Men’s Hoops: UVM Draws #13 Seed in NCAA Tournament; Faces Florida State in First Round

BURLINGTON — A day after clinching its seventh America East Championship and earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, the Vermont men’s basketball team learned its tournament region, seed, and opponent from the NCAA Selection Committee on Sunday night.

UVM has punched its ticket as the No. 13 seed in the West Region and will play No. 4 seed Florida State at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut on Thursday (March 21). The opening tip is set for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast nationally on TBS with Carter Blackburn, Debbie Antonelli and John Schriffen on the call.

Fans can submit ticket requests by calling the UVM Ticket Office during business hours at (802) 656-4410.

The Catamounts ride into the Big Dance with a 27-6 overall record, tied for the second-most wins in school history, and the highest number of victories by a New England team this season. Vermont won their seventh America East Championship on Saturday after knocking off defending champion UMBC ,66-49, and junior forward Anthony Lamb was named the Reggie Lewis Most Outstanding Player. UVM has won two out of the last three tournament crowns and tied Northeastern for the most titles (7) in the history of the league.

The Green and Gold have also collected a solid number of postseason accolades. Cioffi Men’s Basketball Head Coach John Becker was named America East Coach of the Year for the third year in a row, earned U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) District I (New Eng.) Coach of Year honors for the second time in the last three years, and he is a finalist for the Hugh Durham Coach of the Year award. Lamb was also lauded with a pair of Player of the Year nods from America East and the USBWA.

A trio of Catamounts landed on the All-America East Teams by year’s end. Ernie Duncan was tabbed to the All-Conference First Team along with Lamb, and younger brother Robin Duncan made the All-Rookie Team. UVM also landed a pair on the All-Defensive Team – Lamb and redshirt senior Samuel Dingba.