The Matchup
St. Bonaventure (10-8, 2-3 A-10) hosts Massachusetts (11-7, 3-2 A-10) at the Reilly Center at the start of a stretch where the Bonnies play four of their next six at home.
Last Time Out
Freshman Matthew Wright erupted for a career-high 18 points to lead all scorers, Andrew Nicholson chipped in 13 in 19 foul-limited minutes, and St. Bonaventure (10-8, 2-3 A-10) defeated George Washington 62-49 for its first road victory against the Colonials (10-9, 3-2) since Jan. 11, 1989.
Coming Up
The Bonnies hit the road for two in a row – at Fordham Jan. 29 and at Dayton Feb. 2 – before returning home for three straight games in the Reilly Center. St. Bonaventure hosts Duquesne (Feb. 5), La Salle (Feb. 12) and Saint Louis (Feb. 16) to continue the A-10 slate.
Scouting the Minutemen
By making eight of its first nine shots to open the second half, Richmond turned a six-point halftime lead into a 19-point advantage before defeating UMass 84-68, on Saturday afternoon at the Mullins Center. Anthony Gurley led the Minutemen (11-7, 3-2 A-10) with 30 points, one shy of his career-high, while the Spiders (15-5, 4-1 A-10) placed four players in double figures, led by Dan Geriot's 24 points. Gurley leads UMass in scoring at 19.9 per game – third in the A-10 behind Nicholson. Terrell Vinson (5.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg) has joined Gurley in the starting lineup every game this season, while Javorn Farrel (9.7, 3.8), Freddie Riley (9.1, 2.2) and Sean Carter (5.4, 5.7) rank among the team leaders.
Last Meeting
Michael Davenport notched his first career double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds and fellow sophomore Andrew Nicholson also finished with 26 as the Bonnies held on for a 70-69 win Jan. 20, 2010 at the Mullins Center. After an offensive rebound by Da'Quan Cook gave the Bonnies another possession with under three minutes to play, SBU went inside to Nicholson, who drew the foul and proceeded to make both free throws for a 70-68 lead. Anthony Gurley made 1-of-2 at the other end on the next possession for the final 70-69 score. Both teams had possessions down the stretch, but it was Freddie Riley's open look from the right wing with three seconds left that caromed off the rim and gave the Bonnies the road victory.
Head Coach: Derek Kellogg
Former Minuteman point guard and Springfield native Derek Kellogg, now in his third season, was named the 21st head coach in University of Massachusetts men's basketball history, on April 23, 2008. The 1995 UMass graduate returned to his alma mater for his first head coaching job after serving as an assistant coach for 12 years, the last eight at the University of Memphis under former UMass head coach John Calipari. Kellogg finished his second season at his alma mater with a 12-20 record. But that including the Minutemen's first Atlantic 10 Tournament victory in eight years as UMass knocked off No. 6 seed Charlotte, 59-56. The Minutemen had lost its first tourney game in each season dating to 2002. In his first season as the head coach at UMass, Kellogg led the Minutemen to a 12-18 record including an epic win over defending NCAA Champion Kansas in Kansas City before a nationally-televised audience on ESPN.
Series Snapshot
Massachusetts leads the all-time series 37-19. The Bonnies are 11-11 at home against the Minutemen, including an 83-75 victory the last time the two teams met in the RC (Feb. 14, 2009). That win also snapped a six-game skid against UMass; the Bonnies are just 1-7 against UMass since 2004.
Wright Way for the Rookie
St. Bonaventure's Matthew Wright and Duquesne's T.J. McConnell were honored as Co-Rookies of the Week as announced by the league office on Monday. Wright upped his career-high scoring total in back-to-back games, pouring in 10 and 18 against Xavier and George Washington, respectively. The freshman guard shot 75.0 percent (9-of-12) on the week, including 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from 3-point land. Wright is the first freshman to claim the weekly honor since Andrew Nicholson did it six times in his freshman year.
