, Jackson St, Jacksonville, Quinnipiac, Radford, etc)

CollegeHoops.net's Preseason Mid-Major All-America Team is led by one of the few underclassmen on the list, Butler's Gordon Hayward. Hayward is joined on the First Team by teammate Matt Howard. Boston U, Butler, Cornell, Gonzaga are the only teams with multiple players.