Quick Thoughts on the Mansfield Scrimmage

By Ryan Shannon

I have been preparing for a trial all week, so this will be pretty short.  But I wanted to give some thoughts on the scrimmage, because there were some things that impressed me, and many that did not.

What Impressed Me

1. Andrew Nicholson.  I love the confidence and swagger.  He was not hesitating to take any shot in which he thought he could make.  That is what I want out of this program’s superstar.  I mean the dunks are nice, but I like that 18-foot jumpshot even better.  He is becoming a complete offensive force.  8 rebounds to go along with 29 points.  If he keeps up efforts such as this, we will have some of the best inside play in the conference, regardless of who is at the 4.

2. Daquan Cook’s 9 rebounds.  We may have found our 4.  In our offense the 4 does not need to score as much, Andrew will get the touches and the other forward can dive or cut.  But we need the 4 to rebound.  That’s what Daquan did last night.  It has never been a question of whether Daquan had the ability to play at the Division I level, rather whether he had the mental strength to play at this level.  Hopefully he continues performances such as these.

3. Chris Matthews’s 8 assists and 0 turnovers.  I wanna preface this by saying, there was a lot about Chris’s game that I did not like last night, which I will write about later.  This was definitely a positive however.  He took care of the basketball, and his passing was sharp. 

4. Jonathan Hall’s all around game.  We need Hall to be an all around player for us in order for this team to be successful.  Reminds me a lot of Ahmad Smith.  If his shooting gets better, that could only be a bonus.

5. We did not pull a Syracuse. 

6. The women’s team’s score.  71-18? Gotta love what Jim Crowley is doing there.  Congratulations, looks like another great season is ahead from the women’s team. 

What Did Not Impress Me

1. We were 8 points better than Mansfield.  As Rasheed Wallace always says “ball don’t lie.”  The score says that we are better than Mansfield by 8 points.  I don’t believe that we truly are, but we should crush this team.  Teams like Lasalle and Massachusetts, teams that will probably be around us in the standings, are not only 8 points better than Mansfield. 

2. We were outrebounded 38-33.  We need to be tougher in the paint.  I don’t care how big Carr is.  The fact is, he is not a Division I player.  We should beat teams like this on the boards.  I am looking forward to seeing what Brett Roseboro does for our rebounding. 

3. Where is Lewis Leonard?  I wonder what the deal is with him.  He was a prolific scorer at the JUCO level.  I hope everything is ok with him.  I still believe he can help us, we need a guard that can score.  Especially with Matthews shooting the way he did.  Which brings me to…

4. Chris Matthews’s  being incredibly consistent at being inconsistent.  Can Chris Matthews just make about 30-40% of 3 point attempts per game? Please? My God, he cannot go 1-8 for our team to be truly successful in A-10 play this year.  This was the most disheartening thing for me last night.  We need him to be a consistently successful shooter in order for this team to win.  He can stretch defenses and keep defenses from dropping defenders on Andrew.  But he needs to be more consistent from the outside!

5. Malcolm Eleby.  Bleh. Malcolm Eleby is to point guards as Trent Dilfer is to quarterbacks.  He doesn’t lose you games, but he sure doesn’t win you games.  4 points? 3 assists? Less than 60% free throw shooting? 28 minutes? I’m feeling sick looking at that stat line.  Ogo will start by the end of the year.  Malcolm, I want you to succeed, I really do.  But you need to stop playing scared and attack.  You are the point guard.  Attack.

6. Not seeing a lot of House, Conger, and Simmons.  I don’t know yet what we have with these players.  I can make no assessment.  I cannot wait to see Roseboro though.

Looking forward to the season premier versus Cleveland State.  Won’t have a trial to prepare for at that point, so there will be a full and thorough review.  Go Bonas.

2009-2010 Season Preview

Will Andrew Nicholson endure a sophomore slump in 2009-2010?

After earning their first .500 record since the 2001-2002 season, the Bonnies will attempt to once again jump in the league standings under third year Head Coach Mark Schmidt. The returnees are headlined by the reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year in forward Andrew Nicholson, senior three point gunner Chris Matthews, and senior guard-forward Jonathan Hall. After qualifying for the league tournament for just the first time in the previous four years last season, the Brown and White seem poised to put together another solid if not spectacular campaign.

2009-2010 Roster

2009-2010 Schedule

The Backcourt

Led by a solid scoring duo in seniors Chris Matthews (12.2 ppg) and Jonathan Hall (12.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg), the Bonnies have two wings who are certainly capable of scoring the basketball. Last year, Matthews ranked 4th in the league in three pointers made (2.7 per game) but was a no show on far too many occasions. The always streaky Matthews failed to score in double figures ten times last year (A third of the team’s games), a figure that simply must improve if the Bonnies are going to take a real step forward this year. The solution? Matthews must find other ways to contribute on offense when his deep jumper is not falling, i.e using screens more effectively, or using a shot fake to draw the defender up while putting the ball on the floor. Hall, unlike Matthews, relies almost exclusively on scoring in the paint via pull up jumpers or drives off ball screens. While he is an awful three point shooter (17%), Hall is very productive overall (50% fg) when shooting due to many close range field goal attempts, and did lead the team in scoring, rebounding and assists per game last season; an underrated all around player.

Junior Malcolm Eleby returns as the starting point guard, though he will be challenged by JUCO transfer Ogo Adegboye for minutes. While Eleby did improve last year (7 pts, 3 ast), he still cannot be considered a top half point guard in the league, mostly due to his poor shooting percentages (16% from three, 38% overall) and poor assist/ turnover ratio: 89 assists with 78 turnovers. Ogo should give the Bonnies more quickness and some more offensive pop off the bench, as will ultra athletic sophomore Michael Davenport (3.3 pts) JUCO transfers Lewis Leonard ( 6′4″, 200) and incoming freshman Demitrius Conger (6′6″, 205). If the Bonnies can get improved play at the point guard spot and more consistent scoring on the wings, they should be able to free up enough space inside for Nicholson who all the sudden lacks a partner in crime down low.

