BURLINGTON, Vt. – Robert and Megan Cioffi Endowed Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker officially announced the members of the Class of 2021 on Wednesday.
 
RELATED LINKS
CatamounTV: Fresh Faces in 2017-18
 
These four newcomers will add to the 12 returning players from a UVM squad fresh off the program's sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament and a school record 29-win season a year ago.
 
"I think all of these kids are really good and they're going to push our returners. We are going to need them to have significant roles on this year's team. We are really excited about all four of them in the short term and the long term," Becker said.
 
Ra Kpedi
6'9 • 220 • Forward
Indianapolis, Ind.• Lawrence North
 
"Ra is the biggest kid on the team and physically impressive. The things I like about him are that he rebounds the ball at a high level, plays hard, and has a nose for the ball. You don't see kids with his size in our league and he has skill sets that you can't teach."
 
Kpedi joins Ernie Duncan, Everett Duncan, and Josh Speidel as fellow Catamounts from the Hoosier State. As a senior, the 6-9 big man averaged a double-double, and earned Second Team IndyStar Super Team honors. He also led Lawrence North to the sectional championship game. He was selected to the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) All-State Supreme 15 Team and was invited to the North/South Indiana All-Star Classic.
 
Skyler Nash 
6'5• 215 • Guard
Chicago, Ill. • Gould Academy
 
"Physically, Skyler is ready to go. He is a high-level shooter and the ball comes off his hand very nicely. In the short term, he will be really nice piece and in the long term, he will be one of the top players in our league."
 
Nash, the No. 2 rated player out of the state of Maine, attended high school at Riverside Brookfield in Brookfield, Illinois before continuing his career at Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine. At Riverside Brookfield, he collected First Team All-Conference honors as a senior. While at Gould, Nash was named to the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class AA Third Team after averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists last year.
 
Bailey Patella
6'5 • 180 • Forward
Lenox, Mass. • Vermont Academy

"Bailey has the potential to be a cross between Dre Wills and Kurt Steidl. He has an aggressive defensive mindset and likes to get into passing lanes. He is a guy who can guard the 1-through-4 positions. He can be a nuisance in the backcourt and create some turnovers for us."
 
Patella, a two-time NEPSAC All-League selection, comes to Burlington from Vermont Academy. Patella helped the Wildcats to a NEPSAC Championship during his junior season and a preseason No. 1 ranking as the country's top prep team heading into his senior campaign. Before Vermont Academy, Patella was a 1,000-point scorer at Lenox High School before transferring prior to the start of the 2015-16 season.
 
Stef Smith
6'1 • 170 • Guard
Ajax, Ontario• Bill Crothers Secondary

"Stef is a really impressive kid and has an incredible feel for the game. He's already advanced enough where he makes the right reads, makes the right moves, and I think he is a guy that will have an immediate impact on this year's team."
 
Smith hails from the same high school, Bill Crothers Secondary, as reigning America East Player of the Year Trae Bell-Haynes. Smith is the all-time leading scorer at Bill Crothers and was voted Athlete of the Year as a junior and senior. As a senior, he was named team captain and earned First Team All-Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association honors. In the classroom, Smith was valedictorian of his graduating class. Last summer, he competed for Team Canada in the FIBA U17 World Championships.
 
The Catamounts return a solid core of last year's group including Bell-Haynes, America East Rookie of the Year Anthony Lamb, and All-Conference Third Team selections Payton Henson and Ernie Duncan. Becker was a finalist for the Jim Phelan Coach of the Year award and earned ECAC Coach of the Year, U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) District I (New England) Coach of the Year, and America East Coach of the Year honors.
 
Canon Solutions America is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball.