The Starting Five Notes:
1. This is the most-anticipated non-conference game in the minds of most St. Bonaventure fans. Even for younger fans and students, the rivalry is intense and passionate. Historically, Canisius is St. Bonaventure's most-played opponent. This will be the 163rd meeting between the schools.
2. St. Bonaventure looks to bounce back from a home loss to Siena on Wednesday. The Bonnies were undone by 16 turnovers, 38 percent shooting and 10 missed free throws.
3. Andell Cumberbatch has started his senior year very strong, recording back-to-back double-doubles. He had 24 points and 11 rebounds against Siena. The 6-5 swingman is averaging 17.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the young season.
4. Depth is expected to be a key for the Bonnies this year, and it showed in the first two games. Coach Mark Schmidt used nine players against Dartmouth, all playing double-figure minutes, and 10 players against Siena as Youssou Ndoye made his season debut. The Bonnies' depth does come mainly from young, inexperienced players, though, as only Ndoye, Dion Wright, Andell Cumberbatch and Chris Dees have played in more than 30 career games at St. Bonaventure. With Jordan Gathers still recuperating from hip surgery and Denzel Gregg suspended, the other six players in the rotation are freshmen or junior college transfers.
5. Marcus Posley has already shown some of the poise of a veteran in his first two games as a Bonnie. He scored 16 points against Dartmouth and 22 against Siena.
The Series/Last Meeting
• This is the 163rd time that St. Bonaventure and Canisius square off. The long-time Little 3 rivals have split the last 18 meetings, each winning nine times and alternating wins every year since 2005. St. Bonaventure leads the all-time series 97-65.
• This is the first time since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons that the Bonnies have hosted Canisius in back-to-back seasons. This game is at the Reilly Center thanks to an agreement between the schools that ultimately made it possible for the Big 4 Classic to be played on Nov. 29.
Canisius Notes:
• The Griffs, who of course are coached by St. Bonaventure alum and former Bonnies coach Jim Baron, opened the year with a 64-60 win over Vermont at home on Nov. 15, then went on the road and knocked off Lehigh 63-51 on Tuesday as Zach Lewis scored a game-high 24 points. This is just the third time since 2000 that Canisius has started a season 2-0.
• Lewis, a 6-3 sophomore shooting guard, is averaging 15.5 points per game. A preseason All-Big 4 selection, he has attempted 11 more shots than his next closest teammate. Lewis is shooting 33 percent from the field and has five steals.
Posley Makes Immediate Impact
Replacing 2014 graduate Matthew Wright, who averaged 16.3 points per game last season and scored over 1,000 career points, certainly is not a task that can fall on one player. Marcus Posley, however, is playing in Wright's position of shooting guard, and there is reason to believe that the junior will be a productive player. The Rockford, Ill., native started his St. Bonaventure career with a 16-point game in the win over Dartmouth, then scored 22 in the loss to Siena. Posley is 6-16 (.375) from three-point range so far. Posley has scored at the Division I level before; as a freshman at Ball State in 2012-13, he averaged 6.5 points per game. Last season at Indian Hills Junior College, he averaged 13.5 points a game.
Shaking Off The Rust
Bonnies fans had to wait an extra year to see guard Jalen Adams in action; the Saginaw, Michigan, native red-shirted last year. He spent the year acclimating to St. Bonaventure and was able to participate in practices. In his debut game, Adams was able to make a positive impact by scoring 11 points -- all in the second half. Adams came off the bench and made both of his three-point attempts. He also got to the free throw line twice and made 3-of-4 shots there. In the loss to Siena, Adams contributed seven points in 14 minutes.
Gathers Making His Way Back
Senior guard Jordan Gathers, who is one of the team's two captains this season, had surgery in June to repair a labrum tear in his right hip. He has made progress in his healing from the procedure but did not dress against Dartmouth or Siena. Last season, Gathers averaged 8.2 points per game in 31 contests; he has played in 91 games over his career. Gathers is the nephew of the late Loyola Marymount star Hank Gathers.