The Frontcourt

For the first time in what seems like an eternity, the Bonnies have a credible big man in the previously mentioned Nicholson. The Canadian logged just 25 minutes a game last year due to frequent foul trouble, but still managed to post impressive numbers (12.5 pts, 6 rpg, 2.7 blocks). Nicholson became a defensive force in the paint, forcing teams to settle for floaters and pull up jumpers instead of lay-ups and dunks. Nicknamed “The Eraser” on campus, Nicholson is the Bonnies best insurance policy on defense as he can cover up for mistakes on the perimeter by altering and blocking shots of both guards and forwards. While he must makes strides in learning how to pass out of the post, he is a very good shooter (60%, 2nd in A10) who can step out and hit 15 foot jumpers if left alone. Points of emphasis over the summer for Nicholson were surely in the weight room (just 220 pounds) and on the free throw line (61%).

Joining Nicholson on the blocks this year is a cast of unknowns. Sophomore Da’Quan Cook (1.6 ppg, 8 min) is the only frontcourt returnee with any experience. Cook already has the reputation as a blue collar player, not necessarily a good thing as a sophomore. He’s physical and can bang, but is not a scoring threat and has attempted just 20 shots in his career. Red shirt Jake Houseknecht (6′8″, 200) and Marquis Simmons (6′8″, 220) round out what appears to be both a thin and tremendously inexperienced frontcourt. With so much attention due to be given to Nicholson, Schmidt hopes someone in this second bunch will step up and provide him with minutes, rebounds and an occasional baskets to keep defenses honest. If the Bonnies can receive decent production from this group, Nicholson will have that much more room to work with his back to the basket, as well as that much more room to pass out of pressure, something he hasn’t shown the ability to due thus far.

The late off season addition of Brett Roseboro gives the Bonnies a little bit more depth amongst the “bigs” but fans shouldn’t view the Marquette transfer as a savior by any means.  Nicholson was the exception, not the rule last year, as a forward who can step in from day one and become a big time impact player. People on campus tell us the Roseboro looks good in workouts and should absolutely see quality minutes, but let’s think more D’Lancy Carter figures than Nicholson for the freshman.

Newcomers

The following commentary was given to CollegeChalktalk .com earlier this summer when they caught up with Head Coach Mark Schmidt…

Demitrius Conger: 6-foot-6 from Brooklyn; Demitrius went to Covenant Christian Academy in Atlanta. Really athletic and long. Scorer’s mentality… he went for 31 or 32 against Oak Hill Academy last year. Good defensive player. I’m not saying he’s James Posey, who I coached at Xavier, but he has a similar body in that he’s long, lean and athletic… and we’re looking forward to having him contribute as a freshman.

Ogo Adegboye: 6-0, 180 pounds. JUCO (Lamar Community College, CO). Great kid. Born in Nigeria and moved to London, England where spent his childhood. He’s a very quick, athletic point guard. He can shoot the ball and can score, but he’s really got a great head on his shoulders and can make other players around him better. When I saw him play at the national tournament, I hadn’t even heard of Lamar, but the longer I watched this kid play the more impressed I was with him, just as a leader. So, we’re really excited to have him… we struggled at the point guard position at times last year and we’re hoping Ogo can be a guy that can come in and help us. Just a tremendous kid, a 4.0 student at Lamar.

And then we obviously have Marquis Simmons, Jake Houseknecht and Lewis Leonard who sat out last year and will give us some production inside and outside.

Marquee Non-Conference Matchup

The Bonnies will play host to the St. John’s Red Storm on Tuesday, November 17th, at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. While their match up with Syracuse at the Carrier Dome might generate more excitement to alumni, the contest against the Red Storm should be an extremely well balanced game. Both teams are coming off similar seasons (SJU won 16 games last year) and the location of the game should bring both Bonaventure as well as Red Storm supporters. The Bonnies knocked off a Big East team last year in Rutgers, they certainly will talent and crowd to knock off Norm Robert’s team in upstate New York.

Stat of Note

Last year, the Bonnies ranked dead last in the league in turnover margin (-2.62) and also coughed the ball over more times than any other team in the league (491). For a team that ranked 6th in scoring offense, 10th in scoring defense and 4th in rebounding margin, this is the stat the keeps Mark Schmidt up at night. Specifically, Andrew Nicholson will need to do a much better job of passing out of double teams this year; last year the freshman registered just 7 assists to go along with 62 turnovers. While Eleby, Matthews and Hall showed improvement in this area towards the end of last year, Nicholson has a great deal to learn. Given their decent scoring potential and run and gun offensive style, fewer turnovers could mean becoming one of the league’s highest powered offensives.

Player to Watch

Look for Michael Davenport to have a breakout year for the Bonnies this year.

Michael Davenport. The 6′4″ sophomore showed flashes of excellence last year, using his great athletic ability to become a great defender and energy man off the bench. Playing just over 11 minutes a game, Davenport averaged over three points and 2 rebounds, showing that he can go get the ball off the glass for a guard. What impresses us most about Davenport is his basketball I.Q and mature style of play. While not a great shooter (41%) he did convert very well at the line (89%) and often defends the opposing teams’ best guard. Look for Davenport to contribute a great deal on both sides of the ball this season; a jack of all trades but master of none kind of player, Davenport can help the Bonnies in many areas.

Season Outlook

After losing at least 34% in scoring, rebounding, and assists, the Bonnies could still have enough pieces to find themselves in the middle of the pack during conference play. While they could stand to upgrade at the point guard position, Eleby has shown signs of growth and the combination of Matthews and Hall gives the Brown and White three returning guards with solid Atlantic 10 experience. Nicholson should take another step forward in his development this year, and if he can stay out of foul trouble, could become of the elite forwards in the entire league. Areas of concern are frontcourt depth, turnovers and lack of consistent perimeter shooters which in turn could clog up the paint for the forwards as well as drive first guards like Hall.

Expectations for this group are as high as any season in recent memory in Olean, all due to just a .500 finish a year ago. That said, Schmidt has added talent and athleticism to the roster, and will continue to ask his team to push the basketball and play aggressive. With a tougher non-conference schedule than a year ago the record may not equate a vast jump in wins, but this should be the best squad that the Bona faithful have seen in several years.

Scheduling 2009-10′ (Bonnies vs. Marquette; Off)

The Bonnies won't be playing this man's alma mater this season.

