ST. BONAVENTURE vs. PENN STATE
Saturday, Oct. 17 – 4:00 p.m.
Buffalo, N.Y. – KeyBank Center
RADIO: Bonnies Online Network

The St. Bonaventure University men's basketball team kicks off the 2026-27 campaign with an exhibition contest Saturday, Oct. 17 when it takes on Penn State at KeyBank Center in Buffalo in the first Greenlight Preseason Showcase. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m.

A NEW ERA
For the first time in nearly two decades, a new face will lead the program from the sidelines in Mike MacDonald.

MacDonald enters his first season as head coach of the Bonnies. In 12 seasons at Daemen, MacDonald racked up 275 victories, including going 61-3 in his last two seasons and a Division II Elite Eight appearance in 2025-26. His 61 wins over the past two seasons are fourth-most in the NCAA at any level, and Daemen's win percentage of .968 during that span is second only behind Division II Nova Southeastern.

WHO'S BACK
The Bonnies return five members off last year's team for the 2026-27 campaign in junior Joe Grahovac, sophomore Achille Lonati, sophomore Ilia Ermakov, redshirt freshman John Ikpotokin and senior Jack DeRose.

Grahovac appeared in all 34 games during the 2025-26 season, making 14 starts and averaging 18.2 minutes per game. He scored in double figures six times, averaging 4.5 points to go along with 3.0 rebounds per game.

Lonati averaged 8.2 minutes per game and scored in double figures four times in 29 games, recording a season-high 13 points against Canisius and Florida Atlantic. Ermakov was limited to just nine games last season due to injury, connecting on 42.9 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and shot 45.5 percent overall.

DeRose appeared in three games for the Brown and White while Ikpotokin redshirted.

WHO'S NEW
The Bonnies reloaded the roster with 11 newcomers featuring senior transfers Ryan Heath, Zach Philipkoski and Benjamin Bill, junior transfers Taj Au-Duke, Ari Fulton and Ryan Kalambay, sophomore transfer Mason Blackwood, redshirt freshman transfer Akbar Waheed III and true freshmen Cameron Blankenberg, Chiek Diallo and Leo Kirk.

The Bonnies' transfers bring a wealth of experience, appearing in 444 NCAA collegiate games and making 184 starts.

Philipkoski, Bill and Heath make the jump from Daemen to the Bonnies with Coach MacDonald.

Philipkoski was tabbed as the 2026 East Coach Conference Player of the Year while also earning NABC Division II All-American accolades last season. Bill was the 2026 ECC Tournament Most Outstanding Player and is a two-time All-ECC First Team selection, garnering accolades the past two seasons. Heath appeared in 93 games, making 35 starts across three seasons at Daemen. He started all 35 games last season while averaging a career-high 9.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals across 28.2 minutes per game.

Au-Duke joins the Bonnies after spending the 2025-26 season at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa. He appeared in 33 games, making 31 starts while averaging 12.8 points across 27.2 minutes per game. Kalambay spent his first two collegiate seasons at Detroit Mercy, appearing in 64 games and making 33 starts for the Titans during that span. As a sophomore last season, Kalambay averaged 4.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game. Fulton posted two successful seasons at NJIT. He earned America East All-Conference Second Team honors following the 2025-26 season where he averaged 10.9 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 42.1 percent from the field.

Blackwood joins the Bonnies in a move that brings the 6-7 forward closer to home in Rochester, N.Y. Blackwood appeared in 26 games during his first collegiate season at Penn State, averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds across 12.3 minutes per game.

Waheed III was a standout player for Georgetown Prep, averaging 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 rebounds per game as a senior in 2024-25.

Blankenberg reclassified from the Class of 2027 to join the Bonnies squad this summer from Ontario Center, N.Y. He helped Winchendon to a 22-6 record last season after transferring from Wayne Central High School. Diallo arrives at St. Bonaventure from Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain after playing in the Spanish national team program and most recently with the Baskonia club team.

Kirk was a standout player for Weston High School in Weston, Mass. He became the 16th player in school history, boy or girl, to score 1,000 career points.

ABOUT PENN STATE

·       Penn State finished the 2025-26 season 12-20 overall and were 3-17 in Big Ten play.

·       Josh Reed and Ivan Juric return as the Nittany Lions leading scorers from a season ago. Reed averaged 11.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while Juric chipped in 10.2 points and 5.3 rebounds for Penn State.

·       A familiar face for Bonnies fans patrols the sidelines for the Nittany Lions as Mike Rhoades enters his fourth season at the helm. Rhoades is 44-52 in three seasons in Happy Valley and is 417-241 in his 22 years as a head coach. Rhoades is no stranger to the Bonnies, having served as the head coach at VCU from 2017-23.

·       Another familiar face on the Penn State sideline is guard Dasonte Bowen who spent the last two seasons with the Bonnies. Bowen averaged 11.1 points and 4.7 assists in 45 career games with the Brown and White.

SERIES HISTORY
The Bonnies hold an edge in the all-time series against the Nittany Lions, 11-10. The two teams, however, have not played each other since the 1990-91 season when Penn State was a member of the Atlantic 10.

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