[b]A-10 PREVIEW – 14TH PLACE[/b]
ST. BONAVENTURE BONNIES
Last year: 7-22 (4-12), 13th place
INSTITUTION
St. Bonaventure University
Location: St. Bonaventure, NY (Olean, NY)
Founded: 1858
Enrollment: 2,400
Affiliation: Private Catholic co-educational university
COACH
Mark Schmidt, 1st year (7th overall)
Record at St. Bonaventure: 0-0 (82-90 overall; 47.7% winning percentage)
ARENA
Reilly Center
Seats: 5,570
Average attendance 2006-07: 4,312
ROSTER
1 Zarryon Fereti SR WG 6-3 190 Australia/Southern Idaho CC
*5 Michael Lee SR WF 6-8 205 West Palm Beach, FL
*10 Tyler Relph SR G 6-0 185 Victor, NY/West Virginia
12 Tyler Benson JR F/G 6-7 210 Morgantown, WV/Massanutten Military (VA)
20 Malcom Eleby FR PG 6-3 195 Philadelphia, PA
21 Da’Quan Cook FR F 6-9 220 Elizabeth, NJ/The Miller School (VA)
24 Hillary Haley FR G/F 6-6 210 Waldorf, MD/North Atlanta Prep (GA)
25 Delonte Taylor FR G 6-4 210 Washington, DC/Lutheran Christian Academy ¶
33 Matt Morgan FR F 6-8 210 Landover, MD/St. Thomas More (CT)
50 D’Lancy Carter JR F-C 6-10 256 Houston, TX/Vincennes JC
*Returning starters
OVERVIEW
New coach Mark Schmidt is certainly familiar with the Atlantic 10. He was a seven-year assistant at Xavier under Skip Prosser. Yet Schmidt has become less familiar with winning since he left the Queen City. He went 82-90 in six years as head coach of Robert Morris and his final season there was considered a disappointment. Expected to vie for the Northeast Conference title, a turmoil-ridden Robert Morris squad sputtered to a 17-11 record.
But give Schmidt credit. After several candidates spurned St. Bonaventure, he plunged into a rebuilding job as massive as Boston’s Big Dig (and probably just as messy). The Bonnies have won just 25 games in the past four years following a player-eligibility scandal. And they are not about to start winning soon.
The most pressing task is to identify good players. Former coach Anthony Solomon signed a bunch of junior-college transfers, but most did not work out and the roster is almost as bare as an Olean winter. Schmidt has done a yeoman’s job already just to find five recruits who he hopes can play at the A-10 level, but only three are eligible this year and the program has just 10 players suiting up. This is a team that cannot afford any injuries.
It will probably take two or three recruiting classes before the program is in a position to win again – and only if Schmidt shows a keen eye for talent and a devotion to defense. His record in both regards at Robert Morris is mixed.
DEPARTED PLAYERS
Paul Williams – Solid if unspectacular bigman gave the smallish Bonnies a presence in the paint. He finished third in the team in scoring (10.7 ppg, 55% FG) and was the top rebounder (7.2 rpg). Yet Williams did not improve on a promising junior campaign and his senior year has to be seen as a disappointment. He turned the ball over far too much (84 turnovers) and was constantly in foul trouble. Rarely did he take over a game inside.
A.J. Hawkins – By the time the season was over, the high-flying 6-5 sophomore had blossomed into the team’s best player, but he tired of Olean and the Bonnies’ losing ways. He transferred closer to home at Wichita State. Hawkins finished second in scoring (12.2 ppg, 45% FG, 35% 3PG) and third in rebounding (5.2 rpg) and he was the Bonnies’ best defender. New coach Mark Schmidt will miss Hawkins’ ability to break down defenses with his quickness and explosive moves to the rim.
Terron Diggs – The 6-0 guard retained the starting point position for the second year in a row by default: the Bonnies had no one better. Diggs couldn’t shoot (30% FG) or create offense with dribble penetration (2.6 apg), but he didn’t turn the ball over much. He got the Bonnies into their offense and played sound defense. Still, Schmidt will need much better play at point if the program’s fortunes are to improve.
Jermaine Calvin – Junior-college transfer, a onetime recruit of Rick Majerus at Utah, was supposed to take Diggs’ job. His failure is telling. Calvin (2.2 ppg, 2.8 apg) took more than a few ill-advised shots and often veered out of control. A few games before the season ended, Calvin quit after mounting tension with Solomon. The new staff did not welcome him back despite a very short bench.
