NJIT faces one of its stiffest tests with a visit from Vermont, which has earned a reputation as one of the East's top mid-major programs over the last few years ... Saturday's 2 pm tilt in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center will mark Vermont's second visit to New Jersey this season, as the Catamounts upset Rutgers, 77-71, in Piscataway on Nov. 22.

Garden State native Marqus Blakely, a senior from Metuchen, is a top candidate for America East Conference Player of the Year, an award he won last season for the Catamounts. Blakely's early season averages are 18.5 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game. At 6-foot-5, Blakely presents extraordinary matchup problems with spectacular leaping ability that more than makes up for his relative lack of height in the post and too much quickness for most of the bigger players who can reach as high as he can … Vermont's other player averaging double-figure scoring is fellow senior Maurice Joseph, a big guard who played two seasons at Michigan State and who gets 14.6 ppg for UVM.

The Highlanders, who are coming off a lopsided win on Thursday night over SUNY Cobleskill, continue to be led by sophomore captain Isaiah Wilkerson, who tops the team in scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg). Jheryl Wilson, the team's only junior and its most experienced active player, is averaging 12.4 points. The next six players on the NJIT scoring list are in their first season with the Highlanders.

Freshman Sean McCarthy, who has come off the bench in all six of his rookie appearances, is second on the team in rebounding (6.2 rpg). His fellow freshman, Chris Flores, paces the squad in assists (19) and steals (10). McCarthy and starting center Ryan Regis, a sophomore, share the lead in blocked shots, with eight apiece.

Vermont leads the brief all-time series with NJIT, 2-0, including 73-47 last Jan. 3 in Vermont ... After Saturday, NJIT, which is 3-1 this season at home, will play 9 of its next 10 games away. The only home date in the 10 is Dec. 30 at 2 pm vs. NYU-Poly.