We have gotten several emails from readers asking about the Bonnies current non-conference schedule. Many of you wanted us to shed some light on what games are on and what are off; so here goes…

1. Cleveland State (And Former coach Jason Gee) is coming to the RC

2. SBU will take on St. John’s in Rochester at the Blue Cross Arena

3. SBU will travel to Niagara, host Canisius

4. The Bonnies owe a return game to Mississippi State

5. @ Illinois State for the Basketball Travelers Invitational (Norfolk State)

6. Bonnies travel to the Carrier Dome to play Syracuse…

7. The Marquette game is off according to my sources

That currently gives the Bonnies eight non-conference games, meaning that they will have to find at least four more games. The Bonnies could look to play teams such as Robert Morris and Saint Francis PA again, both provide winnable games vs. teams who would certainly travel to SBU and enjoy the chance to knock off an A10 team on the road.

What are my other ideas about who the Bonnies could potentially play? Well here are a few games I think would make sense…

1. Play Buffalo somewhere. Here, there, anywhere, there is no good reason these two teams don’t play each other every year. SBU is an A10 team, meaning UB would be playing up in conference by playing us, and we certainly are not above the Bulls who have been a respectable team over the last few years. A great rivalry game, would be well attended.

2. Binghamton. The Bearcats have emerged as a powerful team in the America East. They are about three hours away and are coming off an NCAA bid. Another game that makes too much sense.

3. Penn State. I would love to see the Bonnies play Penn State, even if it meant playing down in State College a few years to get a return game. PSU plays in the Big Ten and has developed into a real threat in that league, last year getting to N.I.T finals. State College is only some three hours from Olean.

4. Colgate. Another in state team who has had recent success in the NCAA tournament. Colgate is coming off a NCAA tournament bid and would be a nice team to have travel to the RC for a non-conference win over a team who, although is not in a great league, has some recent history in the postseason.

5. Pittsburgh or Providence. Both Big East teams would be willing to play the Bonnies at their place, and both would add a great second punch to the Syracuse game. Pittsburgh is obviously within driving distance from Olean, and they, like Providence would draw well in Rochester or Buffalo on a neutral court. Jamie Dixon’s team is as good as it gets right now in college basketball, and even playing them close would give the Bonnies some attention. Providence isn’t quite where Pitt is right now in the national rankings, but they are a program on the rise in the Big East, and they like Bonas, are a small catholic school in a league of giants.

We will see how things play out over the next few weeks leading into the fall, but as of right now work remains as far as the shcedule is concerned. As we get any new information we will put it out there for everyone to read, but the coaches and administration ususally do a good job of keeping the games and terms under wraps.

Bona Blog: Reader’s Mailbag

We aren't Newman, but we can answer your questions about the Bonnies.

Just as promised we are back here at the Blog to answer some pressing questions heading into the summer months and soon, the start of fall. Feel free to submit questions to us through the site’s comments sections, and we will try to answer them when we open our next batch of questions.

Question #1: Is Malcolm Eleby the starting point guard this year, and what does the future hold for him as a Bonnie?

BonaBlog Answer: Eleby finished the year averaging 7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game; certainly modest numbers from the point guard position. Malcolm really showed some growth towards the end of the year, finishing in double figures in 7 of the team’s last 9 contests. Still though, his 78 turnovers with 89 assists do not form a sold ratio, and he ranked 15th in the league in assists, and out of the top 15 in A/TO ratio…not usually a good sign for your point guard. Eleby’s obvious strengths are his size, ability to convert at the line (68% was a vast improvement over his 38% freshman year) and get into the lane with his big frame. Unfortunately, I do not see Eleby as a “true” Atlantic 10 point guard, and think after seeing him for two years, we have seen what his upside is: maybe a ten point a game scorer, who cannot shoot, lacks true quickness and doesn’t possess the decision making ability to rank among the league’s elite point men.

To answer the question, I believe that Eleby will start the year as the point guard, but my prediction is that by the end of the year, he is coming off the bench and playing second fiddle to Ogo, who should bring more quickness and offense to the team. As far as 2011 is concerned, I would expect Ogo (a senior to be) to be starting over Eleby, his classmate.

Question #2: What does the loss of Maurice Thomas mean to Andrew Nicholson, the reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year?

BonaBlog Answer: Thomas was a very useful player for the Bonnies last year; when he was actually on the floor. Thomas averaged 9.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in just under 20 minutes of action per game. However his off the floor issues were well documented and his poor attitude and maturity have led him to another school. All this just means a little bit more pressure on Andrew Nicholson.

When asked about this situation during an interview with College Chalktalk, Coach Schmidt had the following to say:

“I’m not sure that losing Maurice will really impact Andrew.  Andrew came up without the hoopla of some of the other guys.  Nobody knew about Andrew because he didn’t play in the AAU circuit and he was from Toronto, but we knew we had something special.

In the first half of the Marist game he was nervous, but in the second half he broke out and his confidence grew and he got better and better.  Where he needs to improve is strength-wise… he can only bench 165 pounds (and that’s up considerably from when he arrived); he’s the A-10 Rookie of the Year, bench pressing 165.  And that lack of strength got him in early foul trouble at times.  That’s one thing… he has to get stronger.  The minutes last year and some added strength will help him stay out of foul trouble.

Everyone will know who he is this year.  They’re going to come after him and I’ve told him, ‘As good as you were last year, you’ve gotta be better this year’.  They’ll come after him with double-teams, but he’s an extraordinary talent, a great kid and a great student.  If he gets stronger and continues to work at it, he has a chance to be a really special player and make some money somewhere after he graduates.

As far as Maurice, he brought toughness to our team, but we feel that Marquis Simmons, Da’Quan Cook, and others can help make up for that. But in terms of Andrew, I know he’ll continue to work hard (he’s up to 230 pounds, from 215 when he arrived), he’s not the kind of kid who will get big-headed, and we expect a terrific sophomore season.”

Mark Schmidt has forgotten more about the game of basketball than I’ll ever know. That said, I do have to agree to disagree with Schmidt’s statement that he is not sure losing Grease will affect Andrew. If Thomas was around this year, teams would have to prep for two players who could potentially drop a double double on them each night, now, they will prepare for Nicholson and who? House? Leonard at the four? Simmons at the four? Its just not the same.