Keep it Under 50
When the Bonnies defeated GW, 62-49, it marked the first time SBU held an A-10 opponent under 50 points in a win on the road since a 46-44 decision at Fordham Feb. 21, 1998. The Bonnies hadn't kept a league opponent under 50 points overall since Jan. 29, 2000 - an 84-44 drubbing of URI in the Reilly Center.
Home Sweet Home
With a 5-3 mark in the venerable Reilly Center so far in 2010-11, SBU improves to 395-183 (.683) in 44 seasons with the RC as the home floor. With six remaining home games, the Bonnies have a chance to get their 400th win in the Reilly Center.
Hit the Road
St. Bonaventure boasts a 5-4 record on the road this season, just two shy of the program record for road wins set by the 2001-02 team (7-8) and tied in 2008-09 (7-6). The Bonnies have five remaining road games on the slate.
Strange Things Are Happenin'
Now five games into the A-10 schedule, some new statistical trends are emerging. Michael Davenport is the team's leading rebounder (5.2) over the last five games, ahead of overall leader Andrew Nicholson (7.6 rebs). Freshman G Matthew Wright (7.6/gm) – the team's sixth-man by minutes played through A-10 games – is outscoring starting F Da'Quan Cook (4.4), while shooting 7-of-14 from 3-point range (Wright was 1-21 in non-conference games).
Wet Your Whistle
In four of the past five games, foul trouble has limited Andrew Nicholson's play. Against Arkansas-Little Rock, the junior was whistled for three fouls in the first 8:55 of the game and finished with 11 points – his lowest output of the season at that point – in just 20 minutes of action. Nicholson has been forced to sit in three straight (22 mins vs. URI, 23 vs. Xavier, 19 vs. GW). His streak of 20 games with 10+ points came to an end against Rhode Island (nine points, season low) and he was called for his fifth foul with the Bonnies mounting a comeback at the 7:08 mark against Xavier (XU went on a game-clinching 11-4 run over the next four minutes).
Hack Attack
After four FTs against Rhode Island, Nicholson moved into 10th place in the Bonnies' single-season FT attempts. He has attempted a free throw in all but 10 of 77 career games played, including a streak of 37 straight dating back to last season. He now ranks ninth with 135 free throws this season.
Streak Ends at 20
Junior Andrew Nicholson had scored in double figures in 20 straight contests – the most by an A-10 player - dating back to Feb. 27, 2010 against Rhode Island, but against the Rams this season, Nicholson finished with just nine points. Over that 20-game span, which included seven double-doubles, Nicholson averaged 20.7 points and 7.3 caroms per game. Over his last 49 career games, Nicholson has been held to fewer than 10 just seven times.
Shouldering the load
Michael Davenport, who finished with game and career-highs of 28 points and 12 rebounds against Rhode Island, outscored and outshot the rest of his teammates in the 56-55 loss to the Rams. While Davenport was 12-of-19 (2-5 3FG) from the field, the rest of the lineup was 7-for-31 (1-9 3FG) for 27 points. The Cincinnati native also had runs of nine and seven consecutive points in the first half, and made all but three of the Bonnies' 10 first-half FGs.
Windex Man
Although he still leads the team and ranks seventh in the A-10 at 7.4 boards per game, Andrew Nicholson is hauling in just 4.2 rebounds per game over his last five outings. The junior recorded double-digit rebounds in seven of the first nine games of the year, including a string of five straight, but has not grabbed more than seven in a span of eight games.
Bouncing Back
Junior G Michael Davenport notched his third career double-double with 28 points and 12 boards to carry the Bonnies against Rhode Island. After starting the season with a 1-for-11 3FG%, he has lifted his percentage from deep to 39.0 percent (23-59). Over his last five games, the Cincinnati native is converting at a team-best 43.8 percent (7-16) from 3-point range and shooting 48.3 percent from the field (29-60).
