‘They are Vermont basketball’: Robin Duncan closes out brothers’ decade run

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ernie Duncan took a chance on Vermont 10 years ago when he knew almost nothing about the the Catamounts and their NCAA Tournament history.

Friday, Robin Duncan removed his Vermont green and gold jersey for the final time, slapping a timestamp on the Duncans’ history at Vermont.

Ten years, three Duncans, a program changed forever.

The University of Vermont men’s basketball team’s 78-61 loss to No. 2 Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament not only closed out the Catamounts’ unlikely run this season, it also tied off a decade of three Indiana brothers who pushed John Becker’s program to another level.

From Ernie and Everett Duncan’s outside sharpshooting to Robin Duncan’s steady captainship this winter, the Catamounts won seven America East regular-season titles, captured the league tournament five times and played in March Madness on four occasions since Ernie Duncan first arrived on campus in the summer of 2014.

Earlier this seasonRobin Duncan cements brothers’ decade-long legacy with Vermont basketball

In 2019, the Duncans were the first trio of brothers to share the court during an NCAA Tournament game in college basketball history.

“Hard to believe it’s over. But, yeah, I love those boys,” Becker said. “I learned a lot more from them than they ever learned from me.”

Vermont guard Robin Duncan (55) drives around a pick on Marquette forward Oso Ighodaro (13) set by Vermont guard TJ Hurley (3) in the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the men’s NCAA Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, March 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

In a senior season Becker called “magical,” Robin Duncan landed on the America East all-league first team and the conference’s all-defensive squad to guide the Catamounts to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths. He also posted career-high averages in points per game (7.9), rebounds (7.2) and assists (4.4), and graduates with the program record for most games played at 147.

“He just never relented in his leadership and in his demands,” Becker said of Robin Duncan. “And it’s just what we ended up being was essentially a reflection of Robin Duncan this year. And that’s incredible.”

More:March Madness: Coverage of UVM basketball teams in the 2023 NCAA Tournament

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Friday, Duncan tied for the team-high with 11 points to go along with five assists, four rebounds and just one turnover in 32-plus minutes against Marquette, which pulled away from the Catamounts with a 21-5 second-half run.

“I honestly couldn’t have picked a better place than Vermont. It’s a very special place for me and my entire family,” Duncan said. “And Vermont is one of our new homes now. I can’t even describe how much love I have for Vermont. And my whole five years here has just been an unbelievable experience.”

Becker, who set the program’s all-time wins record earlier this season, said the Duncan brothers were “incredible leaders, incredible basketball players” who put winning first.

“They never had bad days. They’re the same people. They were in the Burlington community, and they are Vermont basketball,” Becker said. “If you ask how you guys have been successful, it’s the Duncan boys. It’s a lot of guys like that. It’s going to be interesting moving forward. How do you replace that?”

Vermont guard Robin Duncan (55) drives on Marquette forward Oso Ighodaro (13) in the second half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 17, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Free Press Staff Writer Alex Abrami is in Ohio for UVM’s NCAA Tournament appearance. Follow his coverage of the Catamounts at burlingtonfreepress.com. Contact Abrami or aabrami@freepressmedia.com and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aabrami5.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont men’s basketball: Robin Duncan closes out brothers’ decade run