I know Thomas wasn’t a great post player, but he was a capable scorer, a great presence, a hard-nosed rebounder and a workhorse. Those things will not easily be replaced, and by losing him, teams know they can focus on Nicholson and only Nicholson in the post. For a team that already lacks perimeter shooters (Matthews aside) having only one low post scoring threat could cause even more problems for the Bonnies’ guards. Defenses will be able to play our guards tight beyond the three point line, knowing they might only need to single cover in the post, and double teams may not even be needed given Andrew’s turnover issues.

Question #3: What is the team’s greatest weakness heading into the 2009-2010 season?

BonaBlog Answer: An easy one to answer; turnovers. The Bonnies ranked dead last in turnover margin, as well as assist/turnover ratio.  Although the team finished 4th in assists (15.1 per game) their -5.13 ratio made for many empty possessions. Eleby checked in with 78 turnovers, and Ray Blackburn added 64 of his own. Chris Matthew’s turned it over 76 times, and ROY Andrew Nicholson coughed it up 62 times to go with his 7 helpers (ouch), Hall had 97!  Bonaventure boasted the 8th best scoring offense in the league and third best field goal percentage. With those two facts in mind, it appears that only turning the ball over could cause the Bonnies to drop so many games. 17 turnovers  a game could potentially lead to 51 points the other way; a scary thought when you play in the Atlantic 10. Xavier, and Dayton don’t need any extra possessions to beat teams like Bonaventure, but when you give them to them, it makes winning that much more difficult. Only time will tell if adding Ogo as the team’s point guard will help to straighten out these lopsided numbers. If they can cut the turnovers down to say 12 a game, the Bonnies could easily add a few more victories to their total (see the Duquesne game last year in Pittsburgh).

We know Hall can score, but can he and the Bonnies take care of the ball next year?

Question #4: What is the team’s greatest strength heading into the 2009-2010 season?

BonaBlog Answer: In my opinion, another rather easy question; the offense and the ability to score the ball. As noted above, the team ranked 3rd in field goal percentage and 8th in scoring offense. With Leonard on the floor (said to be a true scorer at the three) and with the additions of Simmons, Ogo, House, and Conger, the team should be more athletic and more offense oriented. If Leonard is a true scorer as advertised, and I hope he is, the team should have  three true guards who can score the ball in Matthews, Leonard and Hall. Hall was so inconsistent last year, that too many times Matthews had to shoulder the scoring load; with Leonard in the fold, that shouldn’t be as much of a problem. Matthews should provide the long range scoring, while Hall and Leonard can take defenders off the dribble and score in the paint and off the dribble and pull-up. As long as the team can 1.) Better value the basketball and 2.) Get production from the post aside from Andrew, I think the Bonnies could be one of the more potent offenses in the league.

Question #5: What Bonnies player is most vital to the team’s success?

BonaBlog Answer: This question is not as easy for me as the two before it. However, after giving it some thought I’ll give the nod to Jonathan Hall over Malcolm Eleby. Hall lead the team in scoring with just under 13 a game, and also led the team in rebounds and assists. Hall is much more athletic than he looks, and some of my favorite memories of last season were a few of his 18 blocks which were of the highlight reel variety. Hall’s biggest problem were his 97 turnovers (2nd on the team) to go with his 95 assists. Hall killed more possessions than any other player, and at times, became a black hole in the offense. His tendency to put his head down and drive to the basket like a freight train, instead of moving the ball from side to side and looking to rip the gaps in defenses caused Hall to spend time on the pine. If he can improve his shot selection, as well as his actual jump shot, Hall could become a 15 point a game guy rather easily. He is the most versatile player on the team, and his play on the offensive end of the floor will be a major key in how far the Bonnies go next season.

Photos are courtesy of the BonaVenture and Talbot Eckwiler.

Recruiting Update/Roster Moves

Another summer, more changes for the Bonnies...

Well fellow Bonnies fans its been a while since we’ve posted anything here on the site, however after taking a much needed break from college basketball and Bonnies hoops we are ready to begin posting during the summer months. We hope that you have enjoyed reading along with us during out first season of being up and running on the net’ and hope you continue to visit us this coming fall…now onto what we’ve missed…

1. Mo Thomas and Ray Blackburn are gone

This roster move came as little surprise to anyone who was connected with the team. Granted, I think some of us were a little but puzzled at the transfer of Blackburn, but if you thought that Thomas was going to be back with the team next fall than clearly you really don’t know what kind of guy Mark Schmidt is. Thomas was suspended a handful of times during the season for team violations (being late for walk-throughs, etc.) and was simply a kid who had a great deal of troubles. I worked with Mo last season and can say that while he is a nice guy to those on the team, he obviously has some issues that need to be worked out. Mo was not a good fit for the program and his immaturity and lack of team first attitude were only going to be a roadblock for the squad. Although he did provide a great deal of toughness inside, Mo is one of those guys who coaches view as addition by subtraction…its just a shame things couldn’t work out for him here because clearly the ability is there (But this is not an uncommon trend in college basketball).

Blackburn's near 1:1 A/TO Ratio got him in the doghouse, and maybe forced him to leave the school.

Blackburn averaged 8 points and nearly 3 assists per game, and his quickness and aggressiveness made him a decent option at the point position during the early stages of the year. However, as the sample size grew those around the team had to realize that Blackburn was not going to be the floor general this team needed. Blackburn burst onto the scene during the Mississippi State game by scoring 22 points, but then successfully threw away the Canisius game just days later. After scoring in double figures for seven games mostly in December, Blackburn never cracked ten points again in the remaining 17 contests. His 64 turnovers to go with 66 assists from the point position was simply not good enough to be considered a starting guard on the team. As the season grew on Malcolm Eleby showed decent growth and the staff moved away from Ray. His decision to leave the school will have little to no impact on the program this year.

2. Lewis Leonard, Marquis Simmons and Jake Houseknecht are eligible to play…

Leonard, Simmons and “House” (because its just easier to type and spell out) should be become key contributors this season. From all reports that I’ve heard, Leonard is a scoring machine who uses his frame to get into the paint and can really finish at the rim. He is a good athlete and has a capable handle. I do not believe LL will solve the Bonnies outside shooting problems unfortunately, as he is said to be more of a slasher and much less of  catch and shoot type guard. I foresee Leonard playing major minutes at the three this year, and probably start from day one along side Chris Matthews who will, it seems anyway, start again at the two. I do think Michael Davenport could give LL a run for his money at this spot, specifically when you consider his defensive abilities, but for now I’d call Leonard the starter. Leonard should be that other scoring option that Bonas missed so greatly last season, as defenses were able to key off Matthews.