New Staff Ties Baron
Jim Baron, the last coach to lead the Bonnies to a postseason tournament (NIT, 2001), posted 48 wins in his first four campaigns. Now in his fourth season on the Bona sidelines, Schmidt and his staff (all of whom eventually worked under Schmidt at Robert Morris) have also collected 48 wins…and counting. By number of victories in their first four seasons, here's how it breaks down:
75 Ed Melvin (1948-52)
72 Jim Satalin (1973-77)
67 Jim O'Brien (1982-86)
58 Larry Weise (1961-65)
53 Eddie Donovan (1953-57)
48+ Mark Schmidt (2007-Pres.)
Jim Baron (1992-96)
Mike Reilly (1928-32)
24 Anthony Solomon (2003-07)
Aren't You Guys Tired?
Coach Schmidt has deployed the same starting five all season long, and those five players have had the opportunity to play…a lot. Through 18 games, four of the five starters average more than 32 minutes per game and Da'Quan Cook averages 27.9. Ogo Adegboye leads the nation in minutes per game (39.3) and has played at least 36 minutes in all but two contests, including complete-game efforts against Buffalo, St. John's, Niagara, Ark.-Little Rock and Charlotte (3OT). Demitrius Conger has played 90 percent of his team's minutes and is ranked third nationally (38.4/gm). Andrew Nicholson was in for the duration against Ohio (60 min, 4OT) and Charlotte (55 min, 3OT).
Oh So Close
The Bonnies' 56-55 loss to Rhode Island was the team's first loss this season in a game decided by five or fewer points (6-1). When allowing just one more point (games decided by 6-10) St. Bonaventure is a paltry 0-4.
And-1 (More)
The Bonnies have actually played the equivalent of one extra game this season when accounting for overtime periods. By point differential (+5 Ohio 4OT, -8 VT OT, +4 Charlotte 3OT), SBU would pull out a one-point victory in that extra game, led by 22 points and six rebounds from Andrew Nicholson and 14 points and six boards from Ogo Adegboye.
Scoring the Rock
Andrew Nicholson ranks 23rd nationally in scoring at 20.1 points per game and recorded the NCAA's third-highest scoring output this season with 44 points (on 14-of-19 FGs and 16-19 FTs) in the 4OT win versus Ohio. He also has the top two scoring totals in the A-10 this season (34 vs. Charlotte) The junior has raised his scoring average every season in the Brown and White (12.5--16.4--20.1) and his current scoring clip would be the highest for a season since J.R. Bremer averaged 24.6 in 2001-02.
Demitrius Goes Double
Demitrius Conger booked his fourth career double-double with a 21-point 10-rebound effort against the Trojans of Arkansas-Little Rock. A rising sophomore who showed flashes of talent last season, Conger has been one of the more consistent performers this season, recording at least eight points and three boards in every game since Nov. 19 at Cornell - where he notched his first career double-double (22 pts, 14 reb).
Going the Distance
St. Bonaventure played the longest game in its 91-year history Dec. 18 versus Ohio, as the Bonnies and Bearcats went to four overtimes (a full 1.5 games). The Bonnies had four players log more than 53 minutes (Adegboye, Conger, Davenport, Nicholson) and redshirt F/C Jake Houseknecht booked 36 minutes for a new career-high. Nicholson played the full 60 minutes – the second game in a row he was not subbed for – and Adegboye (59 mins) played all but one. Five days later, the Bonnies took Virginia Tech to a single OT period.
Return to Sender
Nicholson's rejection at the 6:31 mark of the second period against Ohio made him just the third player in school history to block 150 or more shots in a career. He owns the single-game record (9 vs. Bucknell) for the Bonnies and currently sits third on the SBU career blocks list (158).
#100 for Schmidt
Now in his fourth season at St. Bonaventure, head coach Mark Schmidt coached his 100th game at SBU against Ohio Dec. 18, 2010. Schmidt's .430 (43-56) win percentage entering the game was the highest by a Bonnies' mentor since Jim Baron's .502 (132-131) mark compiled from 1992-01. Schmidt and Baron are the only two coaches to post a win-loss percentage over .400 since the start of the 1987 season.
