BOSTON, Mass. – St. Bonaventure men's basketball senior Osun Osunniyi has been named to the 2022 Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America Team, officials announced Thursday.

He now is a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in Division I basketball, named in honor of the legendary former coach who won 786 games across his 41-year career.

Osunniyi is one of 30 players nationwide named to the All-America Team and one of two Atlantic 10 players, joining Jacob Gilyard of Richmond.

The back-to-back Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, the New Jersey native is St. Bonaventure's all-time blocks leader with 301 in his career. That total ranks ninth all-time in A-10 history as well.

For the third season in a row, he was the only A-10 player to rank in the conference top-6 for blocks (86, first), field goal percentage (61.0 percent, second) and rebounding (7.7 rebounds per game, sixth).

Osunniyi has blocked at least one shot in 28 of 30 games this year including 18 contests with three or more swats, upping his average to nearly three blocks per game. He currently ranks fourth among all active players in career denials.

He is also a key reason the Bonnies were +226 in paint scoring during the regular season.

Career block No. 301 was one of his most memorable as he swatted away a last-second shot from Virginia's Kihei Clark in the NIT quarterfinals, clinching a huge win for the Bonnies over the Cavaliers.
 

2021-22 LEFTY DRIESELL DEFENSIVE ALL-AMERICA TEAM

Fardaws Aimaq	C	So.	Utah Valley
Reece Beekman	G	So.	Virginia
Leaky Black	F	Sr.	North Carolina
Johni Broome	F	Fr.	Morehead State
Tevin Brown	G	Jr.	Murray State
Kyler Edwards	G	Sr.	Houston
Tari Eason	F	So.	LSU
Jacob Gilyard	G	Sr.	Richmond
Chet Holmgren	F	Fr.	Gonzaga
Tyrese Hunter	G	Fr.	Iowa State
Josiah-Jordan James	F	Jr.	Tennessee
Austin Johnson	C	Jr.	UC Irvine
Walker Kessler	F	Fr.	Auburn
Christian Koloko	C	So.	Arizona
Nathan Mensah	F	Sr.	San Diego State
Caleb McConnell	G	Sr.	Rutgers
Kevin McCullar	F	Jr.	Texas Tech
Alex Morales	G	Sr.	Wagner
Keegan Murray	F	So.	Iowa
K.C. Ndefo	F	Sr.	Saint Peter's
Norchad Omier	F	Fr.	Arkansas State
Osun Osunniyi	C	Sr.	St. Bonaventure
Orlando Robinson	C	Jr.	Fresno State
Jamarion Sharp	C	Jr.	Western Kentucky
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua	F	Jr.	Baylor
Oscar Tshiebwe	F	Jr.	Kentucky
Amari Williams	F	So.	Drexel
Jaylin Williams	C	So.	Arkansas
Mark Williams	C	So.	Duke
Lucas Williamson	G	Sr.	Loyola Chicago

------
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