Recruitment Season Doesn’t Begin Until Vermont Extends an Offer to a Canadian
The Catamounts have already extended a number of scholarship offers for the class of 2022, but the 6’10†powerhouse, Armani Mighty, is a bit different than the other recruits – he’s Canadian. For the casual Catamount fan that little tidbit might not mean much, but for those who bleed green and gold you already know that the Vermont – Canada pipeline has been a gold mine for the Cats during John Becker’s tenure.
The Catamounts currently have three players from the great white north on their roster – Eric Beckett, Georges Lefebvre and Sam Alamutu. The jury is still out on all three them, though early reports indicate that Alamutu has already drawn rave reviews. Likewise, Lefebvre has apparently bulked up to prepare for a bigger role, while Beckett projects to be fighting for key minutes off the bench. Not too shabby. Considering the slew of Canadian excellence that have come through Patrick Gym these past few years, Catamount fans have to be feeling mighty giddy about the chance to see Mighty join that core. Fun fact: the last Vermont roster to not feature a single Canadian player was all the way back during the 2013-14 campaign.
While Mighty is currently the only Canadian to have received a scholarship offer from Vermont thus far, all of the other potential recruits share a common trait with Mighty. Size and length. Of the seven scholarships that Vermont has extended through the month of July, the smallest player measured in at 6’7â€. These other recruits all posses great length, but Mighty is the true outlier due is his size, muscle and well… might. The Canadian big man is built like a maple tree and his formidable presence in the post is precisely what the Catamounts so desperately need.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Truth be told there isn’t a laundry list of available tape and stats on Mighty, but what is available showcases Mighty’s ability to dominant the paint. His style of play is reminiscent of former Catamount Daniel Giddens in that he excels a physical post presence on both ends of the floor but could teeter on the line of being labeled a one-trick-pony. The Cats only had Giddens for one season, but with Mighty there’s an opportunity for the coaching staff to mold him into a more complete player over the course of his career.
Strengths – Domineering post player. Strong muscular frame, built like an ox. Plays above the rim. Gifted athlete. Controls the glass with ease. Good lateral quickness, moves very well for someone his size. Intimidating defender. Solid ball control and handles.
Weaknesses – Very limited outside of the paint. Poor shooting mechanics. Footwork needs improvement. Can play too aggressive at times. Relies too much on strength and athleticism rather basketball acumen. In danger of becoming one-dimensional at the next level.
Potential Fit at Vermont
Out of all the 2022 prospects Vermont has extended offers to thus far, Mighty is hovering right around the top my list. Number one is because he’s Canadian and two because he’s exactly the type of player that the Cats need. Even if Mighty doesn’t become the next Joel Embiid, his floor is likely that of Giddens or Sam Dingba. Granted Giddens and Dingba were very limited, but they filled a crucial role for the Cats as a gritty workhorse in the paint. Deploying Mighty down low would allow the likes of Lefebvre, Nick Fiorillo and others (Davis will likely be gone) to excel as a stretch-4 and capitalize on their perimeter shooting abilities.
Number 3, while undersized, was a dominant post player in his own right, though Giddens and Dingba forced defenses to adjust accordingly which in turn provided more spacing for number 3 to operate both inside and out. Mighty would have a chance to provide an immediate impact for the Cats in similar role. It’d be mighty cool to see Armani in Burlington next year.
*Dear Armani, I promise to find better puns of your name.
Chance of Mighty Signing with Vermont
5.7/10
Per Verbal Commits, Mighty has also received scholarship offers from Boston College and Providence. Considering that players of Mighty’s stature are far from a dime a dozen there’s a good chance some power-five schools come calling sooner than later. The cold is nothing new for Mighty, but the chance to play at the highest division one level might be too good to pass up, especially with all the NIL endorsements players can attain now. John Becker and his staff will need to work their magic to land Mighty, but if they can convince him to take his talents to Burlington next year, they’ll be mighty glad they did. God I can’t stop.
