Saint Bonaventure Bonnies
Atlantic 10 (25-7, 14-4)
St. Bonaventure was supposed to have a good year, but few expected that they would head into the postseason with a 25-7 record. Coach Mark Schmidt has been around the program for a decade and has had some very good teams, but this group could be something special.
Big Wins: 12/2 at Buffalo (73-62), 12/22 at Syracuse (60-57), 2/16 Rhode Island (77-74)
Bad Losses: 11/10 Niagara (75-77), 1/3 at Dayton (72-82), 1/6 at St. Joseph’s (78-85)
Coach: Mark Schmidt
Why They Can Surprise:
The senior backcourt duo of Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley is the reason why this team can be so dangerous in the tournament. Adams averages 19.8 points, 5.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He also shoots an amazing 45.7 percent from beyond the arc. Mobley is actually the team’s most prolific three-point shooter and averages 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals. They might not get all the credit they deserve on a national scale, but Adams and Mobley are one of the most dynamic, experienced backcourt duos in the country. Fellow senior Idris Taqqee does much of the dirty work on the perimeter. He can score when needed, but usually defers that to the rest of the team.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The frontcourt revolves around 6-5 wing Courtney Stockard and 6-6 junior LaDarien Griffin. Both are good slashers and do plenty of work on the glass. Griffin will even block some shots on occasion. However, they are undersized and that is a concern, especially against bigger, stronger tournament teams. Sophomore Amadi Ikpeze is the answer against those types of players. He will not score much, but at 6-10 he does have the size necessary to hang around in the paint and play some defense. Eventually the lack of frontcourt size and depth will put an end to the Bonnies tournament, but Adams and Mobley can certainly carry this team to a tournament win or two.
Probable Starters:
Jaylen Adams, Senior, Guard, 19.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.5 spg
Matt Mobley, Senior, Guard, 18.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg
Idris Taqqee, Senior, Guard, 5.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.6 apg
Courtney Stockard, Junior, Forward, 12.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.3 apg
Amadi Ikpeze, Sophomore, Center, 4.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Key Role Players:
LaDarien Griffin, Junior, Forward, 8.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg
Izaiah Brockington, Freshman, Guard, 4.4 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 78.0 (71st in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 70.4 (125, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.2 (154, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.7 (54, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.6 (177, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 39.7 (23, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 76.5 (28, 3)
Rebound Margin: 0.8 (174, 6)
Assists Per Game: 14.1 (144, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.7 (62, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2016 NIT First Round loss to Wagner
2012 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Florida State
2011 CBI First Round loss to UCF
2002 NIT First Round loss to Syracuse
2001 NIT First Round loss to Pittsburgh
2000 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Kentucky
1998 NIT First Round loss to Vanderbilt
*all team stats through 3/4