Houseknecht should bring a decent face up game at the four spot with his 6′8″ frame. He has obviously put on some muscle mass since his days terrorizing the Big 30 Conference, but he will  need to keep putting on weight to really be able to bang with the true forwards in the Atlantic 10. House has a nice touch around the rim and can probably play a nice pick and pop game, but how he will fare around the rim in crowds remains to be seen. I would count on him to be a role player off the bench this year and probably not much more. If he can just give Andrew a few quality minutes off the bench a game he will have done his job.

Simmons checks in at 6′8″ and 210 pounds, and while he probably has the body to play a few minutes at the four spot, he will likely be playing the three. He, along with Jonathan Hall and Lewis Leonard give the Bonnies three versatile players who can all play the three or four positions if need be. Simmons is said to have a nice stroke from the outside, and if its true at 6′8″, he could present real matchup problems for other teams. After sitting out last year, Simmons should be somewhat used to the team’s offense and defense, so he might have a jump start on Conger in terms of basketball I.Q. Still, I think Simmons is probably stuck in a log jam behind Hall and Leonard at the three spot, so he might have to really earn his minutes off the bench.

3. The Bonnies signed Kelvin Agee from Niagara Falls High School

Could Kelvin Agee be the next great shooter for the Bonnies? Tyler Relph could surely teach him a thing or two...

I’ll preface this portion of the post by saying I’ve never seen Agee play and I’ve never talked with anyone who has…That being said, Agee will redshirt this coming season and be eligible in 2010-2011. He is a 6′3″ shooting guard who averaged over 22 points a game in high school and was named the Niagara Gazette Player of the Year. I think it’s a great idea to have the kid take a year to learn the system, because Schmidt really demands a lot of his players, specifically guards offensively. Agee can learn the pack line defense that Bonas uses and practice against division one guards for a year before having to face them in a game. I trust Schmidt’s ability to evaluate talent a great deal, so Agee could be a great late find for the Bonnies. That being said, he was recruited by just a few lower level division one teams, and there has to be a reason he wasn’t signed this late in the period. Only time will tell what Agee will bring to the table but let’s all hope the kid can shoot the ball because with Matthews gone after this year the team will be in dyer need of a shooter.

4. The Bonnies landed Blackburn’s replacement in Ogo Adegboye.

Boy if I thought spelling Housknecht was a bit rough then I shouldn’t even bother trying to use this kid’s last name…so I won’t. From what I have heard, Schmidt really likes Ogo’s game and thinks he has what it takes to give Eleby a real run for his money as the team’s point guard. Ogo is said to be a jet quick point guard with a really high basketball I.Q…and I’ve heard he’s pretty good in the classroom as well (Not that I really care). Now let’s not all think Jermain Calvin when we think quick point guard, Ogo should be able to push the ball down the floor quickly like Schmidt wants, and hopefully get to the rim under greater control than say…Ray Blackburn. I wouldn’t expect Ogo to be the second coming of Marques Green, but he should be an upgrade over Blackburn, and present a different look to opposing teams than Eleby provides. If he can take care of the ball, and push it down the floor getting to the rim from time to time, Schmidt will be thrilled. For a Bonnies team that shot itself in the foot with mindless turnovers last year, a point guard who can handle the rock will be key for having an over .500 season; having a point guard who does that and scores would just be gravy.

5. The Bonnies signed high school guard Demitrius Conger

Schmidt said the following about Conger in an interview with CollegeChalktalk.com; “I’m not saying he’s James Posey, who I coached at Xavier, but he has a similar body in that he’s long, lean and athletic.” And thank God he didn’t because some of the folks on the bandwagon would be declaring the kid a lottery pick before midnight madness. Conger is 6′6″ so I can say that he seems to be long enough and should have the size to get his shot off at the next level. Schmidt thinks that the Bonnies may have stolen one, getting Conger in the early signing period, and seeing he went for over 30 on Oak Hill, maybe they did. Conger is said to have a real nose for the ball and a good scorers mentality and his natural position is the three. I can see him playing the wing already with Davenport; giving the Bonnies a long and athletic backcourt of the future.

In all, I have to say the Bonnies have done well in terms of restocking the pantry so to speak. I think Leonard will be a high impact JUCO who should start from day one, and I think that Ogo will in the long run, wind up being this team’s point guard. Houseknecht and Simmons should see minutes off the bench at the three and four positions, while Conger should play backup to LL and Michael Davenport.

Check back with us soon as we throw up some new content, and answer some questions concerning a possible starting lineup, Andrew Nicholson’s growth, Malcolm Eleby’s future with the team and more.

Photos are curtesy of the BonaVenture and Talbot Eckwiler.

Bonas-Richmond Preview Part Deux

THE GAME: Win or go home for the Bonnies.  That is the bottom line.  There are no moral victories in the conference tournaments.  The Bonnies have made their first A10 tournament since 2005, and are looking for their first win since the 2002 tournament. 

The Bonnies are playing a Richmond team that has been hot and cold this season.  The Spiders are 17-14 overall, with a 9-7 record in conference.  Richmond is coming fresh off a win against Xavier this Saturday, beating the Musketeers at home 80-75.  Kevin Anderson scored 29 points in the Spiders biggest win yet this year.  Before this win, the Spiders barely pulled out a win against Charlotte and lost to George Washington at home.  Again, this team is very inconsistent.

Part of that inconsistency derives from the fact that the team lacks an identity.  While they are perimeter-oriented, they do not play hardnosed defense and struggle at times to score.  The Spiders lack a true post player that can score and defend in the interior.  This is what the Bonnies exlpoited in the first game, and will look to exploit in this game as well.

The Spiders will run 8-10 deep every game.  They do not have a true star player, and seem to ride the hot hand in every game that they play.  The Spiders also lack the ability to close out and really finish off teams.  Nowhere was this more evident than in the last time the Bonnies played the Spiders, as the Bonnies closed on an 11-0 run to defeat the Spiders in the final 2:54 of the game.

