ROCK HILL, S.C. – The St. Bonaventure men's basketball team will open its 2025-26 season against Bradley in the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon on Monday (Nov. 3) at the Rock Hill Events Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET and the game will be streamed live on the Field of 68 YouTube channel and X (formerly Twitter) account.
 
The matchup will be the second Division I game of the entire 2025-26 season, with only an Opening Day Marathon meeting between Winthrop and Queens College (N.C.) preceding it. 
 
Exhibition Win
The Bonnies rolled to an exhibition win over Alfred, 101-40, on Wednesday night (Oct. 29) at the Reilly Center. Five St. Bonaventure players scored in double figures while all 11 active Bonnies found the scoring column.
 
St. Bonaventure scored 54 points in the paint, surpassing Alfred's scoring total by 14 points. The Bonnies were productive from beyond the arc as well, shooting 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from three-point range on the night.
 
SBU played strong defense that turned into easy scoring opportunities on the other end, scoring 38 points off of 23 forced turnovers.
 
The Bonnies held Alfred without a field goal for a span of 14:47 during the second half. They outscored the Saxons 35-7 during that stretch.
 
"First impressions are everything," Bonnies' coach Mark Schmidt said. "This was the first time that our student body and community saw us play, so it was important for us to show them what type of team we have… It was a good first step and something we can build on."
 
Scouting the Braves
Bradley won 28 games last season, its most since 1985-86. The Braves were the most efficient three-point shooting team in the nation last season, shooting 39.8 percent from long-range. Duke Deen and Christian Davis (who have both graduated) led the way, shooting 39.4 percent and 44 percent from beyond the arc, respectively. Deen's 111 made three-pointers led the Missouri Valley Conference.
 
It has been over 50 years since the Bonnies and Braves last met on the hardwood. Bradley took down St. Bonaventure, 79-77, on December 30, 1972. The game took place just 23 miles north of Rock Hill in Charlotte, N.C., as part of the Charlotte Invitational.
 
Monday's matchup will feature two retooled rosters as Bradley returns only six players from 2024-25, and just 26.8 percent of its scoring from the previous year.
 
Fresh Faces
The Bonnies have also faced significant roster turnover, with 11 new roster members this coming season. Seven of these newcomers came from the transfer portal, hailing from conferences such as the Big Ten, MAC and Big South as well as Division II and Junior College ranks.
 
The four freshmen joining St. Bonaventure all come from overseas: Ilia Ermakov (Kirsk, Russia), John Ikpotokin (Dublin, Ireland), Achille Lonati (Pavia, Italy) and Andrew Osasuyi (Magenta, Italy). Lonati and Osasuyi were coincidentally born in the same hospital in Magenta just 13 months apart. Now, the two become the first pair of Italian teammates in Division I men's basketball since Mattia De Campo and Scott Ulnaeo, who played together at Seattle from 2016 to 2018.

For the latest news on St. Bonaventure athletics, stay connected on social media. Follow the Bonnies on X @GoBonnies and get men's basketball updates @BonniesMBB. Keep up with the Bonnies on Facebook /GoBonnies and on Instagram @GoBonnies. Bonnies Men's Basketball can be found on Instagram @bonnies_mbb.