The Starting Five Notes +ONE
1. One of two only two teams still unbeaten in Atlantic 10 play, St. Bonaventure makes the three hour drive south to Pittsburgh for the first meeting of the season with Duquesne. The Dukes won convincingly over Saint Louis on Wednesday and are 8-1 on their home court.
2. St. Bonaventure's 12-3 mark is the program's best start since the 1999-00 season, when the Bonnies won 12 of their first 14 games. The Bonnies are also 4-0 in A-10 play for the first time since that same year when Bona won its first four conference games.
3. The "big 3" of senior forward Dion Wright, senior guard Marcus Posley and sophomore guard Jaylen Adams is the second-highest scoring trio on any Division I team. The three combine to average 51.3 points per game. They all rank in the top 13 scorers in the Atlantic 10 with Posley (17.9) eighth, Adams (17.3) ninth and Wright (16.1) 13th. Wright leads all A-10 players with six double-doubles and is the second-leading rebounder (8.6) in the conference.
4. Over his last eight games, Adams made 32 of 54 three-pointers (.592) and averaged 22 points per game. He was named the A-10 Player of the Week after averaging 23.0 points, 8.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds in two wins the week of Dec. 28, topped by 30 points against Davidson.
5. St. Bonaventure received a single vote in this week's AP Top 25 poll. The Bonnies also continue to hover in the 60s in the RPI, rated at No. 65 on the ratings of NCAA.com and RPIratings.com.
6. Junior forward Denzel Gregg has come on strong in A-10 play. After a career high 22 points in the win over Rhode Island, he is now averaging 10 points per game for the season – 14.8 ppg in A-10 games.
Series History
This will be the 115th meeting between the longtime A-10 rivals. St. Bonaventure has claimed six of the last seven meetings but trails in the all-time series 58-56. Last season, the Bonnies won both games against the Dukes, winning easily at the RC (92-75) on Feb. 28 after a 100-97 overtime thriller in Pittsburgh Jan. 22. Marcus Posley scored 35 points, going 8-11 from three-point range, in that come-from-behind win.
Strong Start To A10 Season
St. Bonaventure is 4-0 in the A-10 for the first time since the 1999-00 team opened with four consecutive wins in the conference. With a win at Duquesne, the Bonnies would set a team record for best start to the A-10 season.
Second Nationally In FT Shooting
Traditionally a strength of Mark Schmidt's teams, St. Bonaventure has made 78.2 percent of its free throws as a team, which ranks second nationally. Lead guards Jaylen Adams and Marcus Posley both shoot better than 85 percent at the line. As a team, the Bonnies have made 80 percent of their free throws in A-10 games.
Taking Care of The Rock
Led by veteran guards Jaylen Adams and Marcus Posley and bolstered by freshman guard Nelson Kaputo, the Bonnies have a team assist-to-turnover ratio of +1.2, which ranks sixth in the Atlantic 10. All three guards rank among the top 11 players in the A-10 in this stat category.
Gregg Seizing His Opportunity
Junior forward Denzel Gregg's reverse, no-look dunk at George Mason Jan. 6 landed him on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day, but his value to the Bonnies is far more than highlight reel dunks. Prior the season, Gregg knew he would have the opportunity to become a player the Bonnies can depend on heavily. Gregg came on strong at the end of last year, earning starts in the last five games. The lanky, 6-7 forward opened the season with his first career double-double, 15 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Binghamton. Gregg has continued to be an impact player almost every game. After scoring a career high 22 points in the win over Rhode Island, he is averaging 10 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game. Nine of his 10 career games in double figures have been this year, including all four A-10 games. Gregg's presence on the defensive end is also critical; he ranks fifth in the A-10 in blocks and is second on the team in defensive rebounds with 56.
Adams Stays Hot At the Point
Last season, a broken finger ended point guard Jaylen Adams' superb freshman season prematurely. Last winter, his injury likely kept the A-10's coaches from putting Adams on the All-Rookie team – a spot that seemed a sure thing considering he was averaging 10 points and 4.5 assists per game and led all A-10 players in assist-to-turnover ratio at the time. Now, he's back right where he left off.
• The Baltimore, Md., native was named the A-10 Player of the Week after he averaged 23.0 points, 8.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds over the Bonnies' wins over Niagara (Dec. 30) and Davidson (Jan. 2). Adams was 12-22 (.545) from the field including 10-16 (.625) from three-point range. He also made 11 of 12 free throws. In the Bonnies' 97-85 win over Davidson, Adams scored a career high 30 points. He scored 16 points and handed out 12 assists – the most assists by an A-10 player this season – in an 82-68 win over Niagara Dec. 30.
• Over his last eight games, Adams made 32 of 54 three-point shots (.592) and averaged 20.5 points per game.
• Adams leads the A-10 in three-point percentage (.471) and ranks ninth in scoring (17.3), second in assists (4.9 per game), fifth in three-pointers per game (2.0) and sixth in free throw percentage (.859).
Wright Approaching 1,000 Point, 500 Rebound Milestone
Dion Wright is closing in on two significant career milestones. He reached the 500 rebound plateau in the Davidson game and now has 530. Wright needs 15 points to reach 1,000. He would be the 41st player in the program's storied history score 1,000 points, and the 24th to join the 1,000 points/ 500 rebounds plateau. The last Bonnies player to join that exclusive club was Demitrius Conger '13.
Posley's All-Around Game
A preseason All-Conference selection after he averaged 16.7 points per game last season, senior guard Marcus Posley continues to show how how valuable he is to this Bonnies team. While he is most well-known for his scoring, Posley brings leadership on and off the court.
• Scoring: he has nine games this season of 17 points or more including two 30-point games. He is averaging 17.9 points per game, which ranks eighth in the Atlantic 10.
• Intangibles: Posley leads the Bonnies in steals (21) and is second in assists (51) and, despite standing just 6-feet, is fourth in rebounding (3.9).
• Durability: He is fourth among A-10 players in minutes played (36.5 per game). He has gotten to the free throw line a team-high 70 times.
• Mr. Clutch: Posley has one game winner this season (Buffalo) after two buzzer-beaters last season (VCU and Davidson).
Kaputo Catches On Quick
Freshman point guard Nelson Kaputo has had the opportunity to play meaningful minutes right away and he's taken full advantage. Known for his quickness and ball-handling, Kaputo has acquitted himself well, averaging 6.7 points, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game (15th in the A-10). He's shown the abilty to penetrate defenses and set up teammates as well as make three-point shots, going 26-67 (.388) from long range. Kaputo has three double-digit scoring games in his last seven -- 12 points vs. SC State, a career high 14 against Niagara and 10 at UMass.
Tyson Returns, Strengthens Bench
Pre-season injuries to Courtney Stockard and Jordan Tyson left St. Bonaventure with eight scholarship players in uniform, plus walk-on Caleb McGuire, over the first eight games of the season. Tyson, who had surgery on his left wrist in early September, made his season debut on Dec. 19 in the win over South Carolina State. He had perhaps his best game against Davidson, scoring two points with five rebounds and a block in 18 minutes. The Columbus, Ohio, native made his first career start at UMass and scored two points with two rebounds. Tyson gives St. Bonaventure depth in the post rotation, and he is the Bonnies' ninth healthy scholarship player. Stockard remains out due to a broken bone in his right foot.