HOW THE BONNIES WIN THIS GAME: The Bonnies need to dominate the interior, both on the offensive and defensive end.  Last game, the Bonnies were able to do this behind the great performances of both Andrew Nicholson and Maurice Thomas.  The Bonnies will not have Thomas there to help them this time.  Therefore, it is imperative that the two seniors, Tyler Benson and D’lancy Carter step their games up and really bring it against the Spiders.  TB is going to have some problems against the Spiders, as his only good matchups on the defensive end are with Ryan Butler and Kevin Hovde.  Even then, these are not great matchups.  Man to man will not be the best defense for the Bonnies against these Spiders. 

Here are some bulletpoints as to how the Bonnies win:

• The Bonnies dominate the interior.  To do this, Andrew Nicholson must stay out of foul trouble.  If Nicholson plays 25+ minutes, the Bonnies win.  Plain and simple.  Richmond has no player who can match up with Nicholson. 
• The Bonnies throw different defenses at the Spiders.  The Spiders do not like running their offenses against zones.  I have watched this team a lot, and they are much more comfortable attacking man to man than zones.  If I was Mark Schmidt, I would start off in man, but then mix in some 2-3, 3-2, 1-3-1, and even a triangle and 2 on Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez.  Throw the kitchen sink at them. 
• Malcolm Eleby continues to maturate.  Watching ESPN yesterday, I had a revelation.  Malcolm Eleby is the Trent Dilfer of A10 point guards.  He just does enough to get the job done.  That is all that Malcolm needs to be for this team to.  Make a play here and there, and create for others.  I have been impressed with Malcolm lately, he has been much more assertive.  Take another step Malcolm, control the offense, and help lead this team to a victory. 
• Jonathan Hall must limit his turnovers.  When watching Hall, I sometimes question whether the 8-9 year olds I coached over the winter would make better decisions with the ball than Hall does.  But when Hall is on, he is a bull to the rim.  He is almost unstoppable when he has it going and looks to penetrate to the hoop.  Need a big game from him. 
• Bonnies need good bench play.  Richmond is very deep and talented off of their bench, and we need our bench to step up.  This means Ray Blackburn, Michael Davenport, and Daquan Cook must all contribute. 

PARTING THOUGHTS: I just want to congratulate Mike Morgan, Tyler Benson, and D’lancy Carter on making the Atlantic 10 tournament in their senior years.  They deserve it.  I also want to thank our loyal readers.  I myself have not been able to post many entries lately because of law school, but I really appreciate all of your support for the team.  As one of my friends texted me tonight, Bonas is a program on the upswing, and hopefully it can stay that way for the foreseeable future

-Ryan Shannon

Atlantic City; Finally

For Bonnies fans, AC has been a place of dreams for the past few seasons.

NCAA Tournament, NIT, CBI…forget those, Bonnies fans are some of the happiest fans in the country right now because their team has qualified for the conference tournament.

In a 14 team league, finishing within the top 12 doesn’t seem all that difficult. Those who have that mindset, clearly have not been a Bonnies fan over the course of the last several seasons. Bonaventure’s struggles have obviously been documented, and the team’s place among the league’s top 12 teams is a small sign of progress. Progress that, at least now, we know we are making.

With all but D’Lancy Carter and Tyler Benson returning next year, it seems another top 12 finish should be in the cards. For now, we worry about Richmond on Wednesday night, but more importantly, we enjoy the tournament, the atmosphere, the fans, and being able to take our place back as a respectable team within the league.

If you are going down to AC, enjoy the trip. Take in the Casino’s, the boardwalk in the winter, the rougher sections of the city, the Garden State Parkway, and everything else that only Jersey can provide.

I think of this week, for Bonnies fans (obviously myself included) as a vacation; a present. A time to relax, and enjoy the fruits of my labor as a fan (or employee of the team in my case) over the past however many years. I know, “just getting there” isn’t enough for some fans, and that is a good mentality to have. But, at the same time, let’s be proud of how far we’ve come in the last two years, let’s forget about the VBK and Solomon years, and let’s look ahead to what is to come.

This week, allow Atlantic City to provide the vacation and reward for all the fans out there.

Your source for wall to wall Atlantic 10 Tournament coverage!

Please check out collegechalktalk.com tomorrow for live in game chats, updates and analysis from the guys over at CCT.

Will the Students Show?

Will this be the sight at the RC on Saturday come 4:00 PM?

Saturday at 4:00 PM, the Bonnies will look to officially, and finally punch their ticket to Atlantic City and the A10 Conference Tournament.

With the George Washington loss last night to UMass, Bonaventure’s view of Boardwalk Hall in AC became that much more clear. The path to Atlantic City is as follows for Mark Schmidt and his club:

 

1. Beat Charlotte, get in.

2.  Lose game to Charlotte, but GW also loses to Temple.

The scenarios are pretty cut and dry, obviously it would easiest on the team, and the fans if they just took care of business against the 49ers because the Temple vs. GW game takes place later that night. A loss would probably find the team updating their ESPN gamecasts like crazy come Saturday evening.

This year’s situation brings back memories of 2005-2006 for me; Anthony Solomon’s last year, and game as head coach. We ventured to Charlotte to play the Niners on the season’s last day. A win and we would have punched our ticket to AC. A loss, and we would also need Richmond to drop them game to a then red hot Rhode Island team.

All Bonnies fans know how that year ended; with us getting blown out down in Charlotte and Richmond stealing a win from the much more talented Rhody squad, sending us back on a flight to Buffalo rather then to Philly, where we would have landed before driving to AC.

That loss probably made Steve Watson’s decision to make a coaching change that much easier. I believe, and I think the staff that year did as well, that a win at Halton Arena, and Solomon and his men would have gotten another year. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and yadda yadda yadda, Mark Schmidt is now our head coach.

Will the same turn of events send this year’s edition of the Bonnies to an early spring? Or, will they win/back their way into Atlantic City and get ready to play a first round game vs. a beatable team?

I believe, a lot of that could depend on whether or not the student body comes back from spring break a day early to watch the game. Unfortunately, I do not believe many students will come back to campus a day early for the contest. As I have outlined before on this blog, this is not the year 2001, and the students, generally speaking, do not live and die with this program.

Personally, I don’t really understand some of the student population; never have and I probably never will. A lot of that has to do with my working with the team for four years and loving basketball, but nevertheless, some students on campus will forever puzzle me. I could probably break the student body down into a few different catagories:

1. The diehards: The Kids who steal Ian Andersen’s phone number this week and call him 34 times a day, asking him personal questions about his mother and girlfriend. The same kids who paint their faces, go to the Mark Schmidt radio show, and let Tyler Benson cut them in the pizza line at the Hickey. These kids think Tyler Relph can walk on water and also visit the bandwagon between 25 and 50 times a day; My kinda fans.

