By Mike Hogan, Staff Writer
Coming into Wednesday’s 73-67 victory over Duquesne University, the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team had an 89 percent chance to reach the “Big Dance,” according to the College Basketball Power Index. Those odds may have seen a slight increase after the Bonnies’ ninth win in a row and 21st of the season Wednesday night. The Bonnies are currently closing in on their best program record since the 25-win season by the 1969-70 Final Four team. The team also might be closing in on its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012.
Senior forward Idris Taqqee, one of three remaining players from the 2015-2016 team that got very close to an NCAA tournament bid, points out this year’s team is similar to the 2015-2016 team in regards to work ethic.
“Everyone is working hard,” said Taqqee. “People were interviewing me at the beginning of conference play, and that was something I saw every one of our guys doing. I thought that was a huge positive for the future. Everyone on this team wants to get to where we know we can get. That rough start was something that I knew we could get through as a team.”
As there is a lot of basketball to be played between now and Selection Sunday, Taqqee thinks the team needs to continue to work hard in order to continue its winning ways to assure a high seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
“Just keep doing what we are doing. Keep it simple,” said Taqqee. “Don’t overthink it and block out what people are saying on the outside. We can definitely do it. We have already proved it on every level. We have beaten good teams, and we have made our statement with this winning streak. Whether our chances to make the tournament are 89 percent or 15 percent, we just have to keep getting the wins.”
Taqqee’s fellow seniors, Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley, have enjoyed a lot of success on the court at St. Bonaventure. They would like nothing more than to finish their time as Bonnies with a trip to the Big Dance in March.
“Icing on the cake; Cherry on top,” said Taqqee. “And then if we get there, I am not just going to stop with that. I want to make some noise. I know making the tournament would be huge for our program, our community and our school. We want to bring everybody with us, make a statement to the world and show them how good we are. We’re winning games while we’re not playing our best basketball, but when we get on the big stage, we know we can show everyone our best basketball.”
Going back to the 2015-2016 season when many fans and students will tell you the Bonnies got “snubbed” out of an NCAA tournament bid, Taqqee said head coach Mark Schmidt reminds them continuing to boost their resume will help with their chances on Selection Sunday.
“I will tell you exactly what he says. [Schmidt] tells us that we can’t let anyone control our destiny,” Taqqee said. “He says that we need to keep winning games and keep fighting because, at the end of the day, they can’t pass us by after that. He never really brings up our sophomore year, but at the same time we all keep it in the back of our minds.”
As the tournament talk heats up and postseason play nears for the Bonnies, Taqqee talked about his emotions after his final game in front of the students at the Reilly Center.
“The students and the fans are why I even chose to keep my career here,” said Taqqee. “It’s one of the best places to play in college basketball. Knowing a lot of great teams don’t want to come here, that is all on the fans. They bring the energy. We have a community and camaraderie with our fans, and we can keep building that down the stretch by winning games and making it to the tournament.”
Head coach Mark Schmidt commented after the Duquesne game about how his team wins even when it is having an “off night.” He said the team has to continue to give its all in order to keep the results coming through the ups and downs.
“We didn’t play our best tonight,” said Schmidt. “But when you still win when you don’t play your best, that is encouraging. Every game right now is like game seven. We have got to play with a sense of urgency every game, because right now, 21 wins isn’t enough. Eleven wins in the Atlantic 10 isn’t enough. Our goal is to win them all. Every game is a game seven, and that’s our mentality right now.”
With three regular season games to go, and the Atlantic 10 tournament waiting, the Bonnies feel as if they are in a good spot. However, the team also believes there is still work to do in order to feel relatively comfortable when watching Selection Sunday on March 11.
