D1 · America East Conference

Vermont Men’s Basketball Recruiting: Roster & Openings

KenPom #250 · 22–12 · 2025–26 · Division 1 · America East Conference · Burlington, VT

Vermont finished 22–12 (America East 2nd, KenPom #250) in 2025–26. 16 players hold the 2025–26 roster; 9 are new this season.

Roster data through 2025–26

Roster16 players
New this season9
Transfer additions7
Clearest projected openingGuards · 2028
Most common home stateNY (4)

Where the door opens

our roster projection · your arrival year

Guards: open from 2028 — 8 ahead.

Forwards: blocked until 2029.

2026
Gbalanced9 ahead
Fblocked7 ahead
2027
Gblocked9 ahead
Fblocked5 ahead · multi-yr
2028
Gopening8 ahead
Fbalanced5 ahead
2029
Gopening4 ahead
Fopening3 ahead
2030
Gopen2 ahead
Fopen2 ahead

Projections for 2029, 2030 are low-confidence reads.

Guards in that room (9)
Lucas Mari6′6″Fr
Ben Wesson6′4″RS-Fr
Sincere Clemons6′2″RS-Fr
TJ Long6′4″Grad
Momo Nkugwa6′3″Fr
Chris Kuzemka6′0″Grad
Sean Blake6′2″So
TJ Hurley6′5″Sr
Ben Johnson6′3″Grad
Forwards in that room (7)
Trey Woodyard6′6″Grad
Jackson Skipper6′7″RS-Jr
Drew Bessette6′8″RS-Fr
Noah Barnett6′9″RS-So
David Simon6′11″RS-So
Gus Yalden6′9″RS-So
Ben Michaels6′8″So
Those openings are for the roster in general. See whether your position, size and profile fit them →

If you want to play at Vermont

How to get recruited here

For 2026 arrivals the roster projection reads: G balanced (9 ahead), F blocked (7 ahead).

Of the latest cycle's 12 arrivals, 5 came straight from high school and 7 from the transfer portal.

Most arrivals come from NY, MA, VA.

1 of 16 recent arrivals held a national ranking — 1 of 16 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

60% of last season's scoring returns.

The roster, as a depth chart

2025–26 · 16 players

Guards 9 of 16

Lucas Mari6′6″Fr4.9 PPG
TJ Hurley6′5″Sr · final yr15.0 PPG
Ben Wesson6′4″RS-Fr1.9 PPG
TJ Long6′4″Grad · final yr12.1 PPG
Momo Nkugwa6′3″Fr2.9 PPG
Ben Johnson6′3″Grad · final yr5.4 PPG
Sincere Clemons6′2″RS-Fr0.2 PPG
Sean Blake6′2″So9.9 PPG
Chris Kuzemka6′0″Grad · final yr

Frontcourt 7 of 16 · forwards + centers

David Simon6′11″RS-So · F3.4 PPG
Noah Barnett6′9″RS-So · F5.8 PPG
Gus Yalden6′9″RS-So · F16.1 PPG
Drew Bessette6′8″RS-Fr · F0.4 PPG
Ben Michaels6′8″So · F2.0 PPG
Jackson Skipper6′7″RS-Jr · F1.8 PPG
Trey Woodyard6′6″Grad · F · final yr
freshman final year — spot opens returning

Returning production

60%of recorded scoring returns
3 of 5top scorers returning
Top returning scorers
Gus Yalden16.1 PPG · returning
Sean Blake9.9 PPG · returning
Noah Barnett5.8 PPG · returning

Computed from 14 of 16 players with recorded 2025–26 stats; class years mark who returns.

Who actually gets onto this roster?

How players arrive

5from high school7via the portal

9 of 16 roster spots were filled out of high school or held over.

Rankings

1 of 16

1 of 16 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

Best-ranked: Gus Yalden #143.

Where from

NY 4 · MA 2 · VA 2 · KY 1 · ME 1 · NV 1

6 international: Pelham; Valencia; Ajax, Ontario; Mississauga and 2 more

High schools: Rothesay Netherwood School; Cedar Crest; Don Bosco Prep and 2 more

Transfer flow

named arrivals and departures

2024–25 → 2025–26 · in

→Chris Kuzemka
→Trey Woodyard
→Jackson Skipper
→David Simon
→Gus Yalden
→Ben Michaels
→Ben Johnson

2024–25 → 2025–26 · out

←Ileri Ayo-Faleye
←Sam Alamutu
←Shamir Bogues
←Seth Joba
←Shy Odom

How this roster compares

America East Conference (9 programs, 2025–26 medians)
MeasureVermontConference
Average guard height6′3″6′3″
Average frontcourt height6′8″6′8″
Roster size1615+1
Freshman share31%27%+4pp

The five-year arc

kenpom rank · wins · conference finish
#632021–22#992022–23#1132023–24#2272024–25#2502025–26
28–6 · America East 1st23–11 · America East 1st28–7 · America East 1st21–12 · America East 2nd22–12 · America East 2nd

Coaching staff

John BeckerMeghan and robert cioffi men's basketball head coach
Ryan SchneiderAssociate head coach
Nathan JohnsonAssistant coach
Braeden EstesAssistant coach
Staff changes3 on-court staff changes in 5 offseasons — 1 before 2023–24, 2 before 2025–26.

Academics

published admissions data
Acceptance rate65%
SAT midpoint1325
ACT midpoint31

How this page is made: Rosters: official Vermont rosters, 2024–25 and 2025–26, read from the athletic department's own site · New this season: players not listed on the 2024–25 roster; a newcomer who is not a freshman counts as a transfer addition · Ratings: KenPom, five seasons; conference finish computed among same-conference teams by rating · Openings: Depth Chart's roster projection from listed class years; confidence stated per year · Sample: among players who made a college roster — the data cannot see who didn't. Among players who made a college roster. Model judgments describe positions and cohorts, never a named player's future. Refreshed automatically when the rosters change. Corrections: research@mydepthchart.com.

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