2. The Abercrombie and Finch Fan: These kids are just like everyone else, swayed one way or the other depending on what their friends are doing, like a girl with clothes… Maybe I’ll go to the game tonight, or maybe I’ll stay in Rob and watch The Real World, order 23 dollars worth of Great Wall Chinese, and call it a night. These kids drive me insane. Why wouldn’t you go to a Divison one basketball game for free? What the hell else goes on in Olean in January that would cause you to not go with some 500 other students? Maybe they all go and do some crazy stuff I don’t know about, but I doubt it.

3. The “I have work to do” crowd: These kids make my want to drive my head through a wall. We go to Bonaventure, Not Cornell, not Standford, not even Fordham. There is no need for you to be in the library during all the men’s basketball home games. The work is not that hard, and the teachers are not that tough. Do your work before dinner, get some food, and take yourself to the game for two hours to have a good time. After you graduate, you will regret being held up in the stacks during home games.

4. The “I hate basketball/sports crowd”: I have an understanding for these fans. They just don’t like sports, never have, never will. I get that, I hate watching NASCAR and figure skating; never have, never will like watching it. These kids should be left to do what they want, but you can have a fun time at the games, even if you don’t enjoy watching the sport.

Whatever group you fall into, just get yourself back to the RC this Saturday for the Charlotte game. Call up your roomates, meet up for some lunch, go nuts at the game and then go party at night before you start classes on Monday. This is a must win game for a team, that quite honestly, hasn’t had a must win game since that final game in the 2006 season.

Your team needs you, your classmates need you and your University needs you.

Final Week: Pressing Questions, Observations

If the Bonnies want to take court here, they need to either win Saturday or get some help.

After their road loss on Sunday to Saint Joseph’s the Bonnies returned home to Olean to find themselves with one game to play. One game, Saturday afternoon, against Charlotte to determine if the Bonnies are to play in Atlantic City, and probably to determine what seed they would be down in Jersey. 28 games have been played, but number 29 is clearly the most important of them all.

This season has been a roller coaster ride of sorts, with more highs than lows, but uneventful it has not been. From the Bonnies thrilling road win over Rutgers at the RAC, to their heartbreaking loss at HSBC against Canisius, the Bonnies have made strides and taken steps back almost one after the other. That said, the Brown and White are one win away from securing themselves their first .500 or better season since 2002. Entering the season, every single fan of this team would have signed up for 14 or 15 wins in a heartbeat, and if you wouldn’t have, you don’t know college basketball.

When thinking about this season back in October when the leaves were still hanging on the trees around campus, numbers were discussed by all. Could the team win 12 games? Could they win more than 12 games with this new roster? Could they make it to Atlantic City? Would 5 wins secure us a spot in the top 12 teams of the league? Would 6 wins in the A10 lock us up, and if so, could we even win 6 of our 16 games in the Aten?

Most of those questions have been answered. As we now know that the Bonnies are a much improved team from last year, who are capable of beating the middle of the pack teams in the league, and are also capable of losing to the worst two teams in the conference. This team probably over achieved just a bit, as I had them pegged for 12 wins, but now need to take care of business. One game left, just find a way to win it.

Here are some questions that will be answered one way or another Saturday night as the Bonnies take on a Charlotte team with the same number of wins right now; 5. Note: Charlotte plays Richmond Tuesday night at 7:00 down in Charlotte.

1. Will the fans show up? The last time the Bonnies took to the court against Saint Louis the crowd was less then packed into the RC, and the students were busy in the library studying for finals…yeah ok. Either way, the students are away on Spring Break Saturday, so expecting anything other than a half or quarter full student section is wishful thinking. This is not the year 2000, and 600 students aren’t coming back a day early for this game. That means the locals have to pack the building and make some noise for the team to enjoy a real homecourt advantage. Bring your young nieces and nephews and let them scream for an hour and half, the team needs it.

2. Which Charlotte team will show up? The team that downed Xavier and Dayton, or the team that lost to GW, Richmond and Saint Louis? Only time will tell, but the Niner’s are just 2-9 on the road, making them one of the worst road teams in the A10. Charlotte has the players to beat the Bonnies, to be sure, but whether or not they come to play for 40 minutes remains to be seen. This club can be just as much a group of head stretchers as the Bonnies. The Niner’s are a dangerous team and have been playing much better of late, so dismissing them as an 11 win team is a mistake, they are every bit as good as Bonaventure.

3. Will Andrew Nicholson revert to mid season form? And by midseason, I mean early season. Nicholson has struggled of late, scoring in double figures in just one of his last four games and averaging just 6.7 points per game over that time. Andrew’s foul troubles have been well documented on the Internet and papers, but Saturday he needs to figure it out. In my opinion, and I’ve said this for weeks now, Schmidt should start Carter and bring Nicholson off the bench….and you know what, Saturday is senior day, a perfect time for Nicholson to check into the game 6 minutes in with a clean slate of fouls to use. Nicholson will be needed to score and rebound this weekend, because Charlotte has a somewhat deep frontcourt and a ton of size to throw at the Bonnies bigs.

4. Can Chris Matthews end his season on a high note? The junior sharpshoter has been very much hot and cold this year, with the Bonnies living and dying with his three point shooting every game. Last time out, Matthews did knock down 5 trifectas, but used 12 attempts to get them. Still, the Washington State transfer is the only shooter on the team, so fans will have to let him bomb away to keep defenses honest. Saturday afternoon, it might be tough for the Bonnies to get away with a win if Matthews doesn’t shoot well. The Saint Joseph’s game marked the first time Chris knocked down more than 3 long balls since the win over La Salle on the 7th. He will need to score his average or more against the 49ers to help the Bonnies on the wing.

