By Pat Tintle
Sports Editor
With just three games left in the regular season schedule, the men’s basketball team’s season can be summed up by one word—mediocre.
There have been moments of national media coverage and moments of head-scratching frustration.
The head-scratching turned into head-pounding on Wednesday night as the Bonnies fell to George Washington 69-46
However, certain players have proved to be reliable athletes on the court. Senior center Youssou Ndoye has transformed into the anchor of the team throughout the season, carrying his hot start into conference play. Going into Wednesday’s game, Ndoye has averaged 12.1 points per game, 10.5 rebounds and leads the team with 65 blocks (2.7 per game). While a vast majority of his points have come from in the paint, Ndoye places second on the team with a .465 field goal percentage.
Ndoye has made improvements in every year that he has played for the Bonnies, so his work ethic is both commendable and productive.
Another source of consistency for the Bonnies has come from junior forward Dion Wright. His 13.1 points per game, 6.9 boards and team leading .515 field-goal percentage may be the biggest reason for the Bonnies overall winning record. Wright is not a flashy player, but flashy is not what this program is about. Instead, Wright embodies the concept of a team that focuses on mechanics and basketball IQ rather than making the highlight reels.
After being labeled the guy who takes too many shots, senior guard Andell Cumberbatch has stepped up his game in the last week. The East Orange, New Jersey, native scored 10 points and recorded seven rebounds against Richmond and followed that up with a 15-point, seven-board performance at St. Joseph’s, going 6-9 from behind the arc in that span. Cumberbatch has covered up some of the Bonnies’ flaws for now, but if his numbers are legitimate, the flaws may disappear.
But with the Bonnies consistencies comes sources of inconsistency. Since Marcus Posley’s buzzer-beating shot to take down #18 VCU, the junior guard has not been quite the same presence on the court. Once the Atlantic 10 leading scorer, Posley has seen his points per game drop from 18.5 in late January to 16.4. That number still leads the Bonnies and is respectable, but anyone who has watched the Bonnies over the past two weeks can attest that Posley has tried to do too much with the ball.
Whether it is taking ill-advised layups or continuing to shoot three pointers when it is clearly not his night, Posley has not taken advantage of the attention he received. Posley will be a key—if not the key—player come the A-10 tournament, but if he continues his inconsistencies, the Bonnies may leave Brooklyn even earlier than expected.
The major hole in the Bonnies’ roster is still at point guard. After freshman guard Jaylen Adams’ surgery, the team has given junior guard Iakeem Alston the starting spot. In his limited action, Alston has played with intensity, but does not have the numbers to be an impactful player. He only scored four points and only recorded two assists in the Bonnies win over St. Joseph’s last Saturday, so the point guard position has left much to be desired.
Whether the Bonnies stick with Alston in hopes he gains confidence on the court, or if the team switches things up by moving Posley to the point guard spot, something needs to be done.
Posley at point guard is intriguing, but do the Bonnies really want to make their leading scorer a playmaker rather than a play finisher? As with the Bonnies’ tournament hopes, that remains to be seen.