Jourdan Morris – Athletic 6-6 forward from Maryland transferred after a spotty freshman season (2.9 ppg, 44% FG, 1.9 rpg). He showed some maneuverability in the post and ran the floor well, but his offense was far from polished. He did a good job on the boards in limited minutes and showed promise as a defender. While not star material, he might have become a suitable reserve.
Lounceny Kaba – Bouncy 6-8 forward blocked some shots (15 in 126 minutes), but the Guinean native was one of the least skilled players to ever suit up in the A-10. His offensive contribution was comparable to the coaching performance of the man who recruited him.
Ivan Kovacevic – Croatian-born juco bigman (1.5 ppg) was not particularly skilled or athletic and played sparingly in two seasons.
James Williams Jr. – The 6-4 slasher, one of many Solomon recruits from the juco ranks who did not pan out, left the program after six games. He scored 12 points in a loss at Albany but was otherwise a nonfactor.
RETURNING PLAYERS
Michael Lee – Once a 190-pound freshman from Florida, Lee has been a regular in the weightroom and added 25 pounds of muscle. The same effort, however, has not been consistently shown on the court. His performance actually deteriorated as a junior. His scoring and rebounding averages (12.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) remained the same, but his field goal percentage fell (44%), his turnovers rose sharply (79 from 50) and his defense was mediocre. At one point he was even taken out of the starting lineup.
When he plays well, Lee is a solid A-10-level starter. He is a versatile scorer out to 15 feet who’s most effective facing up with the ball. Lee likes to take a few dribbles and attack the basket from just outside the low blocks or pull up for jumpers on the corners of the free-throw line. He’s still not strong enough to score regularly down low and has trouble defending bulkier opponents, but he also presents a mismatch because of his quickness and length. The job of the new staff is to get Lee to play well all the time, but that might not be an easy task on a team likely to struggle anew.
Tyler Relph – The onetime West Virginia Mountaineer has had a checkered career after his transfer. He’s struggled repeatedly with foot problems that have curtailed his mobility and hampered his shot. A great shooter in high school, he’s hit just 35% of his 3-pointers since suiting up for the Bonnies two years ago. And Relph is barely adequate on defense.
As a fifth-year senior, Relph knows his team is not going to win much, but he still loves to play. He did shoot better (9.6 ppg, 37% 3PG) and Relph is too dangerous to be left alone. He has deep range and launches his shot quickly; more than two-third of his baskets came from beyond the arc. Relph is less dangerous when forced to run the team. Unfortunately for Relph, he won’t be able to dodge backup duty because of how thin the Bonnies are at that position. The less he plays at point, though, the better. He can help his team the most by stretching defenses and making the smart decisions expected of an upperclassman.
Tyler Benson – Buried on the bench his first two seasons, Benson (3.9 ppg, 34% 3PG) made the most of an opportunity to play at the end of last year. After three players left the team, he was given extended minutes. Benson scored a career high 24 points in a win over Duquesne (5-10 treys) and followed up with a 10-point outing vs. Fordham and 8 points against Charlotte. Like Relph, Benson is mostly a shooter. He doesn’t put the ball on the floor much or score inside and his defense is mediocre at best.
Given a chance, though, Benson has shown he can stretch defenses. If he can shore up the other parts of his game, he’ll become a regular contributor. Benson reportedly packed on some muscle during the summer and improved his conditioning. Good thing, too. He’ll have to spend some of his time defending the interior on an undersized Bonnies squad.
Zarryon Fereti – Australian swingman is getting a second bite of the apple. Solomon kicked him off the team just before last season ended, but the new staff allowed him back. So what are they getting? An explosive scorer, for one thing. The trigger-happy Fereti averaged 12 points a game and tallied a season high 26 in a win over Saint Louis. The athletic 6-4 slasher can drain the long ball – he hit 5 treys in three different games – but he’s also a human tomahawk chop who likes to attack the basket.
The problem is, Fereti plays out of control. He doesn’t know what a bad shot looks like (33% FG, 32% 3PG) and he’s easy pickings for any defender looking to take a charge. He can take his team out of a game as fast as he can shoot it into one. The task for Schmidt is to introduce discipline into Fereti’s game. He’s the sort of player who makes coaches pull out their hair – though that shouldn’t be a big deal for the Bonnies’ balding new coach.
NEWCOMERS
Malcom Eleby – Tough 6-3 floor general from Philadelphia will see lots of action. He’s the only true point on the roster and might be one of the best freshmen in the A-10. Eleby, a lefty, has good floor vision and ball-handling skills. He likes to penetrate and score or kick out to the shooters. Long and athletic, he’ll even grab some offensive boards in traffic or hound opponents on defense. Eleby is not much of an outside shooter and he’ll have to learn how to create when there’s no open path to the lane. The more shooters on the floor, the more effective Eleby will be.
