The Vermont men’s basketball team has, in recent memory, been the most stable program in the America East (AE) — it’s been seven seasons since the Catamounts failed to tally at least 20 wins. Head coach John Becker has been at the helm for the last four of those years, after serving as an assistant for five.

Despite the impressive consistency of the program, the accomplishments of UVM have been largely overshadowed. Without the star power of a highly touted recruit in the same vein as Stony Brook’s senior forward Jameel Warney or the three consecutive March Madness appearances of Albany, Vermont’s young squad has barely been noticed and has, especially last season, been doubted.

Heading into last season with just one returning starter, some of the doubt may have been warranted. It’s difficult to overlook the loss of both the talent and experience of four starters in favor of a large group of incoming freshmen who faced the possibility of a steep learning curve. The new starters and freshmen were, however, up to the challenge, as Vermont won 20 games last year — good enough for second place in the conference.

In college basketball, the biggest leap in performance often occurs between freshman and sophomore year. With five sophomores on the roster in 2015-16, Becker is hopeful the experience of last year will be invaluable for his team.

“I think it [the experience] is going to be huge for us,” Becker said. “All of those freshmen that played last year got experience. This year they’re coming back much more comfortable in what we’re doing.”

The cornerstone of the team, however, is senior forward Ethan O’Day, an AE All-Conference selection last season.

O’Day averaged 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last year. He shot 57.9 percent from the field which led the conference and was the 16th-best percentage in the nation.

“[O’Day] is our lone senior, so he’s got to provide leadership and be someone we can count on with production,” Becker said. “He gets here every day, works hard in practice, competes, and for him, he’s just got to take that next step.”

Among those expected to step up are sophomore guards Trae Bell-Haynes and Cam Ward. Both were in the rotation last year and will look to improve on solid debut campaigns. The duo averaged 26.3 and 20.2 minutes per game, respectively, as freshmen.

“A lot of those freshmen came in and got a lot of playing time right off the bat last year,” O’Day said. “I almost look at a few of those guys as upperclassmen, with the amount of experience they have.”

Another player expected to be a major piece this season is freshman Ernie Duncan. Duncan, who redshirted last year, suffered a back injury and missed all but 56 minutes of play last season. Duncan had been projected to be the starting point guard for the Catamounts.

“Ernie [Duncan]’s back and healthy,” Becker said. “He’ll be a major contributor this year because he was also in our program all last year. He has a sense of what we’re doing and what our philosophy is.”

Compared to last year’s squad, Vermont’s incoming class is relatively sparse, consisting of just one freshman. The Catamounts will, however, benefit from the addition of junior forward Darren Payen, who sat out last season after transferring from Hofstra, where he played 33 games as a sophomore.

This year, as in previous seasons, UVM will rely heavily on its defensive prowess. During the 2014-15 season, the Catamounts led the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 59.2 points per contest.

“That’s just the culture of our program,” Becker said. “Defense and rebounding. I think the guys really buy into it too, so I expect us to continue to excel on that end of the court.”

However, Becker expressed concern about the depth of the team. This could pose a challenge as Ethan O’Day led the conference in personal fouls last season, averaging three per game.

“Throughout his [O’Day]’s career, he’s struggled with foul trouble that’s taken him off the court and limited his minutes at time.” Becker said. “He’s got to do a better job of staying on the court and he’s going to have to play a lot of minutes.”

Still, if the past seven years are any indication, Vermont will be a serious contender for the conference title come March.

“Our main goal is obviously just to win as many games as possible,” O’Day said. “But every year, it’s expected that we compete for an America East Championship to go and play in the NCAA tournament.”