Both Kyle Lofton and Osun Osunniyi are receiving a good deal of national attention following their tremendous debuts last year:
St. Bonaventure opened the 2018-19 season 4-10 through 14 games, but would finish the year with 18 victories and a spot in the Atlantic 10 Championship Game.
That turnaround was due in large part to perhaps the best defensive team head coach Mark Schmidt has ever guided with St. Bonaventure: The Bonnies allowed just 63.1 points per game last year, a figure that ranks sixth in program history and ranked 18th in the nation last season.
The Bonnies boast the tallest roster in the Atlantic 10 this season at an average of 6-foot-6. Second is GW (6'5.88") and third is UMass (6'5.21").
SBU has two players at 6'10" - senior Amadi Ikpeze and sophomore Osun Osunniyi. Among scholarship players, no player is shorter than 6'3" and three newcomers - Bobby Planutis, Robert Carpenter and Justin Winston are listed at 6'8".
BONA SELECTED FIFTH IN A-10
St. Bonaventure was selected fifth in the preseason Atlantic 10 rankings. Last season's ninth-place preseason ranking is the only time in the past four years that the Bonnies have not been selected fifth or higher. While last season's ninth-place ranking in the preseason polls turned into a fourth-place finish and ultimately a spot in the Atlantic 10 Championship Game, the Bonnies look to continue their trend of surpassing preseason expectations: St. Bonaventure has not finished lower than its preseason poll selection since the 2012-13 campaign.
NEW FACES
The Bonnies return a nucleus of exciting talent – including sophomores Kyle Lofton, Dominick Welch, Osun Osunniyi and Alpha Okoli along with senior Amadi Ikpeze – but those are the only five players back from last year on the active roster. A new but experienced player is redshirt sophomore Bobby Planutis who was with the program all of last year, sitting due to NCAA transfer rules after transferring from Mount St. Mary's where he started 25 of 32 games as a freshman.
The team's lone junior is a newcomer – transfer Matt Johnson, a guard from Howard (TX) junior college. Sophomore Jaren English joins the backcourt from Ranger (TX) junior college as well. The team also welcomes freshmen Robert Carpenter, Alejandro Vasquez and Justin Winston. Another newcomer, junior Jalen Adaway, will sit this season after transferring from Miami (OH) and have two years of eligibility remaining beginning next season.
SHOES TO FILL
While there's much to be excited about with the returning players and newcomers, the Bonnies will need to fill the shoes of what was an outstanding senior class that graduated following last season. Courtney Stockard was an All-Conference performer, averaging over 15 points per game last year. LaDarien Griffin earned the league's Most Improved Player award two seasons ago and started 23 of the 24 games he played a year ago. Both of those players are playing professionally overseas now, becoming the 23rd and 24th Bona players under head coach Mark Schmidt to sign pro deals. Joined by four-year player Nelson Kaputo, the trio was part of 86 wins during their Bona careers.
THE CENTENNIAL SEASON
This year marks one of the most anticipated in program history as the Bonnies open their 100th season of intercollegiate men's basketball. Special celebrations are planned throughout the year. For more information, visit GoBonnies.com/100.
100 YEARS IN 100 DAYS
All summer and fall, the Athletics Department has been counting down to tip-off with the 100 Years in 100 Days series on Facebook. With the countdown hitting zero, look back on all the moments by clicking here.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 13th meeting all-time between the Bonnies and Bobcats and first since 2015. St. Bonaventure owns an 8-4 edge all-time in the series and has won six of the seven meetings in the Reilly Center including an 81-68 victory Dec. 5, 2015 in the last meeting between the programs. The first game between the schools came during the 1962-63 season, a 75-60 victory for St. Bonaventure.
One of the most memorable games in Reilly Center history featured the Bobcats – a quadruple overtime thriller Dec. 18, 2010 when the Bonnies outlasted Ohio, 112-107 behind 44 points from Andrew Nicholson.
OHIO NOTES
The Bobcats were picked sixth out of the six squads in the MAC East Preseason Poll and are in their first season under new head coach Jeff Boals, a former assistant at Ohio State and head coach at Stony Brook for the past three years. The Bobcats return MAC Freshman of the Year Ben Vander Plas (8.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) along with fellow All-Freshman Jason Preston (6.0 ppg, 106 assists).
Ohio defeated Capital, 73-49, in its exhibition game this past Saturday. Sophomore guard Jason Preston led the team with 17 points and six assists while redshirt senior guard Jordan Dartis, who missed all of last season, posted 13 points. Freshman guard Lunden McDay made his Bobcat debut with 12 points and three steals.
BONNIES ON ESPN+
The Atlantic 10's agreement with ESPN+ to be the official video streaming partner of the conference means all St. Bonaventure games that are not shown on a national or regional TV network will be shown on ESPN+. The broadcasts will be produced in-house under the direction of Rick Karnath, an adjunct professor in the Jandoli School of Communication. Karnath will lead a group of students who will work alongside Athletics Department staff to air both men's and women's games. ESPN+ can be accessed in the Watch tab of the latest version of the ESPN App, available on the web, iPhone, iPad, tvOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast and FireTV for a subscription of $4.99 per month. This season, no fewer than a dozen Bonnies men's games will air on ESPN+.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the Bonnies remain on sale. To order, call the SBU Ticket Office at 716-375-2500 or click here. Flex packs and single-game tickets are also now available.
UP NEXT
A busy opening week continues Friday night when the Bonnies welcome Vermont to the Reilly Center. Tip off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
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For the latest news on St. Bonaventure athletics, stay connected on social media. Follow the Bonnies on Twitter @GoBonnies and get men's basketball updates @BonniesMBB. Keep up with the Bonnies on Facebook /GoBonnies and on Instagram @GoBonnies.
