For the fourth time in the last seven years, Vermont is playing in the NCAA Tournament.

The Catamounts earned a No. 15 seed in the East Region and will face No. 2 Marquette n the First Round in Columbus, Ohio on Friday. Game time is 2:45 p.m. and will be nationally televised on CBS. Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas and Jaime Erdahl have the call.

Vermont (23-10) enters the NCAA tournament on a 15-game winning streak. The Catamounts won their fourth America East title in the last five seasons with a 72-59 victory over UMass Lowell in the America East championship game on Saturday. 

America East teams have won nine NCAA games all-time, including UMBC’s historic upset of Virginia in 2018 and a pair by Vermont -2012 and 2005 vs. Syracuse.

AE News & Notes
Cats Champs Again
Vermont captured its 10th America East men's basketball title all-time with a 72-59 win over UMass Lowell in the league title game on Saturday, March 11. The crown is Vermont's second-straight, fourth in five years and 10th in the last 20 seasons. The 10 championships are the most of any program in America East history.

How it Happened
The Catamounts ran through the #AEPlayoffs winning their three contests by an average of 20.7 points per game. UVM shot 51 percent from the field in an 84-57 rout of NJIT in the quarterfinals and then shot 60 percent in the semifinals, a 79-57 win over Binghamton. In the championship game, Vermont outscored UMass Lowell by 17 points in the second half en route to a 72-59 win. 
 
MOPenn
Dylan Penn led Vermont with 21 points on way to earning Most Outstanding Player honors. He averaged 23.3 points per game over Vermont’s three wins. Penn earned Most Outstanding Player honors in a second conference after earning the honor last season for Bellarmine in the ASUN.

Becker Ranks as the Best
John Becker surpassed Will Brown and Jim Calhoun and sits alone as the only America East coach to win six conference titles. In addition to this year, Becker’s teams captured the crown in 2012, ’17, ’19, ’20 and ‘22.

NCAA Tournament History
America East teams have won nine NCAA Tournament games all-time including three in the last 11 years, matching the best stretch in conference history. UMBC shocked the world in 2019 becoming the first #16 seed to beat a #1 seed in 136 tries, downing Virginia, 74-54. UAlbany and Vermont won First Four games in 2014 and 2012, respectively. The Catamounts scored a major upset win in 2005 as a No. 13 seed with a 60-57 overtime victory over No. 4 seed Syracuse. 

Going Streaking
UVM boasts a 15-game win streak, the second-longest streak in the nation only to Oral Roberts. Vermont is also one of two schools in the nation to have both its men’s and women’s programs on win streaks of at least 15 games. Toledo is the other school.  

A Coaches' Conference
America East has served as the starting point for several high-profile coaches. National champions Rick Pitino (Boston U.), Jim Calhoun (Northeastern) and Jay Wright (Hofstra) all started in America East as did Mike Brey (Delaware), Steve Pikiell (Rutgers) and Ryan Odom (Utah State).