DaQuan Cook – New Jersey native spent a year in prep school in Virginia. He’s a mobile combo forward with good jumping ability who’s most effective around the basket. He’s raw offensively, however, and a so-so shooter. The 6-8 Cook could become a solid player in time. He has A-10 level athleticism but needs more than a few wax jobs. (The eligibility of Cook was held up in October by the NCAA and unresolved when practice began.)
Hillary Haley – The 6-6 swingman from Maryland, a onetime East Carolina signee, is a highly athletic slasher who’s most effective in the open floor. He likes to attack the basket and has the potential to be a top defender.
Delonte Taylor – Son of a former NBA player is an athletic scoring guard with a solid outside shot. The 6-3, 210-pound Taylor is also strong enough to fight inside for rebounds and get some putbacks.
D’Lancy Carter – A 6-10 center, the junior-college transfer is not much of an offensive threat, but he’s tall and athletic and gives the smallish Bonnies a physical post presence. He’s a decent rebounder and shotblocker and scores on an occasional putback.
Matt Morgan – The 6-8 forward is more of a perimeter player. Morgan has a nice stroke out to the 3-point line, if not the quickest release. He’s probably not physically ready, however, to contribute much as a freshman.
SCOUTING REPORT
The Bonnies were the worst defensive team in the A-10 under the prior coaching staff. Schmidt says that’s going to change, and it has to. While the program may lack talent and numbers, everyone can play defense. St. Bonaventure won’t stand a chance of winning unless it plays harder than its opponents at both ends of the floor.
The Bonnies also have to play better defense because points won’t be easy to come by. St. Bonaventure lacks a major inside threat and the school finished near the bottom of the league in 3-point shooting.
What’s more, Schmidt does not have enough players to go full out with a press and generate lots of buckets in transition. The Bonnies will even have trouble scoring after missed shots. They are not big enough to win the battle of the offensive boards – or, for that matter, the defensive boards.
The Bonnies do have some options. Lee can score a bit in the paint and act as a focal point on offense. Fereti is a streaky 3-point shooter and likes to slash to the basket. Relph and junior Tyler Benson are solid long-range marksmen.
Some of the newcomers have to deliver immediately. The most likely candidate is Eleby, a big point guard who can score. He will start from Day One. Haley and Taylor also have good credentials as scorers in the prep ranks.
PREDICTION
A freshman point guard, spotty perimeter game, smallish frontcourt and thin bench—those aren’t the ingredients for a winning program. Absent a major miracle, the small Catholic school is unlikely to avoid second straight 20-loss season and the fourth in five years. The program is deficient in every category and only a massive infusion of talent and athleticism can cure what ails the Bonnies.
There are plenty of opportunities for moral victories, however. Consider Schmidt’s first year on the job well done if the Bonnies play hard, keep the scores close and get better.
Schmidt needs time, just not as much as Solomon got. He also needs patience, though not necessarily of the saintly sort. A few transfers or jucos might help the program heal faster, but St. Bonaventure should resist the temptation of the quick fix. Find good four-year players and develop them. It’s the well-worn path to success in the Atlantic 10.
Record: 5-24 (1-15), 14th place
NONCON SCHEDULE
I apologize to Bonnies fans for such a tough assessment, but unless some of the newcomers (Taylor and Haley especially) are very good, I have a hard time figuring out who this team can beat.
If Schmidt turns out to be a huge improvement on Solomon, I can see the Bonnies winning as many as three A-10 games and maybe another pair of noncongames. If Bona wins 10 games total, Schmidt should be A-10 coach of the year.
L – at Boston University
W – BINGHAMTON
L – Loyola Marymount (Albuquerque, NM)
L – At New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM)
W – Presbyterian (Albuquerque, NM)
W – EASTERN MICHIGAN
L – At Niagara
W – CANISIUS
L – At Ohio
W – ALBANY
L – At Hampton
L – At Wright State
L – At Binghamton
L – BUCKNELL
This is not a tough sked, but almost any team in Division 1 can compete with the Bonnies. BU is pretty good and tough defensively. The New Mexican tournament is no walk in the park, though the Bonnies should get a win over non-Division 1 team Presbyterian.
Niagara, Ohio, Hampton and Wright State are all solid programs that should be expected to win at home. Even some games I mark as win, such as Albany, are tough. I figure the Bonnies get revenge on the Albany coach for spurning Olean.
Link: A-10 PREVIEW – 14TH PLACE
