The Matt Glass Interview

Redshirt junior Matt Glass shows off the hustle.


Matt Glass transfered home to the University of Vermont after the 2008-2009 school year. He spent his first two seasons of eligibility playing at the University of Massachusetts. Hailing from Underhill Center, VT, Glass attended Mount Mansfield Union High School and was Vermont's Mr. Basketball (an award given to the state's most outstanding player) in 2005 and 2006. He became the first junior to win the award in fifteen years. Glass sat out the 2009-2010 season due to his transfer status, but he is eligible to play for the Catamounts this season and next. Glass is averaging 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds a game for Vermont. He was nice enough to sit down and answer some of the questions I had for him.

FTPL: How would you compare your experience at UMass to your experience at UVM? Do you think there is a considerable difference between the competition in the Atlantic 10 and America East?

Glass: I am very fortunate because I have had great experiences both at UMass and at UVM. My time at UMass was wonderful and taught me a lot, and now I am definitely having a great experience at UVM. I think that the Atlantic 10 and the America East are two very different leagues. The Atlantic 10 is a much faster league with a lot of athletic, up-tempo teams. The America East doesn't have quite as many athletes, and has more teams that play in the half-court and execute.

FTPL: What were some of the main factors that influenced your transfer to UVM? How hard was it to make that decision knowing that you would have to sit out a year?

Glass: I definitely wanted to find a school that I would be comfortable at, play a larger role, and be part of a winning tradition. I found all of that in UVM. It was difficult knowing that I would have to sit out for a whole year but I was able to learn so much in that year and I think it has helped me to become a better player.

FTPL: Most of the preseason rankings I saw projected you guys to finish in the middle of the pack this season. This probably was not unfair considering you guys lost four starters from last year's team. What has made your basketball team so successful this season? Do preseason rankings like that provide inspiration for yourself and the team, or do you hardly pay attention to stuff like that?

Glass: As a team we definitely try to not pay too much attention to stuff like that, but it definitely motivated us. The coaches made it clear that they were not satisfied with this being a rebuilding year and we went to work. During the pre-season we saw that we had a lot of question marks but we knew that if we committed ourselves to working hard and playing as a team we could surprise some people. I think our unselfishness and our chemistry has helped us to be so successful. We all get along so well and are willing to work so hard for the guy next to us, it seems to be translating onto the court.

FTPL: You guys have a really talented group of freshmen, many of whom contribute quite a lot to the team (Voelkel, Carissimo, and Apfeld in particular). What has made their transition to the collegiate level so smooth?

Glass: We can't say enough about our freshmen. It is very rare in college basketball to find freshmen that are so ready to play, but these guys are certainly the exception. They are beyond their years in how they handle pressure and perform night in and night out. I think their transitions were so smooth just because they are so mature for their age. The basketball season can be very draining mentally and physically, and these guys came in with the right attitude from day one.

FTPL: Last question: what is your favorite thing about living in Vermont?

Glass: The best part about living in Vermont has to be the people. Everyone is so laid-back and kind it makes it easy to enjoy living here.

UVM Basketball, From the Parking Lot would like to give a special thanks to Matt Glass for being kind enough to answer these questions, and to Ben Dickie for arranging the interview. Bring it home boys.