Double Doubles
So far this season, the Bonnies have 16 double doubles from four different players: Nicholson (7), Conger (4), Cook (2), Adegboye (1) and Davenport (2). Earlier this season, Nicholson's streak of five straight double doubles tied for the second-longest in the country.
Climbing the Charts
Nicholson is climbing the St. Bonaventure career records list in his third season. The Mississauga, Ont. native is second on the school's career FG% ledger (.571), ranks third in blocks (158), and now sits in 25th on the all-time scoring list with 1,228 points. He is the 22nd player in school annals to post 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career. The junior also cracked the top 10 in single season free throw attempts (129) against the Rams and now ranks t6th (141).
Stepping Up
Entering the season, coach Mark Schmidt commented that players other than Nicholson would have to step up for the Bonnies to find success. True to form, each of the other four starters have netted career highs including: Michael Davenport (28 pts vs. Rhode Island), Ogo Adegboye (17 vs. Ark.-Little Rock, 24 vs. Buffalo), Demitrius Conger (22 pts. 14 rebs. vs. Cornell) and Da'Quan Cook (21 pts. 13 rebs. vs. Binghamton). Matt Wright got into the act against GW, pouring in a career-high 18 on 6-of-7 from the field.
Riding the Pine
The Bonnies are on the short side of the bench scoring matchup by a wide margin despite their favorable record. Through 18 games SBU has outscored the opposing bench just once (Temple, 8-7). In other all other games: Canisius (-17); Ark.-Little Rock (-10); Cornell (-10); Binghamton (-17); Cleveland State (-3); Buffalo (-9); St. John's (-31); Niagara (-15); Ohio (-18); Va. Tech (-10); Siena (-11); Marshall (-24); Ark.-Little Rock (-15); Charlotte (-10); Temple (+1); Rhode Island (-14); Xavier (-6); GW (-6).
Nostradamus on Nicholson
Should he record two more seasons similar to those already in the books, Nicholson will notch: 1,849 points (would rank sixth at SBU), 819 rebounds (fifth) and 272 blocks (second). It is also likely that he will become the 22nd player in school history with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds (needs one point and 52 rebounds).
NLI Signees
SBU added a pair of guards in the early signing period. Schenectady native Derrick Millinghaus, who currently attends Queen City Prep in Marshville, N.C., is a 1-2 combo guard with an open-court style. Millinghaus will have four years of eligibility, while fellow signee Eric Mosely will have two years remaining. Mosely currently attends Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and spent his freshman season at Austin Peay in 2008-09.
APR Improvement
Mark Schmidt ranks 13th in the nation in NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) improvement, as calculated by Fox Sports. Schmidt is among the top coaches nationally in cumulative improvement of his team APR, a metric used by NCAA officials to track the academic achievement of Division I teams during each academic term. Each student-athlete earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible. A team's total points are divided by points possible and multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team's APR score.
Ahead of Schedule?
Now in his fourth season at the helm of the Bonnies, head coach Mark Schmidt is ahead of schedule with respect to his previous head coaching stint at Robert Morris. During his third and fourth season at RMU, Schmidt posted back-to-back seasons with the same number of wins (14) before guiding the team to a record over .500 (15-14). At St. Bonaventure, Schmidt has guided the team to 15 wins in each of the last two campaigns in his second and third seasons with the program. St. Bonaventure has not finished a season over .500 since 2001-02 (17-13).
Chasing .500
After recording a 15-15 mark in 2008-09, SBU fell one game short of .500 last season by booking a 15-16 record. St. Bonaventure enjoyed a streak of 28 consecutive seasons of .500-or-better basketball from 1956-57 to 1983-84, but has just eight such seasons in the last 25. SBU has 63 seasons at or above .500 in 89 years.
