The Starting Five Notes
1. St. Bonaventure travels to the Sunshine State for a test against the Florida Gators in Lakeland. Both teams entered the year with high expectations and are unbeaten in the young season. The Bonnies topped St. Francis (Pa.) 92-82 last Saturday and now open a four-game road swing with this contest against the Gators, who were picked to finish second in the SEC.
2. St. Bonaventure is led by 2015-16 A-10 Coach of the Year Mark Schmidt, who begins his 10th season at the helm of the program. Schmidt has a fairly inexperienced team. Senior Denzel Gregg and juniors Jaylen Adams and Idris Taqqee lead the Bonnies as co-captains.
3. Adams was a first team All-Conference selection last year, and he enters his junior season hoping to continue to build on a breakout sophomore campaign. Adams' list of preseason accolades includes honorable mention All-America from Sports Illustrated. He is joined in the backcourt by classmate Matt Mobley, who scored 21 points in his debut.
4. Last year, a record-breaking regular season culminated with the Bonnies (22-9/14-4) as co-champions of the Atlantic 10 for the first time. It also was the first year since 1976-77 that St. Bonaventure won 20 games in the regular season; it was the 14th season of 20 wins or more in school history. The Bonnies also set a program record for Atlantic 10 victories.
5. St. Bonaventure and coach Mark Schmidt and second year Florida coach Mike White have faced each other once before. White's Louisiana Tech team knocked off the Bonnies, 76-72, in the championship game of the 2013 Gulf Coast Showcase in Naples, Fla.
Scouting Florida
• Florida opened the season with wins over Florida Gulf Coast (80-59) and Mercer (76-54) over the weekend in Jacksonville, Fla. The Gators received votes in both the AP and coaches polls this week.
• Florida, which was selected second in the SEC preseason poll behind Kentucky, was impressive defensively, holding its two opponents to a combined .382 shooting and forcing 36 turnovers. The Gators are also +9.0 in rebounding margin through the first two games.
• Devin Robinson, a 6-8 junior, leads the Gators in scoring at 13.0 points per game. He is also second on the team in rebounding with a 7.5 average. Justin Leon (12.5 ppg) and Canyon Barry (10.0) also average in double figures, with KeVaughn Allen (9.5) and John Egbunu (9.5) close behind.
The Series/Last Meeting
Dec. 27, 1977 at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., Greg Sanders scored 31 points but the Gators prevailed 88-75. This was the only prior meeting between the schools.
Working In The New Guys
St. Bonaventure has six new players on the roster – three freshmen, one junior, one senior and one graduate student. That is not counting Courtney Stockard, who is out for the season due to a foot injury. The newcomers are led by upperclasmen Chinonso Obokoh, David Andoh and Matt Mobley. Obokoh is a graduate transfer who played at Syracuse the past three seasons who the Bonnies hope will bring an interior presence with his rebounding and shot-blocking abilities. Andoh and Mobley both practiced with the Bonnies last season after transferring from Liberty and Central Connecticut, respectively. Mobley, who averaged 17 points per game as a sophomore at CCS, is starting alongisde Jay Adams in the backcourt and also is the backup point guard. Andoh averaged 10 points and 7.0 rebounds at Liberty and should make an impact coming off the bench; he battled a stress fracture in his foot over the summer but is almost fully back. Freshmen forwards Josh Ayeni, Amadi Ikpeze and guard Tareq Coburn make up a promising class. All three should have a chance to play immediately. Ayeni scored 10 points against St. Francis.
Adams Earns Preseason Accolades
With the 2016-17 season just underway, St. Bonaventure junior Jaylen Adams, who opened the season with 23 points and eight assists in the win over St. Francis, continues to earn numerous accolades from college basketball media. Entering his third season as the Bonnies' point guard, Adams has received recognition from the coaches and media within the Atlantic 10 Conference as well as national media and websites. These include:
• Top 50 candidate for the John Wooden Award
• Preseason honorable mention All-American by SI.com
• Listed "Also Considered" by Sports Illustrated in its list of preseason national player of the year candidates
• Fifth-ranked point guard by Lindy's college basketball magazine
• Atlantic 10 Conference preseason All-Conference first team
• No. 2 on A10Talk.com's list of the top players in the conference
• No. 13 on American Sports Network's list of the top 100 players the network covers
• Big 4 preseason Player of the Year
The Baltimore, Md., native, is the leading returning scorer for St. Bonaventure. Last season, Adams was named to the All-Atlantic 10 first team and to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 4 second team. He tied for eighth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring at 17.9 points per game, led the A-10 in three-point field goal percentage (.438) and finished fourth in free throw percentage (.874). Adams also averaged 5.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. His .438 three-point percentage is the second-best mark in school history. After last season, Sports Illustrated named Adams one of its most surprising players of the 2015-16 season. In July, Adams attended the adidas Nations camp in Los Angeles, a prestigious event for a select group of top players.
Taqqee The Bonnies' Glue Guy
Junior Idris Taqqee brings a hard-nosed, selfless approach to the court -- often described by Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt as a "glue guy" who does all the little things necessary for success. One of the team's co-captains for the second year in a row, Taqqee blossomed last year, starting every game this season and averaging 5.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He had some of his best games when they counted the most. He opened many eyes in the Feb. 27 win over UMass as he went 5-7 from three-point range and scored a career high 19 points. He also became a very reliable defender, often assigned to the opponent's top wing. His freshman year, Taqqee played just 8.3 minutes and averaged 1.2 points per game. Taqqee was at his best last weekend as he grabbed a career high 12 rebounds in the win over St. Francis.
Gregg Primed To Cap Career In Style
Like many St. Bonaventure players before, Denzel Gregg's career has been marked by yearly development. The team's only four-year senior, the 6-7 forward certainly seems ready for the most productive season of his career. While he has become a fan favorite for his highlight-reel dunks and blocks, Gregg has rounded out his offensive game, adding a three-point shot and mid-range jumper last year. Last season, he was the team's instant spark off the bench and the A-10's coaches noticed, naming him the co-Sixth Man of the Year in the conference. Gregg opened his senior year with a bang, scoring a career high 23 points in the win over St. Francis.
Up Next
The Bonnies head to Texas to play in the Lone Star Showcase Nov. 21-23. Their first game will be Monday at 5 p.m. (CT) vs. Arkansas Little Rock.