John Hall needs to be more like a 31 point man, and less like a 6 point guy Saturday

5. Which Jonathan Hall will show up? The one who dropped 31 on Saint Louis or the one who scored 6 points against Saint Joseph’s, 9 against GW and 6 against Temple? Hall is clearly the most frustrating player on the team; he can do so many things well in one game and seemingly do nothing right in another. His lack of quickness appears to some fans to be laziness on the defensive end and his three point shooting is not much better than Eleby’s. That said, Hall is a complete player who leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists; much like Ahmad Smith did his senior year. Hall is a key player, the team needs him and if he plays a complete game, getting to the rim and posting up smaller guards he can be a huge asset to the squad. Let’s hope he uses the same formula he did against SLU Saturday.

6. Can this team win “The Big One”? I don’t even like to call this game The Big One, but let’s face it, it is a big game considering where the program is at right now. For those people who have said, put the champagne on ice, please relax. Nevertheless, the Bonnies may need to win this game to get into AC, and they will be playing with a roster of relatively new players. Matthews, Nicholson, Hall, Thomas, Davenport and company haven’t played a full season in the league and now must beat a competitive Charlotte team with a “gun to their head” so to speak. We’ve really never seen this bunch in a big game situation, but we will see them in just that Saturday. Charlotte is armed with Lamont Mack and Charlie Coley, seniors who can bang down low and have some big game experience. Should the Bonnies win, or back their way into AC, they will have another big game in Jersey, another chance to prove themselves as a dangerous squad.

All these questions should be answered this weekend, and hopefully we will be taking about Atlantic City come Sunday morning.

Check back later this week for an indepth preview of the Charlotte game.

Photos are curtesy of the BonaVenture and Talbot Eckwiler.

Breaking down the Bonnies A10 Tournament Hopes

If the Bonnies are to win again, Thomas is going to have to play a more consistent role on offense

3 games left now, that’s it.  Saint Louis, Saint Joseph’s and Charlotte, to determine if the Bonnies are going to be playing basketball in Atlantic City come March 11th. Honestly, I am not sure if the Bonnies are going to get that much needed 5th win to secure themselves a spot in the league tournament. I think they certainly could beat Charlotte, but the Niner’s have beaten Dayton and Xavier, two teams who whipped the floor with the Bonnies. And while Saint Louis is sub par away from home and have little offense, they play out of this world defense and just beat Dayton as well. The Saint Joseph’s game, well they’ve already beaten the Brown and White at the RC, so what makes me think we can turn the trick in Philly?

Wednesday nights game at the RC is going to be the 2nd most winnable game in my estimation for the Bonnies. Saint Louis sits at 8-5, and is the best defensive team in the A10. While they are 14-2 at home, they are just 2-7 on the road. Tommy Liddell and Kevin Lisch are seniors who have to lead the Bills’ every night in order to win. If the Bonnies can play quality defense, which seems to be a problem these days, they could steal a win at home. Saint Louis struggles mightily on the offensive end, scoring just 62 points per game. If Bonaventure can get stops to match SLU, they will be in game simply because Saint Louis doesn’t have enough offense to put away anyone early. If they allow the Billikens to score early and build a ten point lead, it will be like climbing a mountain to get back into the game. All and all, a winnable game, but not one I’d expect to win.

Bona Blog Odds of Victory: 40%

Sunday the Bonnies travel back to their favorite city, Philadelphia, to try to earn a much needed win. The Bonnies have never beaten Temple in Philly, and the last time they downed the Hawks in the City of Brotherly Love anyone? Try the year 2000. The last time they met the Brown and White suffered a 62-51 set back, though the game was never really in doubt. Saint Joseph’s was sitting atop the league just two weeks ago, but has now lost 4 straight games and are simply not the same team. The Hawks still play good defense, but have a hard time scoring the ball when needed, and have only one real weapon in Ahmad Nivins. While I believe the Hawks are actually a beatable team this year, (6-5 at home) I just can’t bring myself to give the Bonnies over a 50% chance of winning a road game against a Phil Martelli coached team, with the best player in the league lacing them up. Expect a close game, but another loss.

Bona Blog Odds of Victory: 35%

That leaves one last game for the Bonnies to secure what would be their 5th win of the A10 slate, and most certainly get them into the league’s tournament. Charlotte is club that is not all that different from the Bonnies. They can score the ball, they play quick and often times out of control, they can become very lazy on defense, and they can win or lose to just about any team in the league. While Charlotte has beaten Xavier and Dayton, they are a much different team on the road where they are 2-8. This game will have huge implications as to not just who gets in, but also what seed teams are. Bonaventure and Charlotte will likely be 12th, 11th or 10th seeds in AC. This game will have a playoff type atmosphere to it. Seeing that it is at home, and the Bonnies will be trying to break a could be four game losing streak, I’ll give them the edge.

Bona Blog Chance of Victory: 60%

For the sake of making life and this article easy, I will assume that GW and Fordham are not going to make it to AC. Fordham has just one win, which we all know about, and GW has just two (again we know). That means GW would have to win 2 more games to tie the Bonnies and knock the out (head to head GW has edge), assuming Bona doesn’t win again. I shouldn’t, but I will assume that GW won’t win two games, and if they do, the Bonnies will win one more of their remaining three.

So let me quickly break down what I think each other low seeded team will do in the last two weeks of league play. Below is their remaining schedule and my predictions for Wins and Losses for each team.

Charlotte (4-8)

@ GW- Win

Richmond- Loss

Fordham- Win

@ Bonaventure- Loss

Charlotte to finish at 6-10

St. Bonaventure (4-9)

Saint Louis- L

@ Saint Joseph’s- L

Charlotte-W

Bonaventure to finish at 5- 11

UMass (5-7)

Duquesne-L

@ La Salle-L

GW-W

@ Rhode Island-L

UMass to finish at 6-10

With these predictions, it would be my projected guess that the Bonnies earn the 12th seed in the A10 Tournament, with Charlotte and UMass being tied for 10th with 6 wins each. Since Charlotte earned an OT win over UMass earlier this year, Charlotte would be the 10th seed and UMass 11th.

If the Bonnies were to get the 12th seed, as of today, they would be playing Saint Louis who is in 5th place. Duquesne and Saint Joseph’s will also be vying for the 5th place spot. I think to play SLU or Saint Joseph’s the Bonnies would have to feel like they have a fighters chance. Duquesne has early beaten SBU twice, so that is a team they surely wouldn’t want to see again.
Obviously there are a lot of “ifs” in here, but time will tell how all this will play out. There will be no loss for scoreboard watching and rooting for other league teams in the last few weeks, enjoy!